In the words of Victorian author Amelia Murray MacGregor:
Donald MacBeath and William Duff: MacBeath wears the uniform of a Sergeant-Major in the Athole Highlanders. This private army, still in existence today, had been re-formed by Lord Glenlyon, later 6th Duke of Athole, for the Eglinton Tournament in 1839. The men formed the Queen's body-guard at Taymouth Castle in 1842 and at Blair Castle in 1844. Both men here wear Murray of Athole tartan, but MacBeath's has a larger sett. Both Atholemen were personally known to the Queen. She had admired MacBeath as 'a celebrated marksman and a fine-looking man' when he had been among the Duke's men on her 'Great Expedition' to Glen Feshie and Blair Castle in 1861. She already had a watercolour of Duff, by Charles Landseer, in her Souvenir Albums, dating from her visit to Blair in 1844. A contemporary photograph shows his unkempt appearance and demonstrates clearly how MacLeay could tidy up even his most picturesque sitters. The Dowager Duchess described to the Queen how, in 1873, when the Royal Train sped through Dunkeld without slowing down, no one managed to catch a glimpse of the Queen except that loyal old character, Willie Duff, 'who had perched himself on a bank farther along the line'.A percentage of the proceeds from the sale of this print will be donated to The Scottish Tartans Authority.
You can download a more detailed description of this painting by visiting The Tartan Zone.