[1594/4/31]¹

Anent haning of the kingis parkis and forrestis and incres of wyldfoull and vennysoun

Oure soverane lord and his estaitis in this present parliament, foirseing that his haill woiddis, forrestis, parkis, haningis, da, ra, hartis, hyndis, fallow deir, phesane, fowlis and utheris wyld bestis within the same ar greitlie distroyit and dalie decressis be ressone the actis and statutis quhilkis ar sett doun aganis the distroyaris of the saidis woddis, forrestis, parkis, haningis and slayaris of the saidis wyld beistis hes not bene put to executioun, sua that all men hes tane libertie to distroy and slay at thair awin appetites. For remeid quhairof, and better interteynement of his hienes royall pastyme in tyme cuming, it is statute and ordanit that quhatsumevir persone or personis at ony tyme heireftir salhappin to cut ony tymmer or grene woid within his hienes woddis or parkis, or salhappin to slay deir, hartis, phesanis, foullis, partrikis or ether wildfoull quhatsumevir, ather with gun, cors bow, hand bow, doggis, halkis or girnis or be uther ingyne quhatsumever within the same, or that beis fund schutting with ony gun thairin without speciall licience and tollerance of his majestie haid and obtenit thairto, or that slayis ony of his hienes deir strayand in tyme of stormes to barne yardis or uther partis maist ewest seikand thair fude, or beis fund tryit to have schot with hagbute in the winter nicht within ony of the foirsaidis woddis or parkis, or within the space of ane myle thairabout, quhether thai be apprehendit slayand the deir or not, that thair haill guidis and geir salbe escheit and inbrocht to his hienes use, and thair personis punist at his hienes will; and this to be ane ordiner point of dittay, and the offendour to be criminallie accusit heiron in all tymes heireftir. And also it is statute and ordanit that gif ony persone or personis salhappin to put ony of thair guidis within the saidis woddis, forrestis, parkis or haningis, the same salbe confiscat and eschetit; and that it salbe lesum to the keparis to intromett thairwith at thair awin handis but ony further process of law, and thay to be frie of all danger and actioun that in onywayis may follow and ensew thairupoun, the ane half to be employit to oure soverane lordis use and the uther half to the forsteris and keiparis. And likwayes it is statute and ordanit that na persoun nor personis sall hunt nor halk within the bounds of sex myles to ony of his hienes woddis, parkis, castellis and palices; and incaice ony do in the contrair, that ilk persoun contravening sall pay the sowme of ane hundreth pundis money, the ane half thairof to the dilators of thame and the uther half to his hienes use; and als quhatsumevir persoun salbe deprehendit or tryit till have slayne hartis or ony kynd of wyld foullis in snaw or ony uther tyme with gunnis or girnis, or yit beis fund to have schot at duik, drak or hair or uthar wildfoull with ane hagbute within ony pert of this realme, that thai salbe subject to the foirsaid penaltie of ane hundreth pundis. And incace thai or ony of thame beis not responsall, to be punissit in thair personis at his hienes will and plesour.