Macdonald, John M. Highland ponies, and some reminiscences

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Macdonald, John M. Highland ponies, and some reminiscences of Highlandmen, by John M.... LC Control Number: 42041592 Personal Name: Macdonald, John M. Main Title: Highland ponies, and some reminiscences of Highlandmen, by John M. Macdonald. Foreword by the Duke of Atholl ... Published/Created: Stirling, E. Mackay [1937] Description: 205 p. front, (port.) plates. 20 cm.

The Cairn Terrier

The cairn terrier, which in those days was known as the Skye terrier, is of great value to sheep farmers in Skye and in most hill districts in the north of Scotland. Most of us are familiar with the modern breed, but it has completely changed in appearance since the days of my boyhood, when all that mattered was that a terrier should be game and ready to face a fox or the fiercest of otters. It was also important that it should be ready to enter the deepest and roughest of cairns, so as to bolt the fox from his stronghold.

Otter Hunting

The most noted strain of this breed of terrier was that of the late Captain Macdonald of Waternish in Skye. Captain Macdonald was a keen sportsman and a naturalist of note, and he farmed his home farm in a manner which proved his skill not only as an agriculturalist, but also as a breeder of all classes of livestock. In his younger days he had been in the army, and not long ago I read that he was in charge of the military guard which accompanied the last convict ship to be sent to Botany Bay. His favourite sport was otter hunting, and for this he kept a considerable number of his famous cairn terriers. His estate of Waternish was well situated for this form of sport, as its long coastline and many islands contained numerous cairns where otters lived and bred. So keen was Captain Macdonald on otter hunting that he purchased the Island of Rona off the coast of North Uist simply because it was frequented by otters.

I once called on Captain Macdonald at Waternish, and as I approached the house, I was greeted by a pack of barking terriers, some of which bore traces of their fights with otters and foxes. One of them had lost a good part of his nose and lip, while another was minus an ear. This strain of Waternish terriers was famous and was keenly sought after by farmers and gamekeepers.

On his otter-hunting expeditions Captain Macdonald went round the coast on his yacht, on board which he had a pack of terriers. When a cairn came in sight, the anchor was dropped and the Captain and tow or three of the terriers were rowed ashore in the dinghy. Those of his terriers who knew the different cairns would often jump overboard as soon as the dinghy grounded and swam [sic] ashore, so keen were they to reach their prey. It sometimes took the terriers quite a long time to bolt the otter, especially if he was in such a position that he could not be attacked from the rear. Because of this, the pack always included a few small-sized terriers who could enter the smaller crevices in the cairn and work their way round behind the otter. Captain Macdonald had in his possession a tame otter which followed him about like a dog. It used to enter the sea and fish for its own food, but it always returned to its master when he called. He also had several other tame animals, including a hind which was very much attached to him.

[Transcriber's Note: Several years ago, Sandra Murray kindly sent me this excerpt. Upon cleaning my desk in search of a CTCA Yearbook borrowed several months ago, I stumbled upon this page which should have been among the first items transcribed. Despite struggles for computer literacy, my desk is anything but the paperless office promised by the pioneers of cyberspace.]