144 DAYS OF DEER-STALKING. 



All this vast tract is reserved exclusively for deer, with 

 a slight exception as to Glen Tilt, where sheep are occa- 

 sionally permitted to pasture. In 1786, the sheep were 

 removed from the north side of Glen Tilt, and from the 

 south, or Ben-y-gloe side, about ten years afterwards. In 

 the year 1776, when Mr. John Crerer went to Blair, the 

 number of deer in all the forest did not probably exceed 

 100 ; though some small herds have wandered in it from 

 time immemorial. The great increase took place in the 

 year above mentioned, when Forest Lodge was built; the 

 sheep and cattle were removed, and the hills were thus kept 

 free from disturbance. Favoured and protected as they 

 now were, the increase became very rapid ; so that of late 

 years their numbers were computed at about seven thous- 

 and ; but I always thought this an exaggerated statement ; 

 for I once saw on the same day all the deer driven down 

 from the east, and a second drive also from Glen Crinie ; 

 I then fell back north before the deer had crossed Glen 

 Tilt, and came to Blair by the western cast and the lower 

 grounds ; so that, with the exception of such as happened 

 to be on Ben-y-gloe, I must have then seen almost all that 

 the forest comprehended, as the wind was full south ; mak- 

 ing all allowances, I should estimate the number at between 

 five and six thousand. On this day I killed seven fine harts. 

 The hinds are of course far more numerous than the harts, 

 as none but yeld hinds are killed, except by accident. It 

 must be allowed, however, that these accidents happen 

 pretty often, and indeed, in almost every deer-drive ; for 

 young sportsmen will fire at all hazards when they have 

 rifles in their hands aye, and old ones too, sometimes. 



It is thought that the harts in Atholl Forest are inferior 

 in point of size to those in other districts ; and from the 

 weight of stags killed elsewhere, an account of which has 

 been sent to me, I am forced to come to the same conclu- 

 sion. As the pastures are excellent almost everywhere, 

 and particularly rich on the north brae of Ben-y-gloe, this 

 inferiority in point of size cannot be attributed to the inca- 

 pacity of the ground to produce larger animals. It arises, 

 I think, from a very obvious cause : Blair being in the high 

 road to the north, almost every sportsman that came from 



