AND STIELINGSHIRE HUNT 



in terms of the articles" formed a prominent event, 

 and with ordinaries daily, and balls in the evening, 

 the county town was probably created a centre 

 of attraction, full, to overflowing, of the beauty, 

 sportsmen, and fashion of the day. In the year 

 1808, the Hunt Stakes being run for on the 12th 

 of October, the hounds were at Stirling for a 

 fortnight, meeting at Sauchie, Dunmore Park, 

 Hunters' Folly, Denovan, Keir, &c. The Hunt 

 staff remained the same as in the previous season, 

 except that Christopher Scott had succeeded Car- 

 ter as second whipper-in, Scott, who at a later 

 period became huntsman under Mr Ramsay's son, 

 Mr W. R. Ramsay, had been, as a lad, in the 

 stables of Colonel Hamilton of Pencaitland in 

 East Lothian. Wishing to get into hunt service, 

 he obtained permission to see Mr Baird of New- 

 byth, who was in want of a whipper-in ; but it 

 turned out that the day before he did so the 

 place was promised to Will Williamson, afterwards 

 huntsman to the Dake of Buccleuch, and all that 

 Mr Baird could do for him was to send him on 

 to Lord Elphinstone, who was then looking out 

 for a whipper-in for Lord Kintore. Scott accord- 

 ingly proceeded to Ward Park, Cumbernauld, and 

 there saw Lord Elphinstone, who had with him 

 Mr Ramsay. " Can you holloa ? " said Lord 

 Elphinstone ; and on Scott doing so to some pur- 

 pose, " That will do ; go to Keith Hall and give 

 this letter to Lord Kintore." Scott's further jour- 

 ney had a successful issue, for shortly after his 



57 



