NIMROD'S NORTHERN TOUR. 299 



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 information 

 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 Turriff 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 undulating; 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 Rossie- 

 burn, the Log-hill, Rothie's-gorse, Halton-lodge, which I saw drawn, 

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



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