The flight of the "lad that's borntobeking, " as the wistful "Skye Boat Song" has it, became the stuff of brooding legend, novels and of shortbread-biscuit tins.
"We can't all beborntobeking but we can all have a position where we really can aspire for ourselves and for our families to do the very best that we possibly can and I want to encourage that position, " he said.