, 1890-11-06
SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS.
Immense Tracks Set Aside
for Game Preserves.
A VERY EXPENSIVE LUXURY
An American Who Pays About
100000 Annually for Shoot
ing Privileges In Scotland.

ToMIcI, Scotland, Sept. 90, 1890
--On coming face to face with the
fact OF the depopulation OF rural
Scotland, and especially Of the
northern and western highlands,
1t Is astounding that any system of
land laws Ii permitted to exist
which will work such fatal results
to country. There must be prac-
tical reason for all this, you feel.
You dig and delve for that reason
and you are still more astounded.
inquire where you may, there Is In
effect but one answer: "Highland-
ers are not worth to the great land
lords 80 many red deer. Crofters
are of less account than partrldges
and rabbits. Human beings In the
form of Scottish peasantry are less
valuable than their weight In pheas-
ants or fshr
Not satisfied with assertions and
generalities, you delve and dig
again. 1t is easy enough to find
proof Of depopulation. But 1t Is
difficult for the average American to
realize how land proprietors can
find adequate compensation for the
loss Of population and its labor
which ordinarily alone give to land
the greatest value possible for 1t to
possess. Agents and factors every
where tell you that the income from
hunting and fishing privileges is
more than repaying proprietors.
This seems 30 inexplicable that you
dolvs and dig again, as / did, and
finally arrive at some most astound-
ing facts. The great overwhelming
fact IL that greater area of land in
Scotland Is now devoted to the ex-
elusive purpose Of game preserves
than is occupied by farmers for the
exclusive cultivation of the soil,
aud that nine-tenths Of all land and
If all rods OF loch, brook or river
shores in the kingdom are annually
leased in shooting and fishing
privileges to British sportsmen.
AN EXPENSIVE LUXURY.
Naturally Scottish peasantry arein
the way of game and fish. But
passing a discussion Of the effect of
this land policy upon the sociologic
and economic condition of Scotland,
we Americans have no conception
whatever of the stupendous sums
annually paid by British titled and
gentleman sportsmen for their few
weeks delights with rod and gun.
The amounts received by single
owners for single privileges are
equally surprising. Mrs. Chisholm,
owner Of the Chisholm estates
which border Strathglass here,
must receive Gl4,0O0. / find that
for sixty-nine shootings and fishings
the Duke OF Sutherland receives
rentals amounting to G23, 1896. AS
he has more than 100 for lease, his
income from this source alone must
reach e35, 900 or G4O,OOO.
In Forfarshire, on one estate be-
longing to the "Tutors of the Earl of
Dalhousie," these privileges whose
rental prices l have been able to
secure reach G10, 400; and of those of
the Countess Dowager Of Seafield,
regarding which information is
available, twelve shooting and fish
ings in Elginshire give her e3. .1s9;
eight In Banffshire, G568; and four
teen in Inverness-shire, G4,805; or a
total of eS,360; which Is probably
not oue-third of her entire income
from this source.
AS I am quite certain the facts
have never yet appeared in the pub
lie prints either in Great Britain or
America, L have been to the pains
of putting into tabulated form the
actual rentals known to be an
nually paid for these shooting and
fishing privileges in Scotland: