A Highland ghillie’s story of the Chancellor of the Exchequer was told to the annual gathering of the Cairngorm Club at Aberdeen by the Rev AE Robertson, of the Scottish Mountaineering Club. Mr. Churchill (said Mr. Robertson) had gone to visit the historic cave in the wild recesses of the Ceannacroc Forest, Glenmoriston, Inverness-shire, where Prince Charlie sought refuge when hard beset after Culloden. The Highland ghillie who accompanied Mr. Churchill on the expedition told his experience thus:

“Mr. Churchill was a very clever gentleman, a grand speaker, but rather heavy on his legs on the high hills. He was very anxious to see the cave, and I took him to the cave over the ram along the ridge and down into the corrie. I had a rifle with me, for I hoped the gentleman would be able to get a stag after he had seen the cave.

A roaring rutting stag chases hinds to keep them together. Glenfalloch Estate, Inverarnan. Photograph: Murdo Macleod/The Guardian

Well, we got to the cave, but he was tired. He was not a good walker, and he was so tired that he was going back down into the corrie and not back up the ridge. But I said that if he went down the corrie he could not get a stag owing to the wind. He said he would not go up the ridge for all the stags in Ceannacroc. We started walking when he began talking and arguing about going dawn the corrie, and I did not say very much, but all the time I was just quietly walking up towards the ridge and he was so busy with his argument he was not noticing where he was going.

He was a splendid speaker, and when he had finished we were almost back on the ridge again. I just stopped and I said, ‘Well, Mr. Churchill, just look and see where ye are’ And, oh, he was very merry, and he just laughed and laughed, and we got a stag and he was very pleased and I was very pleased. Oh, but he was a clever speaker, but rather heavy on his legs on the high hills.”