CHAPTER XVII. 



Existing Scottish Herds of "White Cattle — The Hamilton Herd — Mr. Brown's 

 Description — Differences between the Hamilton and Chilling-ham Cattle — 

 Nearly extirpated during the Cromwellian Period — Probability of their 

 being crossed then, and subsequently — Further Probability that they were 

 formerly Hornless — Now only partially so — Mr. Chandos-Pole-Gell's Ac- 

 count — The Athole Herd — Sold in 1834 — And then divided — Lord Breadal- 

 bane's Portion lost as a Pure Herd — But crossed with other Cattle — The Duke 

 of Buccleuch more successful — James Aitchison's Account of the Dalkeith 

 Herd— Slaughtered in 1838, with sole Exception of one Bull —The Kilmory 

 semi-wild Herd — How formed by Sir John Orde — Last Cross in 1852 — 

 Present State and Management of the Kilmory Herd — Mr. Chandos-Pole- 

 Gell's Account of it. 



I proceed to consider now those remaining herds of wild 

 cattle which were formerly kept in parks in Scotland. 

 The only one of these still existing is that in Cadzow 

 Park, an ancient royal chase, near to and connected 

 with Hamilton Palace in Lanarkshire, the seat of the 

 Douglas-Hamiltons, Dukes of Hamilton and Brandon, 

 who represent the great Douglases, Earls of Angus, 

 through the male line, and the Hamilton family through 

 the female. This herd is usually called the Hamilton 

 Herd. Cadzow Park is about 200 acres in extent; 

 and both it and its cattle are well described in a letter 

 of Mr. Brown, Chamberlain to the Duke of Hamilton, 

 published in " Jesse's Natural History." It was, as 

 Sir Walter Scott pointed out, on the confines of the 

 great Caledonian Forest. The same great writer alludes 

 to the wild cattle formerly no doubt common in that 



