302 FORESTS OF SCOTLAND. 



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 are still the 

 remains of Kiudroghit Castle on the Invercauld property, 

 used by Malcolm Canmore as a hunting seat, of which 

 mention is made in the notes to Sir Walter Scott's 

 " Marmion." It does not exceed twenty years since the 

 sheep and other animals were finally cleared off the hills to 

 the west, where it joins the Marr Lodge forest. About 

 4,200 acres are in wood, the greater part of which, on the 

 east side, called the Ballochbui, consists of indigenous pine, 

 many centuries old, and of great size. There are several 

 hundred hinds which never leave these woods or their 

 vicinity ; but it is difficult to estimate the number of deer 

 belonging to Invercauld, as it is constantly fluctuating with 

 a change of wind. In summer, the prevailing west wind 

 frequently takes the greater part of the stags to the Marr 

 Lodge forest ; but when the wind returns to the east, or in 

 bad weather, hundreds of stags and hinds immediately 

 come back ; and in winter and spring the woods are always 

 full of them. The roe deer at all times abound in these 

 woods. There are no lochs worthy of note in the forest, but 

 there are several in the adjoining grouse ground belonging 

 to Invercauld, the greater part of which is let in different 

 shooting quarters, and all under sheep : when the latter are 

 removed from the hills to winter pastures, the deer, parti- 

 cularly the stags, frequent great part of it until the sheep 

 return in summer. It extends to 1 12,760 acres, surrounding 

 the forest on the north and south, which, when added to it, 

 makes a total of 134,946 acres, equal to 210 square miles, 



* 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, 

 eulveringis, nettis, or any uther instrument meit and convenient for the 

 distraction of the deir and the murefowlis ; or with aixis, sawis, or any 

 uther instrument or worklume for cutting or destroying of wood ; and to 

 tak the same in for thame and intromit thairwith to his awin use ; and to 

 present thair personis to the justice, shiref, or any other ordinar juge to be 

 punisheit conforme to the lawis of this realme and generallie, &c. : term 

 and stabill to hold, &c., at Falkland, the 11 day of Jully, the year of God 

 1m V Ixxxiv. yeiris." 



