The red deer--Free to roam--Antiquity of--Formerly scarce--Meaning of "forested"--List of deer forests--Estimated yield and stock--Stag season--A "royal"--Best heads--Hinds--Deer-stalking--Great caution required--Staghounds not much used now--Quotation from John Taylor, the "Water-Poet"--Present system of letting deer forests--Colonel Inge in Gairloch--Misconceptions with regard to deer forests--Opinions of the Crofters Commission--Depopulation not due to deer forests--Deer forests not suitable for occupation by crofters--Loss of mutton and wool insignificant--Depredations by deer on crofters' crops easily remedied--Deterioration of pasture by deer not proved--Demoralization of gillies not due to forests--Summary of opinions--Substantial benefits conferred by deer forests--Afford employment to a greater extent than sheep farms--Recommendation by Commissioners--Grouse shooting--Grouse not abundant--Disease infrequent--Late birds--Mixed bags--Separate grouse shootings 372 LIST OF BOOKS AND MSS. QUOTED OR REFERRED TO 381 STATEMENT OF AUTHORITIES FOR TRADITIONS, &C., EMBODIED IN THIS BOOK 383 TABLES. I. Mountains of Gairloch 387 II. Distances 387 III. Population of Gairloch 390 IV. Ministers of the parish of Gairloch 390 V. Lairds of Gairloch 391 APPENDICES. A. Genealogical Account of the MacRas, by Rev. John Macrae, who died 1704 395 B. Tour in Scotland by Thomas Pennant in 1772 396 C. Old Statistical Account of Scotland, 1792 399 D. Dr MacCulloch's Highlands and Western Isles of Scotland, 1811 to 1821 400 E. New Statistical Account of Scotland, 1836 403 F. Records of the Presbytery of Dingwall 408 G. Records and Extracts relating to Sir George Hay and the Manufacture of Iron 412 H. Addenda on St Maelrubha, and Ecclesiastical History 415 Glossary of Gaelic Names and Words. The pronunciation is given approximately in parentheses. In many cases no combination of letters pronounced in English fashion can accurately represent the Gaelic pronunciation. The pronunciation of _ch_ is almost the same in Gaelic as in German. Sometimes the _ch_ is best rendered as an aspirate only, the _c_ being treated as if silent.