The Queen and Prince Consort fording the River Tariff in Glentilt

Photograph of a painting of an event that Queen Victoria describes in her journal during a trek to the Banioch Shiel. The scene shows Queen Victoria (1819-1901) Prince Albert (1819-61) and Princess Alice (1843-78) and others crossing the River Tarff on ponies and foot. The group are preceded by two men playing bag pipes and in front of them, a guide who wade through the water up to their waists.

The Queen describes the scene in her journal for the 9th October 1861: 'A few minutes brought us to the celebrated Ford of the Tarff, (Poll Tarff, it is called) which is very deep & after heavy rain almost impassable. The Duke held the reigns of the pony on one side, & [John] Brown the other, Sandy McCarer the guide & the two pipers, playing the whole time, in front. The appearance of the ford was not deeper than others, but once in it, the men were above the knees in water & suddenly in the middle, where the current, from the fine high falls, is very strong, they got in nearly up to their waists. It was quite exciting.' RA VIC/MAIN/QVJ (W) 9th October 1861