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Captain Edmund Burt, an army officer recalled and described the event much later in his letters, which were not published until 1754.

… soon after the discovery was known to the Highlanders, they assembled from distant parts, and having formed themselves into a body, they gathered up the relics, and marched with them in solemn procession, to a new place of burial, and there they discharged their firearms over the grave, as supposing the deceased had been a military officer.

(Burt 1754, 280)

Burt asked another officer ‘who was himself a native of the hills’ about the significance of the occasion.

… the Highlanders firmly believe that if a dead body should be known to lie above ground, or be disinterred by malice or the accidents of torrents … and care was not immediately taken to perform to it the proper rites, then there would arise such storms and tempests as would destroy their corn, blow away their huts, and all sorts of misfortunes would follow till that duty was performed.

(ibid 280)