NIMRO&S NORTHERN TOUR. 207 



Gordon " as he was wont to be called in Scotland, namely, the 

 father to the late much-lamented duke. Then by a subscription 

 pack, to which the famous John Craik, of whom I shall have 

 something to say hereafter, was huntsman. Next by the late 

 Duke of Gordon, when Marquis of Huntley, to whom Craik was 

 likewise huntsman. Next by Captain Barclay, of Ury. Next 

 by the late Lord Kennedy. Next by Mr. Peel, who emigrated 

 to Swan River, and of whose speculation we have lately heard 

 such a melancholy account. Next by Lord Kintore, before he 

 went south ; after which it was vacant for a few years. It was, 

 however, subsequently occupied by Mr. Taylor, of Kirkton Hill, 

 near Lonskirk, Forfarshire, and likewise by Mr. Chalmers, of 

 Auldbar, near Brechen, who also hunted Forfarshire. It was 

 then taken by Lord Kintore, who has hunted it up to the present 

 time in all about eight seasons. Thus it appears to be one of 

 the oldest, if not the oldest fox-hunting country in Scotland. 



Previously to seeing it, as I have already said, I had some in- 

 formation respecting the Turriff country, in a letter I received 

 from Mr. Pryse Pryse, a master of fox-hounds in South Wales, 

 who had been on a visit to Gask. " You will be pleased," said 

 he, " with his (Kintore's) country, as well as with the pack and 

 the whole establishment, and you will be surprised to find his 

 Tnrriff country so good." But the reader shall now have my 

 opinion of it. The antipodes to Leicestershire, in its charac- 

 teristic features it resembles it in some things. First, the far 

 greater part of it is old turf, though much of it is covered with 

 ling, or short heath. Its surface is generally smooth, and un- 

 dulating ; and, though not like the soil of Persia, covered with 

 flowers and fragrance, the "green waving gorse" is to be seen 

 in its highest perfection in it. Neither are there many woods 

 of an overwhelming extent, and such as were, are now made 

 rideable by the kind disposition of the proprietors towards the 

 present master of the pack. I can answer for there being eight 

 or ten good holding gorse or whin covers in it, well fenced 

 in, amongst which are Kintore's Gorse, Ardleigh Gorse, Muresk 

 Gorse, the Den Gorse, Burnt Ha Gorse, Fortrie Gorse, and 

 Leslie's Gorse, all not to be excelled anywhere. I was shown 

 some woodlands at a distance, but in a fine open country capable 

 of affording sport particularly Forglen, Dalgaty, and Frendrit 

 woods, and likewise the five covers of Rossieburn, the Log Hill, 

 Rothie's Gorse, Halton Lodge, which I saw drawn, all good 

 meets and pretty certain finds. Nevertheless, it would be the 

 better for a few more judiciously placed gorse covers, as here 

 and there they lie wide. 

 To sum up all I consider the TurrifT country to be one in 



