Drummond Hill Forest squad April 1953
Photograph courtesy of Jim McIntyre, Balbeggie who says -
'This was some of the Drummond Hill forest squad stopped en route in the Sma’ Glen en route to Keillour forest where they were on loan to carry out draining and planting. The large rock behind Nos. 9 and 10 is known locally as 'Saddle the Mare'. The object of the exercise was to place the round boulder on the top. N°8, Big Ronald MacAulay was able to do it with a clean lift!'
The names are:
1: Andrew Law,
2: Dochie Reid,
3: Eck Scrimegour,
4: Bronik (Polish),
5: Eddie Brown,
6: Archie MacLaren,
7: Harry Kerr,
8: Ronald MacAulay,
9: Jimmy Moar,
10: Leon Kaliz (Polish/French),
11: Campbell Walker,
12: Dochie MacLaren,
13: Jimmy Wright,
14: Jim McIntyre,
15: Alistair MacDougall,
16: Malcolm Smith,
17: Alistair (Red) MacDougall,
18: Harry MacMillan,
19: Ian MacNab.
Groups: Forestry Areas, Groups of people
‘Now my reason for writing to you is due to the photograph of a forestry team standing beside the "saddlin mare" in the Sma Glen.
I have known about the "Mare" for a number of years and as research usually works, information on a particular stone of strength either cascades or is simply dripped over a number of years. It is extremely difficult to find more contemporary references to lifting stones and indeed, any information on those who have lifted them. I have many references to the Saddlin Mare and it appears to originate from circa 18th century and was known to possess three stones of varying weights. Of course the test of strength was to make the larger stone stick to the mare which had a propensity for sliding back on the lifter.
Although there is no specific weight quoted, one newspaper article strangely mentions it being 1 1/2 cwt when it was lifted on a carriage tour in 1900 by a group of men from Cults, Aberdeenshire. An American tourist mentions it by volume being that of one peck measure.
There are two stones remaining at the Mare that seem to fit the size of the stones although they may well not be the original stones. The larger stone, approx 200lbs has been lifted recently by 2 Australians, an American, a Dane, an Englishman and one single Scot from Elgin. There have also been a number of failures not surprisingly as it is an exceedingly difficult feat of strength.
The first lift this century was made by my friend (the location is only known by a handful) Alex Roberts from Birmingham. Alex has lifted traditional lifting stones all over Scotland but has a preference for North Uist and is indeed spending another 3 week holiday on the island (lifting stones) later this year.
Alex is circa 5ft 8 inches and although he had no difficulty in initially lifting the stone, trying to place it on the mare was far more difficult and at one point was on his tiptoes trying to push the stone with his finger tips further up the plinth trying to make it stick. The stone remained motionless for about 5 seconds, sufficient time to photograph it and then it simply slid back down the slope. Of course this is the assumption of the how the mare was saddled taken from the texts and it would be really interesting to hear from Jim if the heavy stone was lifted in such a manner in 1953?'
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