Iain Ruadh Stiùbhart … John Roy Stuart

According to the Rev William Forsyth, one of John Roy’s men took the ‘Green Banner of Kincardine’ to the summit of Cairngorm on the anniversary of the Raising of the Standard at Glenfinnan 19th August.

Anail a’ Ghaidheil, air a’ mhullach

Walk to the summit of Cairngorm

Saturday 15th August 2009

Deoch-shlainte

Hugh Stewart delivered a short address in Gaelic [with translation] on a theme, taken from the toast below, of the immortality of heroism.  Appropriately enough, that toast was used originally by the Seaforth Highlanders, one of the three regiments in which Hugh served half a century ago.  The Seaforth were numbered among those Highland regiments recruited by former Jacobite ruling families then anxious to ingratiate themselves with the Hanoverian establishment. Many Highlanders were thus enlisted after Wolfe had sought their service in the Seven Years War in Canada/America, with the recommendation that they were “hardy and bold, very patient of cold and hunger, habituated to a rough country and NO GREAT MISCHIEF IF THEY FALL [i.e. expendable]. The toast is made appropriate by replacing the Seaforth slogan “Cabar Feidh” with “An Suaicheantas Ban” as follows:-

Tir nam Beann, nan  Gleann, ’s nan Gaisgeach
Land of mountains, glens and warriors

Far am faighear an t-eun fionn
Where the white bird is got

’S far am faigh am fiadh fasgadh
And where the deer find shelter

Cho fada ’s a chitear ceo mu bheann
So long as mist is seen round a mountain

’S a ruitheas uisge le gleann
And water runs through a glen

Mairidh cuimhne air éuchd nan treun
Memory will endure of the brave’s feats

Slainte agus buaidh gu brath
Health and victory for ever

Le gillean An Suaicheantais Bain!
With the lads of the White Cockade!

An Suaicheantas Ban gu brath!
The White Cockade for ever!

The unmodified toast is still used by the 3^rd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland [72, 78, 79 and 92nd]. The regiment at large now sounds like a military millipede after a surfeit of amalgamations. It is collectively the 1^st, 21^st, 25^th, 42^nd, 72^nd, 74^th, 78^th, 92^nd and 93^rd of Foot.

Photos from the day:

Setting off from Glenmore - the JRS anniversary walk
- photo by Fiona Patrick

David Kerr and Walter Patrick on the way up
- photo: Ann Wakeling

Struggling to hoist the banner!
- photo: Stanley Norton

Pete Dutfield struggles to hold the Banner
- photo: Ann Wakeling

Walter, Pete, Mary and David
- photo: Ann Wakeling

Wind-blown Cuilly Dog near Cairngorm summit
- photo: Ann Wakeling

David Kerr, Stan Norton, Ann Wakeling, Pete Dutfield, Mary Mackenzie, Hugh Stewart and Walter Patrick, not forgetting Cuilean.