A-chasing the wild deer and following the Roe
My heart’s in the Highlands wherever I go.
(ROBERT BURNS)
Robert Burns was more renowned for chasing women than chasing deer, but the romance of deer-stalking still brings many visitors to the Highlands of Scotland where, in addition to the great Red Deer, portrayed in Landseer’s painting as The Monarch of the Glen, there are plenty of wild and semi-wild animals to look out for.
There are not many large animals in Scotland. Most of them are useful to man in one way or another and are easily identified. Small animals come in a larger number of varieties but while many are common, a few are becoming quite scarce and some, like the polecat, are rarely seen.