Lodge (which was then untenanted) and found tracks in the outhouses which were presumed to be those of the missing man. But they found no further sign of him nor anything to suggest which way he had gone after he left Kingie if, indeed, those tracks had been made by him.

The RAF were called in and organised more extensive searches. The team dug out a recent landslide that they discovered back in the hills, and bloodhounds were used, but after six days no clue had been uncovered and the search was abandoned.

It was not until four months later that a man, shooting crows, found the factor's body about eighty to a hundred yards from the road and a little over two miles from the rendezvous at Caonich. It was not a frequented road, leading only to a few houses at the head of the loch and - although the burn where the body was found had been covered by the searches - its banks were thickly wooded and the corpse almost indistinguishable from the large boulders among which it lay. The left arm and leg were fractured.

Although this man was employed locally, he wasn't reared in the locality. Gossip can create an impression that is completely erroneous. Having first heard of this accident from local people, for many years I thought a Highlander had been caught on one of his own mountains. “The local factor,“ they said, “inspecting fences...just up the back here“. It wasn't until I studied the records that I found he was comparatively new to the district and not a mountain man.

If accidents do occur to local farmers and shepherds in the mountains they are so rare as to be exceptional. They must be more rare than accidents involving inshore fishermen. This is not because there is less danger in the mountains than on the sea, but because local people have a greater fear - not necessarily respect - for hills. And, failing respect, a little fear might be a good thing on the part of others in the mountains. In any event the line between respect and fear is indefinite. The only certain thing is that most people who possess any measure of respect or fear for mountains, could do with a great deal more.

Experienced rock climbers may have a fall because they have lowered their safety margin by one factor. Hard climbing is a delicate and complicated craft involving many different factors: the nature of the rock, weather, temperature, and the physical form and psychology of each member of the party. To disregard any one of these factors may result in a fall, but most climbers would be unlikely to disregard more than one: they will not contract their safety margin to a thread. The experienced mountaineer may walk the hills solo in winter. His one mistake may be to be solo, although it is possible that a guide walking the hills alone is a strong party than the same man walking with a novice.

The expert will watch the weather and know when and how it will change; he knows the danger of rock, snow and ice and how to deal with them; he will have left word of his route, and there will be someone at his destination watching for his return. He will carry proper equipment including an axe in winter, whistle, torch, map and compass. He will also carry emergency food and spare clothing. If this expert has narrowed his safety margin by the fact of being alone, he will see that it is narrowed no farther. And the width of his margin is far greater than that of inexperienced people who go on the hills without proper equipment or prior knowledge of the terrain and - worse still - either not enough experience to interpret weather signs, or not enough sense, having interpreted them correctly, to retreat.

The worst tragedies on Scottish hills and the most extensive searches take place in bad, sometimes atrocious weather. One of the earliest of which there is a detailed record is that of Baird and Barrie in 1927.

Thomas Baird and Hugh Barrie, two Glasgow University students, arrived at Aviemore on December 27th, with the intention of walking through the great rift of the Lairig Ghru in Corrour Bothy, and spending some days climbing from there. Nine months previously they had approached Corrour from Deeside to the south but had been benighted.

They spent the night of the 29th at Whitewell in Rothiemurchus, and left the following morning to walk the ten miles or so through the Lairig Ghru to Corrour.

The MacKenzies, tenants at Whitewell, advised them not to go. MacKenzie drew their attention to the stormy weather and the likelihood of its continuing. The crofters were doubtful that the students were carrying enough food. Despite these warnings Baird and Barrie left, saying that they would not return until Sunday, January 1st.

The events which followed were pieced together from Baird's diary.

They reached Corrour safely, having found considerable snow in the pass, and there they spent a fairly comfortable night. The following day they ascended Devil's Point, but that night was intensely cold, the thermometer recorded below zero, their Primus stove was difficult to operate, and they found Continue to page 14