336 NECESSITY FOR CARRYING A COMPASS 



eleven to half-past seven o'clock, to at last kill but a 

 middling beast only. The shot brought in every deer 

 on the Kiblin ground, despite the fact of the wind 

 being south, and in order not to put them out again 

 we went round the march by the keeper's house, and 

 did not return to Glendoe Lodge till twelve o'clock at 

 night. 



On the Corrie Yairack we were often bothered with 

 the mist ; this is a hill which should never be mounted 

 without a compass, and experienced stalkers have 

 before now lost their way there for want of such pre- 

 caution. The late Lord Lovat and his brother, H. 

 Fraser, were lost for some hours grouse-shooting, 

 owing to the mist coming on suddenly on one of these 

 mountains, the highest grouse-shooting point. The 

 sportsman should never be without a compass ; one 

 can never tell when it may be required when deer- 

 stalking, and, I may add, when grouse-shooting also, 

 on some hills. An aneroid barometer is also interest- 

 ing, and serves to show to what heights an ascent is 

 made ; and even when travelling on the Highland 

 Railway it is interesting to note the rise and fall of the 

 several gradients. When travelling by train in some 

 parts of the Highlands, the changes of the aneroid are 

 well worth noting at times. The Raven's Rock at 

 Strathpeffer is 1,700 feet above the sea-level (if I re- 

 member right), and when mounting it in the train, my 

 aneroid rose more suddenly than when similarly ascend- 

 ing any other hill I can remember in the Highlands. 

 Of course, when stalking, more sudden and steeper 

 ascents are made. I once shot a stag on the very 

 summit of Scour-na-lapich, 3,800 feet. 



To thoroughly appreciate deer-stalking, a man, as I 



