io THE WOLF IN SCOTLAND 



impatience and remonstrance. ' What is the 

 hurry ? ' said MacQueen, unfolding his plaid and 

 throwing down the newly severed head of the 

 wolf at the Macintosh's feet. 'There it is for 

 you ' ; and the tradition further tells how he 

 was rewarded by his Chief with the grant of 

 the lands of Seann-achan ' for meal to his 

 dogs.' 1 



I am indebted to the Rev. A. S. Macinnes 

 of Glencoe for the following account of how 

 the tradition of the ' last wolf ' ran among the 

 Gaelic-speaking inhabitants of that district as 

 recently as 1908. 



' The local tradition is that the last was killed 

 by Sir Ewen (Eoghan) Cameron of Lochiel at 

 the north end of Loch Arkaig (Arcaig). The 

 place is called Glac-a'-Mhadaidh (Wolfs Hol- 

 low). Glen Moriston also claims the honour. 

 In this case the honour of dispatching the 

 lonely one is given to a woman. She had been 

 away with food to some of her people who 

 were cutting peats or hay, and on the way 

 home was met by the wolf. She wound the 

 towel in which she had carried the food round 

 her hand and thrust the knife which she had 

 for cutting the meat or cheese into the brute's 

 mouth. He attacked her open-mouthed, and 



1 Stuart, Lays of the Deer-Forest. 



