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Amid the High Hills

Chapter 2: PREFACE
By Sir Hugh Fraser
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About This Book

A series of illustrated essays and articles recounts field experiences of upland sport and natural history, emphasizing deer-stalking, salmon fishing, and observations of birds and raptors. Chapters blend practical guidance on stalking, shooting, and game care with accounts of hazardous or memorable days on hill and in forest, notes on wounded-deer behavior and predator methods, and discussion of loch and salmon matters. The pieces combine anecdote, natural-history reflection, and landscape description to convey seasonal life, techniques, and the close relationships between human keepers and the wild upland environment.

PREFACE

For many years past from time to time I have contributed articles on sport and natural history to various journals.

It was recently suggested to me that I should publish these articles in book form, and I was fortunate enough to have friends who kindly offered to illustrate them. I have accordingly selected some of these articles, and have included others which have never been published before. Amongst the former are some which in the same or a slightly altered form have appeared in The Field, Country Life, The Scottish Field, The Salmon and Trout Magazine, and The Saturday Westminster Gazette. To the editors of these journals I tender my warmest thanks for their courtesy and kindness in allowing me to republish the articles in question. To my friends, Mr. Finlay Mackinnon, Mr. Vincent Balfour-Browne, and Mr. Frank Wallace, I am greatly indebted for the pictures in colour and black and white, and the pencil sketches which they have contributed.

To my friends and neighbours, Lady Anne Murray of Loch Carron and Mrs. Schroder of Attadale, my grateful thanks are due—to the former for the photograph, “Winter Sunshine—Wild Geese at the foot of Applecross Hills,” and to the latter for the water-colour drawing, “An Autumn Day—Loch Carron, looking West.”

To my friend, Miss Diana Darling, I am indebted for the photograph, “Among the Western Islands,” and to my son-in-law, Mr. Noel Wills, for the pencil sketch of Donald McIver, my gamekeeper and constant companion on the hill for many years.

I wish to thank Mr. W. R. Bousfield, K.C., F.R.S., for helpful criticism from the scientific point of view on my article “Birds of Fastest Flight in the British Isles,” and Mr. A. D. Bateson, K.C., for his kindness in reading the book in manuscript.

In conclusion, I should like to say that, having derived so much pleasure from reading the experiences of others who love sport and natural history, I venture to hope that these pages may bring back to some of my readers recollections of their own delightful days amid the High Hills.

H. F.

Stromeferry, Ross-shire,
August 7, 1923.