o f its time during the first ten years M its . life in the big woods o f Boblainey, Farley, and
ranging at timeses, fir west as Glenmoriston, and working d»f *o the open ground
o f Guisachan in the rutting season, where it was several times seen -Such |gstag was not
likely to escape the notice o f the vigilant foresters o f the district, for they all knew him, and
after he became Royal many a glass searched for him. I have reason to believe that he spent
the summer o f 1880 in the Guisachan woods, from which he would emerge in the evening
and have a good time in the small corn-fields erf Strath Glass; but hi« sins in thisodirection
became regarded almost as virtues by Lord Tweedmouth, who hoped to make his closer
acquaintance later in the season. However, much to the chagrin | | 4 * Guisachan people,
he disappeared from there, causing, on the other hand, exceeding jo y in the heart o f Johnny
(the Beaufort stalker), for had he not spotted him quietly feeding in one o f ^ former
favourite glades in Boblainey Wood ? Johnny, o f course, informed his master, the late Lord
Lovat, at once ; but Boblainey S a difficult wood to get a stag in, early in the season, s|git
was not until the 7 th o f October that the stalker both heard and saw the big stag roaring,
and brought his master to the spot. Strange to say, Lord Lovat, who was one o f the finest
shots of his day, obtained an easy chance at him and, for some reason or other, missed clean.
The stag bounded away, and was seen the same evening galloping as hard f f l his Jegs would
carry him oyer the Eskadale march. Two days .later Duncan MacLennan rushed into the
house at Guisachan at mid-day and told Lord Tweedmouth that he had found the big stag
with some hinds on the hill outside Farmer’s W o o l: Hastily mounting the ponies, Lord
Tweedmouth and his stalker were, soon on the road, re-found the stag, at which an easy
chance was obtained, and killed him.
There is a good collection o f heads at Guisachan,1 amongst which is one o f the three
pairs o f engraved antlers known to collectors. The horns, which measure some 4,0 inches
and carry 13 points, are polished white and engraved in fantastic designs, mostly representing
sporting scenes in European countries. Mr. Baillie-Grohman, in describing the other two
pairs in existence, one of which he is fortunate enough to possess, says that Baron Nath.
Rothschild o f Vienna owns the third pair, for which he paid T600— probably the highest
price given in modern times for a deer’s head.
2. In Blair Castle there hangs in a place o f honour at the end o f one o f the long
passages a beautiful head o f 10 points, exceptional beam, and extraordinary length. This stag
frequented one o f the corries known as Cuirn Mharneach for several years. At last he
grew such an unusually fine head that orders were given for him to be shot, as he was not
obtainable during the stalking season. This was effected by a stalker named John Stewart,
known in the forest as “ Black Jock.”
Blair Castle contains, I think, about the largest and best collection o f stags’ heads in
Scotland.2 Though deer-stalking has been conducted in the forest for a longer period
probably than in any other, yet, comparatively speaking, there are no old heads, nearly
1 A very fine 15-pointer was killed this last season (1896) in Guisachan by Hon. Dudley Marjoribanks. This head, with
two Royals sent by Lord Burton from Glenquoich, and a beautiful 14-pointer killed by my friend Mr. Charles Lucas at Dundreggan,
were the best heads of a good season.
2 Gordon Castle collection is quite as interesting as that of Blair Castle, though it is perhaps not so large.