Thomas Ross ²⁶

  General Notes:

Northern times 18 november 2005

From our old files
25 YEARS AGO

(November 14, 1980)


Two former Sutherland gamekeepers were heard on the radio recently - talking about their experiences of deerstalking.

The late Mr Tom Ross, of Achinduich, who is buried at Croick Church, had been questioned by Alistair Gardner in 1962 about the clothes provided by the estates for their keepers - and Mr Ross made the point that he received a new suit of tweeds for wearing every August 12, though he would go back on his "old" suit from August 13, just to get the wear out of it!

In his day, each estate had its own "livery", a distinctive tweed, and each band of keepers or shepherds could be recognised by their distinctive suiting.

Mr Alan Ross, former gamekeeper at Dunrobin and now at Brodick on the Isle of Arran, spoke of the large number of German and Austrian sportsmen who now come to Scotland to shoot deer.

This gave BBC radio presenter Frank Forbes the chance to pun: "So the hills are alive with the hounds of Munich?"

Mr Ross, a popular member of East Sutherland Gun Club when he was at Dunrobin, said that his clients were allowed only to take back home the antler trophies - the venison, now selling at around 75p per lb. , was retained by the estates.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Census, 1901, Amatnatua, Croick, Ross County. ²³ aged 19

• Occupation: GAMEKEEPER.

Thomas married Christina McDONALD.