All things come to an end, and the seventeen years lease was drawing to
a close.
This would be my last season, and I shot at Dalnawillan with two of my
sons and a friend.
My family did not go down.
Unfortunately I was very lame with rheumatism in one leg, and could
only get about a few hours every other day, puddling over the near
beats and working the dogs myself, with a boy to lead a spare dog, and
a gillie to carry the birds.
The other party were out every day, weather permitting, two guns to the
party, and taking turn and turn about.
Disease was now again getting due. We had some indication the previous
season, and this season we had them all over the moor--barren birds,
small broods, a bad bird now and again; in fact, a repetition identical
with the commencement of the attack of 1881, and about the same result
as to bag, which, however, gave a fair amount of shooting.
On moors south and east there was little or no shooting; but Strathmore
on the north was much better.
Bag. Dalnawillan. Rumsdale.
Grouse 816-1/2 brace. 500-1/2 brace.
Sundries 61 " ----
On the 13th I went over to Thurso to say good bye to old friends, and
the next morning I was away south, thus terminating my grouse shooting
days and my long and pleasant connection with Caithness and its people,
and the wild moorlands of Dal-a-vhuilinn or the Miller's Dale.