History

The Hunt was founded in 1827 by the 5th Duke of Buccleuch who took over the hounds of Mr George Baillie – regarded as the Father of Foxhunting in the north. The Huntsmen of the Buccleuch Hounds have been as follows:

 Buccleuch Hounds were bred on Old English lines up until the 1970’s when Sir Hugh Arbuthnot, as Master and Huntsman, introduced some Modern English lines from the Cotswold. The pack today remains Modern English, but have kept three tail female lines, two of which are solid Buccleuch back to 1860’s and Belvoir Singwell (1864).
 
The present Mastership was given a bitch - “Problem” - in 1992 by Sir Rupert Buchanan Jardine, a large proportion of the pack go back to her lineage & her tan markings are still predominant.
 
At the time of the Scottish ban in 2002 the dog hounds from the pack were drafted to the South (mainly with the Heythrop, Duke of Beaufort & the Cotswolds). Today the pack is predominantly female with a few dog hounds being entered this year.
 
Life after the ban means that all Scottish packs use the exemption allowing foxes to be flushed to guns and accordingly have marksmen positioned in suitable places. The law makes it very clear that the fox is only to be shot when it is safe to do so, an injured fox should be dispatched as soon as is safe to do so. If a fox is accidentally killed by hounds before reaching guns that is not committing an offence. You are permitted to search for foxes in any covert where a fox maybe found.
 
The field, as always, act as spectators following proceedings and do not have a role to play in the fox control measures. To the outside eye nothing much may have appeared to have changed with Stirrup Cups being taken at Meets and followers still looking very traditional, but the Hunting is run by a recognised protocol that is accepted by both the Police and the Landowners.
 
The Buccleuch Hunt led the way after the ban in Scotland and are still looked upon as the guiding light. Unlike England and Wales who are hoping for a repeal on their ban, the make-up of the Scottish Parliament would seem that in the short to medium term a repeal in Scotland highly unlikely. That said, there is still alot of good sport to be had within the law.