Deerhounds in Glenfeshie

For deerhound history fans everwhere - here is an interesting little selection of art related to a location in Glenfeshie not far from the town of Aviemore in the Grampian Mountains of Scotland. The sepia coloured work of art is entitled "The Huts of Glenfeshie" and was painted by an unknown artist. If you click on the link, you will find a structure still in existence - possibly rebuilt from one of the buildings in this vincinity which is available as a holiday (vacation) let.

What in the name of deerhounds has that got to do with us deerhounds?

Well as you know, the highlands are a natural home to we auld hounds and Glenfeshie has seen it’s share. In the other works of art featured here, you may notice the hounds quite prominent in the renderings. From approximately 1833 these are hounds featured in hunts hosted by The Duchess of Bedford who rather than go into lenghty histories of, click the link and read the wikipedia entry then piece it all together yourself. The afternoon Tea tale is a delight.

The Duchess had these huts constructed for a spot of deer hunting, and who better to accompany than we hounds.

These glen huts of the Victorian period were rather rough and purported to be of genuine highland living style. A comic actor of the period Charles James Mathews likened these to an Indian Settlement or a poorer type of peasant cottage.

Queen Victoria on the other hand coming upon these huts much later in the 1850’s recorded - ‘Then we came upon a most lovely spot . . .
. . . among splendid fir trees, the mountains rising abruptly from the sides of the valley (she means glen). We were quite enchanted by the beauty of the view.’

The Landseer exterior hut painting above, featuring the deerhead trophies with antlers over the entrance, can be viewed at the Philidelpia Museum of Art. The black and white sketch is from a private collection. This depicts the Duchess arriving at the Glenfeshie Ball - piped in by a highland piper and followed by a pair of howling hounds. I fear for the covered wagon driver tho, what’s happening there? - A touch too much of the highland whisky and an early example of the drink driving dangers ha! ha!

Another little window into the deerhound in Scotlands history for all to enjoy.