pains. ‘ This beast indeed,’ says Boece, ‘ the Scottish men, even from the beginning,
used to pursue in all they might desire, because the same is such an enemy to
cattle, wherein consisted the chief portion of all their wealth and substance.’
Ederus, too, a successor of the last-mentioned king, and contemporary with
Julius Caesar, had ‘ chief delight altogether in hunting and keeping of hounds and
greyhounds, to chase and pursue wild beasts, and mainly the wolf, the herdmanjv
foe.’ Ferquhard II., the Scottish tyrant, is said to have died from the bite of a
Wolf, while he was hunting in a .d . 664. Fittis, in his ‘ Sports and Pastimes of
Scotland,’ tells us (p. 36) that in 1010, ‘ when Malcolm II. was returning from
Mortlach in Moray, where he had gained a signal victory over the Danish invaders,
he was attacked and chased by an immense wolf in Stochet forest. He might
have fallen a prey had not a son of Donald of the Isles flown to his assistance.
The young Islesman, wrapping his plaid around his left arm and hand, thrust the
muffled hand into the “ gaunt grey” brute’s mouth, while at the same time he
stabbed it to death with his dirk; for which good service he was awarded with
the Aberdeenshire lands of Skene.’
The same author, who has closely studied the history of the Wolf in Scotland,
says (p. 36): ‘ On the Border in the twelfth century the monks of Melrose were
accustomed to trap the wolves on their Eskdale lands, but were prohibited from
hunting the hart and hind, the boar and the roe, and also from hawking;
which rights were reserved by the feudal baron who granted the Abbey the
pasturage of Eskdale. But in a following age the monks acquired the whole
game-rights which had been so reserved. In 1263 the royal park at Stirling was
repaired, and a new one formed ; and twenty years afterwards, in addition to two
park-keepers, there was “ a hunter of wolves ” at Stirling. 1
In 1427, during the reign of James I. of Scotland, the legislature made
urgent cause to stop the Wolf plague which then existed in Scotland. The law
itself said : ‘ That ilk baron within his barony in gangand time of the year sail
chase and seek the quhelpes of Wolves and gar slay them. And the Baron sail
give to the man that slays the Woolfe in his barony .and brings the baron the
head, twa shillings. And when the baron ordains to hunt and chase the Woolfe
the tenants sail rise with the baron. And that the barons hunt in their baronies
and chase the Woolfes four times a year, and als oft as onie Woolfe beis seen
within the barony. And that na man seek the Woolfe with schott, but allanerly
in the time of hunting them.’ The duty of summoning the people for a Wolf-
1 Innes’ Sketches o f Early Scotch History, p. 103; and Scotland in the Middle Ages, p. 125.
hunt devolved upon the ‘ schireffs’ or ‘ bailyis,’ three times a year, between
St. Mark’s Day (April 25) and Lammas (August 1), for, as the Act states; ‘ that
is the tyme of their quhelpes.’ The penalty for disregarding this summons was
‘ ane wedder, ’ ‘ quhatever he be that rysse not.’ On the other hand, it was
enacted that whoever slew a Wolf ‘ sail haif of ilk householder of that parochin
that the Woolfe is slayne within, a penny.’
In the days of James II. (1457) it was enacted by Parliament that ‘ for
the destruction of wolves, in ilk country where any is, the Sheriff" or the Bailie
of that country shall gather the country folk three times in the year betwixt
St. Mark’s Day and Lammas [April 25 and August ij, for that is the time of the
whelps. And whatever he be that rises not with the Sheriff", Bailie, or Baron,
within, himself shall pay unforgiven a wedder, as is contained in the auld Act
made thereupon. And he that slays a wolf at any time, he shall have of ilk
householder of that parish that the wolf is slain within, a penny. And if any
wolf happens to come in the country that wit [intelligence] be got of, the country
shall be ready, and ilk householder to hunt them, under the pain aforesaid. And
he that slays a wolf shall bring the head to the Sheriff, Bailie, or Baron, and
he shall be debtor to the slayer for the sum foresaid. And whatsoever he be
that slays a wolf, and brings the head to the Sheriff, Lord, Bailie, or Baron, he
shall have six pennies.’
The brothers Sobieski Stuart in their interesting and romantic book, ‘ The
Lays of the Deer Forest ’ (vol. ii. p. 230), tell us that ‘ In some active instances
these statutes might have cleared local districts, and a remarkable example of
success was given by a woman— Lady Margaret Lyon, Baroness to Hugh, third
Lord Lovat. This lady, having been brought up in the low country, at a distance
from the wolves, was probably the more affected by their neighbourhood, and
caused them to be so vigorously pursued in the Aird that they were exterminated
out of their principal hold in that range. According to the Wardlaw MS.,1 “ she
was a stout bold woman, a great huntress; she would have travelled in our hills
afoot and perhaps out-wearied footmen. She purged Mount Caplach of the wolves.
There is a seat there called Ellig-na-Banitearn. She lived in Phoppachy, near
the sea, in a stank-house [a house surrounded by a moat], the vestige whereof
remains to this very day.” Mount Caplach is the highest range of the Aird,
running parallel to the Beauly Firth, behind Moniach and Lentron. Though the
1 Laws o f the Parliament o f Scotland, folio, 1781, pp. 18, 19. Also Glendook’s Scots Acts, 7 James I. c. 104, and
14 James II. c. 88.