Royalty
Attacked by Wolf
Tradition
has it that King Malcolm II, on his return from defeating the Danes
at Mortlach, in Morayshire, in 1010, was pursued by a wolf in the
forest of Stochet. Just as the infuriated animal was in the act of
attacking the king, a younger son of Donald of the Isles came up,
who thrust his left hand, covered with his plaid, into the creature's
mouth, and then by his dirk swiftly despatched it with his right.
For this timely service the royal follower was rewarded the lands
of Skene in Aberdeenshire.
When
in later times a wolf appeared in any of the northern forests, the
intruder was regarded as a common enemy, and was therefore hunted
by the assembled populace. He who discovered the presence of the
wolf was called upon at once to convey the tidings to the chief,
who forthright to a convenient meeting place summoned his kinsmen
and allies. When the wolf-hunt began, the country was scoured in
all directions in order to arouse the intruder.
The
wolf had his lair in the Caledonian Forest, which almost wholly
covered that territory now forming the counties of Stirling and
Linlithgow. In 1263 the Sheriff of Stirling was employed in repairing
and extending the Royal Park at that burgh, and in connection with
a payment by the Treasurer made twenty years later, it is related
that a wolf-hunter had been employed by King Alexander III.
The
New Park at Stirling, constructed in 1263, was bounded on the north-eastern
part by a ledge of rock, which retains the name of the Wolf Crag.
In the neighbourhood of Stirling wolves were hunted in the seventeenth
century. In Wolf Crag Quarry, in the southern shoulder of
the Ochils, near Bridge of Allan, the animals long sought shelter.
In the burgh seal of Stirling, the wolf forms a principal charge.
[5]
Wolf
Crag Quarry, formerly contained a number of burrows, and a tradition
obtained that these were the last haunts of the wolf in the kingdom.
That formerly this ravenous animal existed in the country is stated
by Boyce; and from the immediate vicinity of the Caledonian Forest,
it is not improbable that the tradition may be correct. [7]
Royal
Hunt Slays Wolves
In 1563
Queen Mary attended a hunting match, employing 2,000 Highlanders to
drive deer to the hunting grounds and which resulted in 360 deer and
five wolves being killed in the one day. [6]
Last
Wolves in Scotland
From the
Statistical Account of Glenorchy and Inishail:
"Formerly,
the wolf had his haunts in our wilds and mountains, and not only
proved fatal to the cattle, but, when impelled by hunger, or inflamed
with rage, he even, at times, made depredations on the human species.
It is said, that, in the year 1680, the last wolf in Britain was
killed by Sir Ewen Cameron of Lochiel. "[1] "The
wolves were of a ferocious breed and preyed on the red deer…However,
there were many "last wolves". The last was killed on the Findhorn
in 1743. The wolf killed by Sir Ewen was probably the last in the
Lochaber district."[2]
The
wolf killed in Morayshire in 1743 had apparently killed two children,
but before the ruling Laird, of MacIntosh could arrange a hunting
party for it, his appointed stalker MacQueen had done the job for
him. "As I came through the sloch by east the hill there, I foregathered
wi the beast. My long dog there turned him. I buckled wi him and
kirkit him, and syne whuttled his craig, and brought awa his countenance
for fear he might come alive again, for they are precarious creatures!"
[10].
Macqueen
of Pall-a-chrocain died in 1797. A man great stature and of corresoinding
strength, Macquenn kept the best deer-hounds in the country. One
day, in the winter of 1743, he received a message from the chief
of clan Mackintosh, that a large wolf had on the preceding day killed
two children, who, with their mothers, were crossing the hills from
Calder. Macqueen was consequently invited by the chief to attend
a "Tainchel", or gathering in the forest of Tarnaway, in Moray,
and to bring with him his dogs. On the morning of the tryst, Mackintosh
waited eagerly for Macqueen, but he only arrived at noon. As Mackintosh
was about to complain of his delay, Macqueen raised his plaid, and
drew from under his arm the bloody head of the aggressor. "I
met the bit beastie," said Macqueen, "and this is his head.".
Mackintosh expressed his admiration, and rewarded his vigorous kinsman
with the lands of Sean-a-chan for "meat to his dogs." []
The
Hunted and Hunter Die
The Rev.
Dugald Campbell, minister of the Parish of Glassary writing the New
Statistical Account for the Parish [9] tells of the
last wolf of that area:
It
is said that the wolf was, till a late period in the British history
of that animal , an inhabitant of these houseless wilds, and that
it was usual to fortify the roofs of the solitary huts and shealings
against his depradations by wattlings of strong brushwood. It is
told that the last of them which was seen in this parish followed
the track of a female who was crossing the country from Lochawe
to Lochfyneside. She was seen ascending the hill above Braveallaich
with confidence, and, after passing through the moor, had almost
obtained the road which leads to Inverary, at the mill of Craleckan,
but was found close by it, on the Glassary side of the stream, a
corpse. Her right arm was protected by an apron which she had rolled
around it, and her hand grasped a knife which she had lodged deep
in the heart of a wolf that lay dead beside her. It was supposed
that when she discovered the animal on her track, she had fled in
the hope of reaching the houses that were nigh at hand; but that
being unable to escape, she had assumed the defensive in despair,
and died terrified and exhuasted by the effort which left her nothing
to fear.
Wolves
Threaten Sheep
In "Scotland
as it was and as it is " the Duke of Argyll cites that sheep were
not allowed to graze by themselves among the Highland mountains in
olden days. "The breed was a poor one with thin hairy wool, and considered
so delicate that they were habitually folded even at night. Indeed,
this was an absolute necessity, for the mountains were haunted by
wolves, and among the Statutes of the Baronial Court of Glenurchy
there is one expressly enjoining the regular manufacture of weapons
for the destruction of this savage animal. Their ravages must have
been formidable indeed when at a date so late as 1622 we find that
a case came before the Baronial Court respecting three cows 'whilk
were slain by the wolf'." [3]
Destruction of Forests to Get Rid of Wolves
The
destruction of wolves involved that of many forests. In the districts
of Rannoch and Blair-Atholl in Perthshire, in Lochaber in Inverness-shire,
in the region about Loch Awe in Argyllshire, and in other places
as well, local tradition and definite record assert that extensive
forests were burnt down to exterminate the wolves which found refuge
there. [4]
Stirling
Saved by a Wolf
In
the 9th century the Danes were trying to invade Scotland,
and Stirling; already invaded by English Northumbrians, aimed to
protect the city by use of sentries. However, one fell asleep just
as the Danes were furtively preparing to attack.
"The
besieging foe was at hand, and was about to take the city, when
a wolf, alarmed at the noise and din of the advancing hordes, crept
for safety to the crag on which the sleeping soldier lay. But still
he found no safety. He growled in terror. It was his wild cry that
saved the city. It awoke the sleeping sentinel, who, seeing the
position of matters, raised the alarm. Yet he was not too late.
The citizens arose, buckled on their armour, and drove the Danes
from the district ; thus the wolf saved the city". [8]
Stirling
welcomed the new millennium recently with the burning of a giant
effigy of a wolf, which does not seem very respectful.
"…it
was the custom of our ancestors to cover their burying places with
heaps of stones; and the reason probably was, to prevent the bodies
from being dug up, and devoured by the wolves, wild boars,
and other beasts of prey, which then infested the country." Hence
the proverb "Were I dead, you would not throw a stone into my
cairn". That is to say, you have not so much friendship for
me. []
References:
- 1]
The Statistical Account of Scotland, Vol. VIII. Argyll.
- 2]
John Cameron. The Clan Cameron, D. Macleod, Kirkintilloch
- 3]
Duke of Argyll. Scotland As It Was and As It Is. 2nd ed. 1887
p. 200
- 4]
Robinson. State Afforestation in the Highlands. IN Transactions
of the Inverness Scientific Society and Field Club Vol. IX 1918-1925.
P. 313-314.
- 5]
Rogers, Charles. Social Life in Scotland from Early to Recent
Times. Vol. 2, 1884. William Paterson, Edinburgh. P. 256-257
- 6]
Ibid. p.265
- 7]
Rogers, Charles. A Week at Bridge of Allan. 9th ed. Adam and Charles
Black, Edinburgh 1859. P.32.
- 8]
Mair, Craig. Stirling The Royal Burgh. John Donald Publishers
Ltd, Edinburgh, 1990.
- 9]
Campbell, Rev. Dugald. The Parish of Glassary. IN The New Statistical
Account of Scotland Vol. VII. Argyle. p. 680.
- 10]
The Story of Scotland. p. 35
- 11]
Rogers, Charles. Social Life in Scotland from Early to Recent
Times. Vol. 3, 1884. William Paterson, Edinburgh. P. 401-402.
- 12]
From the Statistical Account of Scotland 1791-1799 Vol. 1 page
293 for the Parish of Kiltearn.
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