HISTORY OF THE LINLITHGOW 



head and Hillend] and then eventually to cross 

 the Denny road at Rennie's or Bankhead and 

 right into the garden surrounded by a very high 

 wall. The delay occasioned in getting the hounds 

 out, gave the fox 7 or 8 minutes good start. 

 Away the pack went [with a blazing scent] over 

 a very fine open country towards Whitehill farm 

 [and Bottomhead] but as Castle Eankine glen 

 was his point, he now bent due north and 

 [skirting Drumbowie] into it. Here he found 

 no shelter as the holes, having been smoked the 

 day previous, were not tempting, and the hounds 

 were pressing. So he faced the open country 

 to Tappitknowe and then up the Birn hill and 

 on to Denny moor. Time to this point 1 hour. 

 Wire now gave trouble and let the pack run 

 out of view. Those up agreed to divide in search, 

 and the huntsman and those who remained 

 with him found the hounds at Garrel hill 

 earths [two miles north of Kilsyth] — 8 miles as 

 crow flies, 13 miles as hounds ran. [Only one 

 couple of hounds missing at the finish.]^ 

 1869. Feb. 13. Westwood. 19| couple of hounds. Rode 

 Whipcord. Cold west wind. Scent good. No 

 fox at Westwood. Drew Charlesfield, Wilderness, 

 Bellsquarry, blank. Found at 2.30 in Morton 

 covert a wild hill fox. Was headed breaking 

 down wind and eventually broke west as if for 

 Harburn, but suddenly ere he reached the stripes, 

 wheeled due south and away o'er the moors and 

 clean over Wester Cairn. Mr Kerr (Bloom) and I 

 alone gained the summit, and although we searched 

 for one hour and a half, saw no sign of them. On 

 returning alone to Easter CoUium where my horse 



1 The words in brackets are supplied from a slightly fuller account 

 of this run which appeared in the 'Courant' of 4th February 1869. 



206 



