ABERDEENSHIRE.

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue 16, 22 October 1874, Page 4

ABERDEENSHIRE.

The unfavorable weather would itself | have been quite enough to justify the , remark that the " Twelfth" has passed off very unpropitiously, but in another and more serious sense has the experience of the sportsmen on the moors yesterday been extremely discouraging. The effect of the almost unprecedented amount of rain which fell during the past few days on the moors, and the hopeless prospect of fair weather, together with the ominous indications, of a scanty stock ol birds, prevented a great many sportsrrien from coming north. A few tried the moors in the forenoon ; it was so disagreeable* that mostoftbem returned empty handed. Mr Michael Hughes, Huntly'Lpdge, and party, on Gartly, bagged 22 brace of grouse. Birds were scarce and wild on Cuhirain, and Messrs Gordon had 15 brace in a few hours. On Qhapeltown, Drumblade, three guns had 9^ brace. On the Crathes moors, Hill of Fair, Deeside, Captain J. Burnett was out three hours, but only killed 14 brace grouse and one hare. There were very few young birds. Old birds were packed and very wild. On Muir of Dunnett, Lord Huritly and party (three guns) bagged 65 brace of grouse. In Aboyue the sport was on the whole very good. Mr N F. Staniar Broade ana party of other two guris, on the Forest of Birse mbors, killed 45 brace grouse, 4, .bares, i rabbits, and 1 snipe; the Marquis of Huntly and party of other two guns, on the moor of Dunnett, bagged 68 brace grouse, 2 snipes, 1 plover, 1 hare, and 2 rabbits. Neither of the party were out for any length of time. The birds are healthy and strong. ARGYLESHIRE. In Argylshire the morning was wet, but afternoon the sky cleared, and the remainder of the day was fair. Lord Walter and Lord Colin Campbell shot 33 brace on Acurragh moor, and Mr Newell and party killed 46 brace on Killean a.ud Auchnagoul moors. BANFFSHIRE. . Although the birds .were wild and strong, very good sport was; got on the Melgium moors by; Mr Charley Npble and Mr Bayntuq,.who, after six hpuris' shooting, bagged 87-|, brace grouse arid 100 hares. On Ballindallpch moor, Sir George Macpherson * Grant a-nd bis youngesfe brother, Mr.,Jk\ M.. Grant, bagged. 32*§ brace grouse and, a hare. Birds, were very wild, but no symptoms of any disease could, be discerned. BADENOCH AND THE INVERNESS-SHIRE HIGHLANDS. Badsnoch may' par excellence be designated the sportsman's "happy hunting grounds." The stretch of j moorland, forty miles in length, extending from Dalnaspidal, on the county march between Perth and Inverness, to | Carrbridge, includes some of the finest j shooting grounds in the Highlands, if \ not also in" Scotland; • This remark \ holds true as .regards the different varieties of game to be found, and a few years %go as regards also* the quantity i and quality of the game. - The Invert ness-shi.re shootings, belonging to Sir G. Macpherson Grant, of Ballindalloch, and leased by • Sir Charles T Mordaunt, extend "from lipng' lrish istatinn/ 12 miles sputh and west, marching', with Gaick Ferest 'and Glenfeshie, r and. the average • breadth is' abeut three 1 ; miles; On these grounds alincst* every kind, of sport • may be had;: The*; Glenfeshie , Forest shootings also belong to ;iSir G; Macpherson Grant. The ground is

leased; by therßigErH^n'.E, Horsman, M:P. f Tvyojy&irs ago a-hatiS-sori&eiand commodious shooting lodge was : erected •in Glenfeshie., /The; house is abont: ten; miles; frbm/-the.:"^'axest;--.'^k*^n^--Kiri"« craig^ or Kingussie, of the Highland; railway. The shootirigs . jmarch. with the south-east, and with Rbthiemurchus Forest on the -east.: Itiis^one -of the finest- -deer . . forests in, , the Highlands i | There is a. splendid . stppk . of deer this year, and grand, sport is expected. Tbe animals have never been known to be in finer .condition. Adjoining Glenfeshie Forest on the : east .is, Rbthieiriurchus (on which is Loch-an-Eiian and castle) is now owned by Sir John Peter Grant, late Governor of Jamaica, and the deer shooting ib leased by the Earl of Stamford and Warrington, one of thebest shots in Scotland.' Here also I deer are riuirierous, arid in splendid ; condition. Roe-deer are literally swarriairig among the woods. Hedged jn on; every side % the Invereshie, Glenfei ship, and Rothiemurchus grounds in the Dalnavert shooting ground, leased by Jphn Grant, Esq., lnverdruie. On a small piece of low-lying hill grpund capital grouse shooting is to be had.' Red deer is also to be had—sometimes in great numbers-— and- roe-deer run about the woods in large herds. There is capital black game and partridge shooting, and away up at the top of the Grampian range ptarmigan can be : had in numbers. ; Fishing of all-kinds can also, be had. On the north side. of the Spey, on , the Monaliadh ;range the malignant ravages of the disease are most apparen t. In this district are the slendid moors of Newtonmore, Kingussie, leased by Mr Amphlett; Belleville, Alvie, .leased by. Mr Lonsdale ; Kinrara, leased by the Earl, of ford ; leased by Mr Phillips j and Carrbridge, leased by, Mr, M'Kenzie, Kettle. Dunachten shootings is the property of the Macintosh .of; Macintosh, and some years ago was perhaps one. of the, most. famous, moors in Inver-ness-shire. Last year the Dunachton shootings were leased by the Earl of Sefton at Ll ooo— -less than forty years ago the rental was about L 45 or less. This year the ground is rented by Sir William Clay. The few grouse on the moors are exceedingly strong and wild, and it will be difficult to make any bags at all. CAITHNESS. There has never been such a scarcity of grouse in Caithness, and disease is all but universal. Mr A. W. Henderson shot on Bilbster ten brace, and Major Wormald killed five; brace on the Watten moors. Our Scrabster correspondent telegraphs that sport in his neighborhood was miserably poor, , DUMFRIESSHIRE; As far as intelligence has come to hand, the reports are unusually few and scant. No j>arty from Drumlahrig shot the Duke of Buccleuch's moors in Upper Nithsdale, and Captain Maxwell of Terregles does riot go out till next Week. Mr D. J. Paterson of Cowar shot ov6r Breconsidej and bagged six brace grouse, two brace rabbits, and one leveret. Last year he bagged eighteen and a half brace grouse. Mr Brown, Dumfries, shot over Locharhead, and bagged seven brace grodse. Other bags heard of are not worth recording. FORFARSHIRE. The only grouse seen in Kerriemuir were a couple Drought in from Kinnordy by Mr M'Kenzie, game dealer, who bad themii-exhibited at his shop door, possibly as a curiosity. Great streams flowed ever hill and meors, and little shooting was attempted. On Cammock moor Mr Hean, and on Brewlands, Mr Arkwright, were out, but little success attended their efforts. On Monday and Tuesday, Messrs Kinloch and Starky were out on Gleneally to learn the prospects of sport. Tbey found- that the antlers ofthe deer are riot yet free from velvet, but the horns are ,quite hard.. The stags have fine heads. On Monday Lord Sbuthesk was out in the Forest Of Glen Dole, and succeeded in killing a fine stag. INVERNESS-SHIRE. The shooting* season ■ here ", opened most inauspiciously.; On the Pitmain moors, near Kingussie, , Messrs **• -E. ■■ | Amphlett ,and son bagged 26?, brace, grouse and $, hares, and Mfc Fairley and friend 24-§ brace grouse and Shares. A lessee of one.of the largest; moors adjacent to the highland line on, the borders of, Inverness and, Perthshire writes that the shooting is a failure, and that all the! principal moors in! tbe, neighborhood of Dalnaman ; will , also ' prove barren. It appears, the keeper I of Mr Stirling Crawford's extensivemoor says, as if grouse were about to, be, exterminated, altogether. The; keeper shot a young grouse for the benefit of the dogs, and. it was; quite full of* tapeworm ; and pn many grounds without a- gun h'eing fired,; there will; scarcely be sufficient birds to form a breeding stock for nbxt season. ';;." , . kIBkCUDBIiIGHTSHiRE. . ! Mr Hutchison of Balmaghie and Mr; Greenfield shot* thirteen ; and; ■ aj half; hrace; of grouse on Craig,, pariah^of ; Anwotlu Captain ; : Grant, -, i Barjteijn,' Creetown, was.pyerfF^bae, iand made! a;fair.bag. i ii, :j i 0 r .*'..- , >; ( ; Ayy,.* 7-.*, : :: •,' *.-.*: KIN^qS^9HIRB-/*rp >-,'*> , v^ I Mr Bogie,: Kinross/ andHparty/ who! were -shooting ■ Over'^Heathery /t Leas,; killed three brace: grouse/ thread hares;' twenty-two rabbits, one duck/ and one snipe. Sport, fair average.

'.'O v: : .*> :>r* ■ ■ v.* LARNAKHSHIRE. ; ; ;* .•; ■'■'-'- j 'vlri the i Hamfltpn diktrict of the Mid-! die Ward of iSartiakshire the* sport was of ia most iriditferent character. Sd far a^ the returris;fiay^ a few brace have^heenU^br^^^Sn-ipe/ plbvprs, arid! haresare abundant/ and" of the latter/ which-^ are especially plenti-; fid,, some well-filled bag's were brought home. '.* '. ''-'A" •-''■- '•;;'\ ' l; \ j the iAMMEHMboas.;'" '■'■'''' *; On the Various; shootings J belorigirig to the Duke of Roxburghe on tbe Lam-! mermobrs the birds .are . so , scarce 'from disease arid other causes" tbat his Grace has decided not to shoot uppri' them this jaeason. , ..,',! AA . s MORAYSHIBE. " , ; Very few sportmen ventured' out on the moors; in the neighborhoodbf Elgin.' On . Duridurcus grounds, r Professor M'Leari, Hytbehill, Elgin, bagged 12 brace grouse. ..Tbe birds were' scarce and wild , but free frotn disease. On Upper Manbeen, Mr , Walter Gordon Cumiriing, Gordpnstown, ! bagged 6 brace grouse and several ; rabbits. In the moors around Forres the sport was very indifferent. Bags were light everywhere, and a blank in some instances. PERTHSHIRE. In the eastern districts of Perthshire the morning opened with heavy rainy which continued to fall till nine o'clock-, Shortly before noon the weather cleared up a little, and sportsmen ventured but in the neighborhood of .Bamff arid Rannagulzion, but before ! ene . o'clock the rain bad again set in to such a degree as to damp the hopes of the most sanguine. To add to the disheartening state of affairs a severe thunderstorm broke oyer the district, the rain came down in torrents, and. ere long ah the low grounds were flooded. The streams were swollen cataracts, arid sport was rendered impossible. Bailie J'app and party of ten guns brought in three brace grouse from Alyth j , but up till 4 p.m. no further executipn had been reported. In the Crieff district the moors were completely soaked with the rain, and a dense, mist prevailed till about ten o'clock in the morning,! Few sportsmen were out compared to former years, and there will be very few good bags. Orily three boxes and two small hampers of birds arrived at Perth from, the North by the Highland Railway. THE FENTLANDS. The weather in this region was miserably wet until past noon, and the whole day was more like November than August The moors were extremely wet, and difficult to walk. ■RENFREWSHIRE. Sir MichaekShaw Stewart, brother, arid son, shot over Greenock moor ; Mr Stewart over Garvock; and Mr Joseph Scottj son of Bailie Scott, the lessee, and party, over Gourock estate. The results were not encourajging, the birds being scarce. boss -shire. •-'••■"' In Ross-shire the -weather was veryunfavorable. On the" Castle Leod moors Mr Stirling, Mr Watson, and Mr Jefferson shot for rather less than four hours, and they killed 28 brace grouse, 2 mountain bares, and 2 golden plovers. They -found birds far gone with tapeworm, and several other birds so srriall that they refrained from shooting them, Mr Laing, M P., arid party shot with three guns 29 brace grouse. Qn this moor the birds were not over plentiful, but they could find no trace of disease on any part ofthe ground. RGXBURGSHIRB. In the Jedburgh district scarcely a shot was fired yesterday. On the Wells estate, Rulewater, Mr Bald also killed a few brace, but no other moors in this quarter were shot over, and little is likely to be dpne until the 20th. Seldom have. birds been seen so wild on the Twelfth as they were yesterday. WIGTOWNSHIRE. Tuesday was very stormy, and rain ; fell most of the night, On the morning pf the Twelfth the -Weather was wild and wet, but it moderated in the course of the day. Biifds have hot recovered last season's disease, and, aswas; anticipated, were scarce arid wild. The Right Hon. the Earl of Stair K.T;, the Hon. North Dalrymple, and; Rev. Mr ■Johristorie, in six hours' shooting killed 74 !grouse, 9 hares and 5 snipe/ Mr ~G. Ashley Dodd) Balkail, on shootings in Glenbill parish, killed 33 groM, 2 snipe/ and 1 golden plover >y while Major HohM and Mr Tpnge killed 31: gfpuse; 2 snipe, arid 1 hare. Mr D. Guthrie and party on ■'> Kirk -. moor,, killed 50 brace grouse: and. /several hares. From' all the. shootings round Newton Stewart come; reports *ef ,*& scarcity of grouse, and-' this, though; several places were last year; not; shpt over. None of the bags ■■are;;. worth; chronicling; ■ Not only were the, birds, found to be scarce, /but they: w e re very wild, and as the moors were heavy owingf to recent great rainfalls;-; the; sport was both poor and toilsome,: i.No disease is reported. : Black game is very; pleritiful. Mr M'Haffie (ofiTorhouse; Muir and his- two * sons hadT a capital; day, for though the weather was stormy! and shpwery, >:arid the* birds wild^ and! scarce], they^ bagged thirtyxthree^anda-i half brace of gTouse/ two. * ht^ce *snipes,| twelves-hares, Jand^thirtyrfiv^ No o!isease was birds. ; A Messrs • fM*Haffie&cbinniencedi shooting at nifie morning! and leftt off at; <six • evening, i arid ,werit ' over" Clauchrie! moor, Caiynhouse, a^nd 'part-of 'Atick-!. land,.'