AND STIRLINGSHIRE HUNT 



and after hunting, and frequently in the saddle. 

 To ride from Luffness to some fixture in the west 

 of Linlithgowshire before drawing covert is a per- 

 formance which would probably not be readily 

 undertaken by the great majority of the hunting 

 men of the present day, yet Mr Hope accomplished 

 such journeys, and, in so doing, evinced his energy 

 and powers of endurance. It was often dark when 

 he left home in the morning, and dark again, or 

 nearly so, before he reached the kennels in the 

 evening, after which he frequently rode on alone 

 through Edinburgh to Luffness, a distance of 

 twenty-one miles. 



The first notable run during Mr Hope's master- 

 ship took place on the 13th of November (1869), 

 when the hounds met at Saltoun old kennels in 

 East Lothian. After a turn or two round the 

 covert at Windy -Mains, "the property of that 

 staunch supporter of fox - hunting. Lord Hope- 

 toun," ^ hounds broke towards Costerton park, but 

 swinging to the left, crossed the water, and carried 

 on by the red scar to Blackshiels glen, where the 

 fox was headed. From this they ran a ring by 

 Fala Hall and the farm of Upper Keith, eventually 

 taking the line back to Blackshiels glen. On leav- 

 ing it for the second time they went away by 

 Fala Flow to Soutra hill, then bending to the 

 right, crossed Dun Law, and ran on by Gilston, 

 Brotherstone, Nether Brotherstone, and Glints — 

 the field gradually becoming more and more select, 



' The sixth Earl of Hopetoun. 



219 



