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The considerable legacy of one of Scotland’s greatest adventurers is finally being recognised in his native land after generations of neglect. Well-celebrated on the other side of the Atlantic, Sir William Drummond Stewart has been the subject of many a biography and press article in the US, yet is almost unknown in his homeland.
A dwindling number of locals in the villages surrounding the ancestral home of the 7th Baronet of Murthly have heard tales passed through generations of the laird’s extraordinary exploits, yet little has been done to protect his heritage.
At just 19 years old, this second son of Sir George Stewart of Grandtully was awarded the prestigious Waterloo medal for his contribution to thwarting Napoleon’s last bid for power, yet it was his pioneering ventures into unchartered territory, west of America’s frontier, that distinguished his colourful and controversial career.
In the 1830s and 40s, Sir William employed artists, writers and botanists to record this land where, until that era, no white-man had set foot. Medicines and herbs were discovered on these trips as well as the region’s magnificent flora and fauna. Yet the Perthshire man was not primarily concerned with science, rather it was the idea of mixing cultures that appealed to him most. This inspired his grand schemes to swap not only cultures, but also wildlife and indigenous peoples too.
On exhausting, hazardous treks through the Wild West, Sir William survived dangers that some of his fellow travellers did not, but he still eagerly returned to the trail year after year to collect everything from buffalo, exotic birds and plant-life to native Americans on his way. His first foray beyond the Rocky Mountains became legendary among the bands of adventurers and fur-traders that journeyed there, when he faced down a furious grizzly bear that had threatened the life of men who had disturbed her cubs. In fear, the terrified trappers had shot more than 50 bullets into the enraged animal, yet it was the one shot fired by Drummond Stewart that brought her down, killing her instantly and earning the Scotsman enduring respect among the hardened veterans with whom he travelled.
This reputation was invaluable when it came to carrying out his ambitious plans to lead man and beast from America’s Far West, and ship them to foreign shores. Initially, three buffalo calves were lasso-ed and driven across Indian country to St Louis, where they were passengers on the first boat to the UK. Many of their breed followed in this long journey, causing quite a stir when they arrived in their new Scottish home.
In 1840, venturing north for the first time, a honeymooning Queen Victoria was startled to find not only recalcitrant Scots, but also a herd of wild animals never before seen in that country. As she and her new husband made their way through Perthshire they were bemused to find the impressive beasts looking quite at home in the lands around Dunkeld. In her journal the young Queen noted that she and Albert had encountered, ‘those strange hump-backed creatures from America’.
In this month's issue Alan Cochrane writes about new penalties for wildlife crimes. Do you think it would be fair to ban keepers for life for certain wildlife crimes?
