HAMILTON DEER PARK

The first Duke of Hamilton (1606-1649) admired the deer parks he had seen in England and created one at Hamilton in the 1630s, a few miles south-east of Glasgow Zoopark. Such deer parks were rare in Scotland. Sir Colin Campbell of Glenorchy, a cousin, supplied red deer. The Duke gave Sir Colin the wise advice that roe deer had to be captured young because '

' that no old ones would live. In 1668 a visitor noted '

'. The Duke's mother had herself kept a tame hind.

The deer suffered in winter so a small enclosure was constructed for them and oats was provided. During the severe winter of 1691/2 three died of starvation. Of course, the deer proved an irresistable temptation to poachers, as well as causing damag to crops and young trees. (see Rosalind Marshall: The Days of Duchess Anne (1973), Collins, London pp 55-6)