25 YEARS AGO
(February 6th, 1987)
Confidence in Kinlochbervie harbour development was boosted by the January landing figures. When they had finished their sums, office staff exclaimed: "We’ve cracked the million!"
So, £1 million worth of fish went through the Kinlochbervie market in the first month of 1987 – £500,000 more than the same month last year. The present fleet numbers between 30 and 40 boats, mainly all from the East Coast. One reason for the good start was the comparatively good winter weather at sea.
Hydro-electricity from the Loch Shin power station is being used to power the first UK oil field to be linked by sub-marine cable to the mainland.
The Beatrice Field off Helmsdale has also become the first oil field in the world to be linked to mainland power supply via the combination of a sub-marine cable and a 50/60 Hz frequency charger.
A coastguard-directed civilian helicopter will be on station in the North Minch later this year as a first line rescue service.
It emerged last week that the Ministry of Defence were unwilling to station one of their Sea King helicopters at Stornoway because of the additional expense. The new charter service will be a charge on the Ministry of Transport. It is expected to be the civilian version of the Sea King machine.
Petrol prices in Sutherland were the highest of 41 areas covered in the most recent rural price survey compiled by Mackay Consultants of Inverness for the HIDB. The county areas chosen for survey were Brora and two unspecified one-shop villages, described simply as Villages A and B.
Only Brora and Village A could return petrol prices and both were reported as having a price of £1.85 for a gallon of four-star. This compares with a Highlands and Islands average of £1.76.
A ploughing match being held tomorrow at West Clyth, near Lybster, is bound to attract some enthusiasts from Sutherland because of the absence of such events nowadays in the county.
Latheron Parish Ploughing Association are the organisers and among the committee are John and Christine Polson, formerly of Kirkton Farm, Golspie.
The match starts at 9am with five pairs of horses involved and among the 39 entries are five old Fordsons with drag ploughs.
This is the second annual match in Latheron after a lapse of 21 years. Last year saw an entry of 22 and the organisers are encouraged by the increase in competitors this year.
50 YEARS AGO
(February 9th, 1962)
A storm of wind, hail and sleet hit Sutherland last Saturday. The worst affected area was at Scourie, where a fantastic thunder and lightning storm caused most unusual damage to such as high tension fuses and carriers on the main power line, to indoor fuse boxes which were shattered and to telephones. Indeed, only two private telephones were left in working order. Scourie and district were without power for nine hours.
A local school teacher, Miss Hughina Mackay, saw her telephone hurled six feet across the hallway and smashed to pieces as the lightning earthed through the Post Office lines.
In Scourie Hotel the white fluorescent lights turned blue. A light bulb was blown from its socket.
A schoolboy, Henry Flett (12), had his left arm numbed for 15 minutes as a flash struck the ground around a few feet away from him as he stood in a byre.
A hotel maid, Mrs J Morrison, fainted when the electric vacuum cleaner she was using jumped from her hand, showering blue sparks.
Said another hotel employee: "I’ve never seen anything like it. The whole house shook with a fearful cracking noise as the lightning struck it. The thunder was the most frightening thing of all."
A Post Office linesman, Sandy Dunnett of Scourie, out at the height of the storm, was momentarily blinded as lightning struck an emergency radio station.
He said: "When the flash had gone I saw smoke where the wooden hut housing the radio station was. The lightning just zipped down the aerial and scored a direct hit on the place, wrecking it."
Miss Rowena Farre, whose book, Seal Morning was alleged by her to have been based on her experiences when she lived for a short time in Sutherland, has now been identified as 40-year-old Daphne Lois Macready, wartime WAAF officer and a brigadier’s daughter.
Miss Macready, who has still to collect £10,000 in royalties from the 1957 book, cut herself off from her family eight years ago. She disappeared after she left her lodgings just before the publication of Seal Morning. The book has since been published in 10 countries.
Unconfirmed rumours reached London that she had been seen in India, Hong-Kong and Australia. But she was never tracked down.
75 YEARS AGO
(February 11th, 1937)
Mr T Matheson, plasterer, Brora, has made a start this week with alterations to the Grand Hotel in Brora. Mr Wilson, the proprietor, in accordance with plans submitted to the Sutherland Licensing Court, is adding the shop on the ground floor recently occupied by Loudon & Co., chemists, to the hotel. This addition and alteration to this popular hotel will greatly add to the prompt service and comfort of the patrons.
Mr Alexander Macangus, Shore Street, Helmsdale, had a narrow escape from being crushed to death when his clothes got caught in a powerful winch last week. Mr Macangus had been working on board the Highdale, engaged in seine-net fishing when his oilskin got entangled in the ship’s winch. The power was immediately cut off, but not before the fast-moving machine had severely injured the man’s chest and shoulders. He was taken to the Helmsdale Hospice where he is making a satisfactory recovery. Mr Macangus had been married only a few days previously.
The Matron, Cambusavie Hospital, The Mound, begs to acknowledge with thanks the following gifts for the hospital: – Magazines from Mrs A J Watt, Seaforth Road, Golspie; two guineas towards the amusement fund from Miss D Sutherland, Sunrise, Navidale, Helmsdale.
The necessary preliminary arrangements in connection with the Coronation celebrations in Dornoch will be made at a public meeting to be held in the Council Chamber tonight.
Intelligence of the sudden passing of Mr Adam Barnie, chemist and newsagent, which took place at his home in Sutherland Street, Helmsdale, late on Saturday night, startled the whole community. At first those friends who knew him best could hardly realise that one who had been at business that day had been so hurriedly called away. But as they began to realise that the news was true, only too true, a gloom soon settled over the whole district.
Only 30 years of age, the late Mr Barnie, who was a generous and kind hearted citizen appeared to have been in good health until the night of his death.
100 YEARS AGO
(February, 15th, 1912)
An accident of a most distressing and sad nature occurred at Golspie harbour on Monday evening between the hours of five and six o’ clock, a little boy, named Alexander Macdonald, over three years of age, youngest son of Adam Macdonald, fisherman, West End, Golspie, being accidentally drowned.
The little child, along with other children, were on the harbour watching the arrival of the boats from the day’s fishing, and it is surmised that he wandered away from the rest and was so intent in watching the incoming boats and fishermen at work that he did not observe he was so near the edge of the harbour, and coming in contact with the ropes and fishing gear that are always lying about, he stumbled and fell into the sea.
There were a number of fishermen and also women and children in the vicinity at the time, but the unfortunate thing about the whole sad affair is that no one saw the child fall into the sea, or even heard a cry escape from his lips.
The child failing to arrive home along with his elder brother, the parents immediately made inquiries as to his whereabouts, but failing to find him, they apprised those in the vicinity of his disappearance and a thorough investigation was made.
On nothing being seen of the little mite, a great hue and cry arose and the worst fears were entertained as to his safety. Nor were these fears unduly founded, as at that moment, the sad intelligence was received from the fishermen of an incoming boat, that they had picked up a child floating on the sea. No need to tell the distressed parents that the child was theirs, and without a moment’s delay the boy was conveyed to his uncle’s house, it being much nearer than that of the parents’ home, where artificial respiration was resorted to.
Medical aid was called in, Dr Simpson and Dr Bremner appearing on the scene a few minutes after they had been made aware of the accident. They did everything in their power to resuscitate the child, but their strenuous efforts met with no success, no signs of life being visible.
As to how the sad and unfortunate accident occurred, no one is able to throw light on the affair, and it will more than likely remain unsolved as to how the child fell into the sea.
Careful investigation is being made by Sergeant Polson, Golspie, as to the circumstances of the accident.
