400 FORMERLY A ROYAL FOREST. 



of ground, from the bold rocky mountains of 4000 feet 

 in height (on which have been found many stones of 

 the topaz and beryl kind), to the table land of the 

 district 1100 feet above the level of the sea. The 

 pasture varies from the finest natural grasses to the 

 lichen and pure white or grey fog on the summit of the 

 hills; but the heather and ling predominate, and these 

 latter are from time to time renewed by burning. With 

 abundant shelter from the woods and plantations, and such 

 excellent pasture, no situation can be more favourable for 

 the protection of deer. The junction with the Marr 

 Lodge forest on the west increases greatly the value of 

 both ; that again joining with the Atholl forest, which 

 latter is contiguous to Gawick, forms altogether a greater 

 extent of connected surface, kept expressly for deer, than 

 is to be found elsewhere in Britain. A glen joining the 

 Ivercauld forest, on the east of Loch-na-Garbh, called 

 Glen G elder, has lately been reserved for deer by Sir 

 Robert Gordon, which, from the increased extent of ground 

 and protection it affords them, must prove an advantage 

 to poth parties. There is no tradition how long this 

 range has been under deer ; it has always been considered 

 part of the Royal Forest of the old Scottish kings * , and 



* There is a letter under the privy seal of James VI., appointing 

 Donald Farquharson of Braemar, keeper of the King's forests of 

 Braemar, Cromar, and Strath-dee, dated 1584, " with power to him, 

 his deputis, and servandis, for quhome he sal be holdin to answer to 

 cause hayne the said wodis, forestis, and mureis ; and to serche, seik, 

 tak, and apprehend all and quholsumevir personis hantand, or repairand 

 tharin with bowis, culveringis, nettis, or any uther instrument meit 

 and convenient for the distinction of the deir and the murefowlis ; or 

 with aixis, savvis, or any uther instrument or work-lume for cutting 



