100 years ago
(November 30 1911)
The property in Dunrobin Street, Helmsdale, occupied by Mr A H Ross and Mr Hugh Ross was observed to be on fire on Sunday afternoon. There was no person in the house at the time of the outbreak and Constable Mackay gained an entrance through smashing the windows. He was promptly joined by a band of willing workers and the company soon extinguished the flames. The damage done is estimated at about £15
The Duke of Sutherland proposed breaking up the farm of Melness for extension of existing crofters' grazings and for the creation of small holdings. The farm was inspected by members of the Crofters Commission, the Congested Districts Board and the factor to the CD boad. Mr John Morrison, factor, Tongue, met Lord Pentland by request at Bettyhill. A letter was later delivered stating the Board did not consider there was sufficient sunstance in the proposal for them to entertain it.
In the Dornoch Sheriff Court , Sheriff Mackenzie sent John and George Macallister, aged nine and eleven respectively, sons of Hugh Macallister of no fixed abode, to Fechney Industrial School, Perth. The prosecution was at the instance of Mr John Macdonald, Dingwall, agent for the Society for the Prevention of Crulety to Children, who led evidence showing that the boys had wandered about from place to place and their parents did not exercise adequate control over them.
Sgt Polson, Golspie, took charge of the lads and joined the train with them at Skelbo in order to avoid the crush at Dornoch Station where the friends and relatives of the boys had congregated in large numbers to witness their departure.
The parents of the boys pleaded guilty to neglecting their children and were asked to come up for sentence three months' hence.
The inauguration ceremony in connection with the newly formed Dornoch Air Rifle Club took place last Thursday in the Territorial Hall.
Mr William Whitelaw, chairman of the Highland Railway Company, speaking at the annual meeting of the Edinburgh Ross and Cromarty Association, said he was afraid it was only too true that the day had come when there was practically no prospect of a single mile of railway being built a mile north of the Grampians except it be by money provided by the State. They had seen a vast change take place in the Highlands during the past few years on account of new methods of spending holidays. He supposed nothing had done more material good to the Highlands in the last ten years than the extraordinary popularity of golf.
75 Years Ago
(December 3 1936)
The following teachers had accepted new appointments:
Sutherland Technical School - Alex K Morrison (English); Lochinver PS - Catherine M Ross, MA Dornoch; Skibo PS - Mary J Graham (head teacher) and Violet A Polson (assistant); Gaulin SS - Barbara Ross, Skerricha; Ben Armine SS - Alexandrina Matheson (formerly of Fiag SS); Casheldhu SS - Marcusina Macleod, Lothmore; Torboll SS - Margaret Sutherland, Clashnagrave; Dalphaid SS - Isa A Sutherland (formerly of Dalnessie SS).
Three days holidays are to be given to all children during Coronation Week. In addition, each child is to be given a memento of the occasion.
****?Winning five out of their six Pattison Cup fixtures, Helmsdale United hold the trophy for the the third successive season. They scored 16 goals against seven to give them ten points in the competititon. On Saturday they completed their fixtures by slipping it across Golspie Sutherland to the extent of three goals to one.
Tremendous excitement was caused in Brora on Monday afternoon when the news spread that the small motor fishing boat Mary Ann, manned by Alexander Sutherland, 3 Gower Street, Lower Brora, and his brother John Sutherland, Side House, Market Street, Lower Brora, was adrift off the mouth of Brora Harbour at the mercy of dangerous seas and having to contend with a strong north westerly gale.
Everyone seemed to make for vantage points to watch one of the most thrilling rescues ever witnessed in the Dornoch Firth.
The coastguard station at Helmsdale was informed as was also Wick and Cromarty. Knowing that the fishery protection cruiser Freya was lying in the Dornoch Firth, a police van set off in the direction of Embo and were fortunate in locating the cruiser. A semaphore message was sent from shore to the Freya and she immediately heaved anchor and made for Brora to search for the Mary Ann.
As darkness had now set in, and the lights of the Freya could be seen by those on shore approaching the point where the Mary Ann had last been seen, Constable Macleod sent for Alex Sutherland, scoutmaster of the Brora Troop of Boy Scouts, to bring his signalling lamp to get into communication with the Freya.
Using Morse Code, Scoutmaster Sutherland was enable to direct the cruiser to the position of the boat. By this time the gale had increased and hail stones and spray lashing the motor boat made rescue operations exceedingly diffcult for the Freya.
Those on shore breathed freely when Scoutmaster Sutherland announced that the cruiser had rescued the two brothers.
50 Years Ago
(December 1 1961)
The 104th Glasgow Sutherland Association gathering in the St Andrews Halls, Glasgow, last Friday night, will remain a wonderful memory for 20-year-old Marlene Sutherland from Lochinver.
Marlene had never before sung in such a vast concert hall and, after showing just a trace of nerves, she gained confidence and in the end had the audience in love with her sweet voice and personality. She enjoyed indeed, a great reception.
It was also a great occasion for Mr and Mrs Allan Macleod, who were in the audience, for Rhona Macleod - she won the National Mod gold medal last year - is their daughter. Mrs Macleod (Ada Mackenzie) is a native of Stoer and Mr Macleod comes from Harris.
Lairg branch of An Comunn Gaidhealach are convinced that someone on the Golspie, Rogart and Lairg education district sub-committee "has it in for them".
That seems to them the only explanation for the ban on their use of Lairg School gymnasium for ceilidhs -the sub committee imposed it at their last meeting.
The branch refute completly allegations that they left the gymnasium "in a mess" after their ceilidhs and that the floor was being damaged and they have decided to fight the ban, even to placing the matter in the hands of the constituency's MP if that is necessary.
Golspie Dramatic Society were to be congratulated for providing the very large audience in the local Drill Hall with such delightful and amusing entertainment on Wednesday last week.
The club must have been delighted by the performance of their newcomers - those who were actually making their first appearance ever on stage, that is. There were four such - Lucy Fraser, Blanche Sinclair and Helen Cameron and teenager Jean Ann Fulton. All did very well indeed and will no doubt be encouraged to develop their talents.
Unless local fishermen took more interest in matters concerning their local harbour, it might be to their detriment, stated Mr A M Ross, Brora, at a meeting of Sutherland County Council at Helmsdale last Monday.
Mr Ross was referring to the fact that only one fisherman was present at a recent meeting of the harbour committee. Only four members attended, the others being the chairman and the two local councillors.
25 Years Ago
(November 28 1986)
Regular complaints about the state of Golspie streets arise from a "personaility conflict" between the village officer and a member of the community, says a district council official.
Mr Fred Hayward, Sutherland's director of environmental heralth, received a letter from the secretary of Golspie Community Council concerning litter on the seaward side of the Main Street.
Mr Hayward replied: So far as I am concerned, no litter problem really exists. There is obviously a personality conflict between one of your members and the Village Officer which, with respect, I would suggest the member should keep on a private level and not try to involve your council."
A regular critic of the street sweeping system is local butcher Mr Bob Inkster, who, although not on the community council, has attended meetings and often voiced his objections about general tidiness in the town.
Sutherland is among three Highland areas where preently there is an insufficient 24-hour police cover.
This point was made by dep chief constable Finlay Maclennan at meeting of the police and civilian establishmenst sub committee at Inverness recently.
He said the proportion of area to officers in the Northern Constabulary beat - at 1 per 12,354 acres - was higher than any other force in the country.
There were important repercussions for response times and lack of the prospect of any back-up for isolated officers in this sort of situation.
A ladies dress shop in Golspie's Fountain Road is not in fashion according to Sutherland's divisional planning committee.
By the casting vote of chairman Francis Keith, they decided 4-3 to turn down the application of Ian and Sylvia Paterson, Granite Villa, Fountain Road, to the part change of use of their guest house.
Mr Ron McDonald of Brora said he feared that if they granted the application, they would be creating a "dangerous precedent".
He said: "I have already heard rumblings about taking business away from the commercial centre of Golspie and this is a very residential area of town."
