Operation Megalithic Lift - The Stones and the Stars: Building Scotland's Newest Megalith - page 212

F IG . 7.16 The first stone in flight. Note John bracing Gavin at lower left center .
author at lower right center , before scaling the fence on the way to the hilltop
(Photo by Frank O'Neill)
good news. Fuel consumption was lower than expected, and the
job could be finished without a break for refueling at the airport.
By that time Archie Thom felt he should rejoin “the old man,”
slithering down the muddy hillside in his kilt; and with my ten-
sion mounting as I waited for the last stone, suddenly I was joined
on the hilltop by the last person I expected: Keith Fraser.
“It's going very well, Duncan,” he said.
“Yes, so far,” I replied. I intended to say no more, but the ten-
sion in my voice gave me away.
“Duncan, is there something you should have told me?” he
asked, and being in no mood to dissemble, I told him succinctly how
the weight of the central stone was the only unresolved issue. As we
spoke we could hear the regular beat of the Sea King's rotor from out
of sight at the northeastern base of the hill. Just as Keith opened his
mouth to respond, the beat changed steeply, rising to a whine. As the
rotor blades came into view it was clear that they were now at a much
steeper angle, and as the fuselage followed, it was oriented straight
into the wind, instead of inclined to it as it had been hitherto.