The memorial stone to Robert Kerss, gamekeeper and fisherman at Monteviot
Introduction
The photograph on this page of The memorial stone to Robert Kerss, gamekeeper and fisherman at Monteviot by James Denham as part of the Geograph project.
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The memorial stone to Robert Kerss, gamekeeper and fisherman at Monteviot
Image: © James Denham Taken: 12 May 2013
Robert served the 6th., 7th., and 8th. Marquises of Lothian as ghillie, like his father James before him. Robert became a legend in his own lifetime. The 8th. marquess commissioned James Archer, a prominent Scottish artist to paint on canvas, the great servant of the estate. One day, when Robert was on the river fishing with an aristocrat guest of the house, he was showing the lord how to catch a fish but ultimately had to catch the fish himself. Every time Robert caught a fish, his guest took a 'swig' of whisky from his flask never offering Robert a drop. Eventually, after another fish was caught and the lord took his drink, Robert stood up with the words "If you cannot drink we me, you cannot fish with me" at which point the good ghillie jumped out of the boat and left his lordship to drift with the word "Help" meeting with a silent glower.
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Image Location
Latitude
55.523855
Longitude
-2.518236