The gardener to Miss Moncrieff who lived in Dalchonzie was Duncan McNaughton who was married and had a large family of sons and daughters. There were a number of roe deer in the area and one in particular was almost a family pet. They had found her when she was very young and she had been reared in a loving way, blending in with all the other domestic animals that lived there. Sometimes the children would carry her around. To do this they would place the feet of the deer around their necks from the back and lift her up. When the deer got a bit older it would come out to people and place its hoofs on the shoulders with its hind paws on the ground and walk forwards or backwards in a playful fashion.

A young man from another part of the country sought and was given employment by Mr. McNaughton to assist in the work in the garden and did not know about this friendly animal and its habits. He had gone to Comrie to check and see if his belongings had arrived and after doing this he decided to stop in at a public house to sample the local whisky. He must have enjoyed the taste of it because it was nightfall when he set off on his road to Dalchonzie not feeling a lot of pain.

On his approach into his digs it was very dark and the spirit was beginning to have its effect on his senses and he became rather tired. As he was passing the McNaughton’s door the deer saw him, and, in typical friendly fashion, bounded up to him and placed her paws about his neck. He was quite taken aback and on turning his head around, came in contact with the animal’s snout and got a glimpse of the strange face and felt strong breathing down his neck but, in his stupour, could not make out what it was. Grabbing its legs he felt them all furry and hairy and, on feeling its hoofs knew that he was in bad company.

Clinging on, the deer stayed with him, and his absolute terror, as he staggered towards the McNaughton’s door which he banged on, loudly screaming out all the while. When the door opened the deer scampered away and the young man fell in a dead faint on the door step and it took a long time for him to come out of his stupor and fear saying, upon consciousness, “Is he there yet?” When Mr. and Mrs. McNaughton asked what had happened and who he meant by “he,” he said, “the devil...and I carried him on my back from the avenue to your door.” It took a lot of persuasion to assure him that he had not had an encounter with the devil but that it was just a young roe deer! For the remainder of his stay in Dalchonzie he remained absolutely sober!