In May 1811, John McInnes and two assistants headed south from Skye with a drove of 90 cattle. There was, of course, nothing unusual about this, and with the Napoleonic Wars in full swing, cattle prices were at a premium. But this drove was different, destined not for the great Scottish tryst at Falkirk, nor the fattening fields of Norfolk, nor even the butchers’ knives at Smithfield. McInnes was instead embarking upon on an arduous 43-day trek, covering some 650 miles, to the remote south-west of England. The final destination: Arlington estate in Devon…

PDF of in-depth article first published in History Scotland magazine.

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