'Quiet' dog's barking saves her owner's life

Retired farmer Iain MacLean, who suffers from dementia, became disorientated in a forest on a hillside in Argyll while herding sheep.

His loyal collie Nell stayed with him throughout his ordeal and it was the normally quiet dog's howling that alerted searchers to where Mr MacLean was lost deep in the woods.

More than 100 people had been looking for the 61-year-old last Thursday. After almost 14 hours one of the searchers, Alice McPhie, heard Nell's distressed barking.

It took her party of searchers into woods at Lagna-Lochlan, near Kilmelford.

Miss McPhie said: "The dog saved his life. It was quite cold up on the high ground, much colder than lower down."

Mr MacLean, of Collaig, Ardfern, was found at about 3am on Friday. He was taken to Oban's Lorn and Islands Hospital for a check-up as he was suffering from cold feet and hands, and was released two hours later.

He had gone to Tullich, near Kilmelford, where sons Iain and Ron keep 400 sheep, when he became disorientated at about 11:30am last Thursday.

His sons and daughter, Amanda, raised the alarm, sparking a massive search involving a rescue helicopter from RAF Lossiemouth, and Oban and Arrochar Mountain Rescue Teams.

Police dogs from Lochaber and Dumbarton were also brought in, as were fire crews from Oban and Lochgilphead. Volunteer firefighters from Ardfern and Kilmelford also joined the search along with dozens of locals.

Officer Danny McBeth of Oban police station said: "There must have been about 100 people on the hill at one point.

"A local woman found him in nearby woods at around 3am on Friday. It was her local knowledge of the forest that helped to find him, as the helicopter's infrared was unable to pick him up underneath the trees."

Mr MacLean's son, Iain, 36, said: "We knew Nell wouldn't leave him because she is very loyal to him, but when the mountain rescue teams asked us if she would be howling we didn't think so.

"She doesn't bark as a rule. Normally she is a very quiet dog."

The retired farmer's wife, Eilidh, 57, added: "The police were excellent and very sensitive with the matter of Iain's illness.

"We would just like to thank everybody who was there and everybody who helped in any way.

"They walked for miles up and down that hill in the dark. We are very grateful."

Ross Lilley, deputy leader of Oban Mountain Rescue Team, said: "It was a really good outcome. There was a large group of people to put out on the hill, a fair few of his family, other farmers and locals.

"Because it was unclear where he was exactly we called in the rescue helicopter and Arrochar Mountain Rescue Team.

"Through deploying all the resources we managed to get him fairly quickly. He could have been out all night if we hadn't got to him.

"It was one of the local teams that heard the dog barking. Having his dog with him helped a great deal in finding him so soon."

Mr MacLean worked for years as a drover at the old Oban market and latterly farmed on Lunga Estate at Ardfern. He recently had to retire due to the early onset of dementia.