THE EXTINCT BRITISH WOLF. 
255 
and Strath Earn are still celebrated for their resort, and in 1 848 
there were living in Lochaber old people who related from 
their predecessors, that, when all the country from the Lochie 
to Loch Erroch was covered by a continuous pine forest, the 
eastern tracts upon the Blackwater and the wild wilderness 
stretching towards Rannach were so dense and infested by the 
rabid droves, that they were almost impassable.* * * § 
In 1528 the Earl of Athol entertained the king, James V., 
with a great hunt which lasted three days. 44 It is said, at this 
tyme, in Atholl and Stratherdaill boundis, thair was slaine 
threttie scoir of hart and hynd, with other small beasties, sich 
as roe and roebuck, wouljf ', fox, and wild cattis.” f 
A story is told of one John Eldar, a clergyman of Caithness, 
who journeyed on the death of James V. to England to present 
to Henry VIII. a project for the union of the two kingdoms. 
Being asked to explain the meaning of the name 44 redshanks,” 
at that time given to the Highlanders, he said, “They call us 
in Scotland, 4 redshanks,’ please it your Majesty to understand, 
that we of all people can tolerate, suffer, and away best with 
cold : for both summer and winter (except when the frost is 
most vehement) going always bare-legged and bare-footed, our 
delight and pleasure is in hunting of red deer, wolves , foxes, 
and graies [badgers] whereof we abound and have great plenty. 
Therefore, in so much as we use and delight so to go always, the 
tender, delicate gentlemen of Scotland, call us 4 redshanks.’ ” J 
Harrison, who wrote in Elizabeth’s time, says that though 
the English 44 may safelie boast of their securitie in respect to 
wild animals, yet cannot the Scots do the like in everie point 
within their kingdome, sith they have greevous woolfes and 
cruell foxes, beside some other of like disposition continuallie 
conversant among them, to the general hindrance of their 
husbandmen and no small damage unto the inhabiters of those 
quarters.” § 
William Barclay, who was a native of Aberdeenshire, and 
spent the early part of his life at the court of Queen Mary, 
accompanied her Majesty on an excursion to the Highlands, 
and has left a curious account || of a royal hunt at which he 
was present, and which was organized for the Queen by John, 
fourth Earl of Athol, in 1563. Two thousand Highlanders 
were employed to drive all the deer from the woods and hills of 
* Stuarts “ Lays of the Deer Forest/’ Yol. ii. pp. 231, 232. 
t Robert Lindsay, “ Chronicles of Scotland,” ii. p. 346. 
X Pinkerton’s “ History of Scotland,” ii. p. 396. 
§ Harrison’s “ Description of England,” prefixed to Holinshed’s “ Chro- 
nicle,” i. p. 378. 
|| “ De Regno et regali Potestate/' &c., 4to, 1600, p. 279. 
