TEE AUGEENCEUIVE EEBD. 329 



ment would lead us to conjecture that the Drumlanrig 

 herd was not totally destroyed quite so early as has 

 been supposed. To a certain extent this is confirmed 

 by Pennant, who saw them himself. 



Drumlanrig Castle, in Dumfriesshire, is situated in 

 the valley of Nithsdale, intermediate between Hamilton 

 and the Sol way Firth, but somewhat nearer to the latter, 

 and at the western foot of those wild hills which, ex- 

 tending: throughout Southern Scotland, were the ancient 

 haunts of the Scottish mountain bull. One of their 

 highest points, Queensberry Hill, is near; and the 

 mountains which Scott describes in "Castle Dangerous" 

 as the shelter and protection of the wild bull are not 

 far off. 



The Auchencruive Herd of wild cattle was also, in 

 all likelihood, one of some antiquity. It belonged to the 

 Lords Catheart, and was sold in 1763, together with the 

 estate, by Charles, ninth baron, to Mr. Eichard Oswald, 

 in the hands of whose descendants the estate still con- 

 tinues, but the wild cattle have been long destroyed. 

 Auchencruive, in the parish of St. Quivox, and on the 

 water of Ayr, is in the county, and not far from the town, 

 of that name. The following letter was written, at the 

 request of Mr. Campbell, of the Bank at Ayr, who was 

 for many years factor on the Auchencruive estate, to Mr. 

 Oswald Mitchell, of Ardrossan, a relative of the Auchen- 

 cruive family, and forwarded to me for inspection : — 



" Royal Bank of Scotland, Ayr, 



" 5th of April, 1876. 

 " My dear Sir, — Mr. Campbell has asked me to reply to your 

 letter to him of yesterday's date. His information is to this effect. 

 "When the estate of Auchencruive was acquired in 1763 from Lord 



