Big game attraction

James Irvine Robertson charts the history of hunting in Scotland.

The most popular recreation of the male social elite in ages past was warfare. In times when there was nobody obvious around to slaughter, hunting took its place because it required many of the same skills. Thus participants could keep sharp for the main event. For many centuries on the periphery of Europe, Scotland was regarded as a land of primitive barbarism by more sophisticated nations but its main exports of hides, skins and fierce mercenary soldiers gave a clue to its qualities when it came to the chase.

Bears disappeared before the historical record, but wolves survived until the 17th century. The latter were considered vermin and ruthlessly persecuted, not for the obvious reason that they were a threat to domestic livestock but because they predated the red deer and this, always, was the most prized quarry. Kings kept hunting seats throughout the Highlands and usually combined state business in remote parts of their realm with the chase.

More day-to-day hunting parks round such palaces as Stirling, Falkland and Holyrood were stocked with game where even that least martial of monarchs James VI and his court could enjoy an afternoon's sport after the chore of ruling was over for the day.

Besides clan chiefs, who acknowledged no law but their own in their domains, only an earl and those who ranked above them were permitted to own deer hounds.

Poachers risked dire penalties if they were caught but it rarely deterred them. It was considered a natural right to take a d...

To read the rest of this article you can do any of the following.

• By : James Irvine Robertson
• In : Scotland History
• Issue : 51
• Page : 38
• Words : 1,020