A “well-liked and hardworking” gamekeeper was crushed to death after his quad bike flipped and trapped him underneath, a sheriff has ruled.
David Taylor, 27, was riding the vehicle while working on the Muckrach Estate in Dulnain Bridge, Speyside.
As the dad-of-one approached a river ford the Honda TRX vehicle struck the embankment and toppled over.
His horrified fiancee Christina McInnes later discovered her partner and raised the alarm after she was unable to move the bike herself.
Emergency services raced to Clachbain Farm but Mr Taylor could not be saved.
Gamekeeper’s death second tragedy for family
The death was the second tragedy to hit the Taylor family after his 16-year-old sister Sophie was accidentally shot dead by her boyfriend Calum Murray as he cleaned his gun in April 2011.
The 18-year-old trainee gamekeeper was so distraught he then turned the gun on himself at his home on the Glenavon Estate, near Tomintoul.
A fatal accident inquiry at Inverness Sheriff Court has now found there was no evidence to show why Mr Taylor’s bike left the track and flipped over in August 2020.
Sheriff Gary Aitken said it was impossible to determine if there were defects in any system of working or if any precautions could have been taken to avoid the death.
The inquiry heard Mr Taylor was an “experienced” rider of quad bikes and was “very cautious” while driving them, especially following the birth of his son.
A post-mortem later found he died of crush asphyxia due to a quad bike accident.
In a written judgment, Sheriff Aitken said: “It is very clear from the evidence presented to the inquiry what happened which resulted in Mr Taylor’s untimely death.
“The quad bike he was riding overturned with tragic, fatal results.
No evidence on why accident happened
“However, as the accident was, understandably, unwitnessed there is no evidence as to why the accident happened.
“It is neither helpful nor permissible for me to engage in speculation as to the cause of the accident.
“He was clearly a very conscientious, competent and talented young family man who was very well regarded and respected by his employers.
“His death is a tragedy which is no doubt still very keenly felt.”
Following his death, dozens of tributes were paid to the experienced gamekeeper.
One came from Highlands and Islands MSP Edward Mountain, who said: “I have known and respected the Taylor family for many years.
“I cannot believe that this tragic accident has happened. David will be sorely missed by all those that knew him.
“I am humbled to see how many of his friends and indeed the wider community have come together to try to help his family face the future.”
A GoFundMe page raised over £145,000 in just over a week.
‘A good friend to many’
A statement said: “Davie was a well-liked, hard-working gamekeeper with a cheeky sense of humour and a good friend to many.
“From an early age he had set his heart on following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather on the hill and was proving himself a credit to such a well-known and respected keepering family.
It revealed that the young man had recently settled into a new job at Lochindorb, assuring his future in “a profession that he loved” and said his journey was being shared by his fiancee Christie and their then 11-month-old son, also David, who was “the apple of his father’s eye.”
It concluded: “Nothing can fill the gap left in everyone’s lives by this unbearable tragedy, but it will, we hope, allow as many people as possible to show their love and support for the family as they try to come to terms with this utterly tragic loss.”
Members of the local community lined the streets of Tomintoul on the day of David’s funeral, many of them dressed in traditional tweeds at the request of the family.
Alex Hogg, chairman of the Scottish Gamekeepers Association, which passed on its “deepest condolences” to the family at the time, was among the group.
He said: “I am sure seeing so many gamekeepers turning out in their tweeds, as a mark of respect, will have been appreciated by the family.
“The numbers in attendance were a testament to how well Davie was regarded by so many.”
