Last Post for the tiny soldier who had a huge heart
HE was a beloved and loyal mascot of Scottish soldiers for more than two decades.
So it was only fitting that Lance Corporal Cruachan III – the Shetland pony especially adored by the Queen – was given his final salute during a military funeral in the shadow of Stirling Castle.
The 30-year-old, who retired in 2012, was put to sleep at his stable in Edinburgh’s Redford Barracks in February. He had been suffering from arthritis.
His ashes were interred on Thursday at the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders’ Garden of Remembrance, near the Regimental Museum.
His devoted handler, Pony Major Corporal Mark Wilkinson, laid a single white rose on the casket.
Cruachan III joined the 1st Battalion the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in September 1995 and became the Royal Regiment of Scotland’s mascot upon its formation in 2006.
A spokesman said: ‘It is with a great deal of sadness that we bid farewell to one of the most memo- rable characters in the regiment. Always smart and never failing on parade, he represented the regiment loyally and steadfastly.
‘He embodied the traits of the Scottish soldier – steady, hardy and even-tempered. His sense of mischief was well-known and admired.’
Cruachan III served across Scotland and England, including with the Royal Guard at Balmoral. He was awarded the Nato Former Yugoslavia Medal, Iraq Medal, General Service Medal with Northern Ireland Clasp, Accumulated Service Medal and Jubilee Medal.
Shetland ponies have been part of the Army in Scotland for almost 90 years, since Princess Louise gave Cruachan I to the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in 1929.