AN Inverness mother who tragically died in a car crash near the city earlier this week had family connections with Sutherland.
Claire Macdonald (35) was the daughter of James and Fiona Macdonald, formerly of Brora and Golspie. The family moved away from the county around 1979 when former Northern Times printer Mr Macdonald – known as "Tich" – took up a post with a printing firm in Inverness.
Now divorced, Mr Macdonald runs the Hopeman Hotel in Morayshire while Mrs Macdonald lives in Inverness. The accident happened at 1.40am on Monday at the Abriachan junction of the A82 Inverness to Fort William road.
Claire, a mother-of-one, was driving a black Renault Clio which collided with a silver Renault Megane. She was with a friend and it has been suggested that they may have been driving out into the country to watch shooting stars.
The friend was taken to Raigmore Hospital, Inverness, with serious injuries but the driver of the other vehicle involved was uninjured. Claire lived at Merkinch, Inverness, with her son.
The A82 was closed for seven hours while the crash was investigated by officers from Northern Constabulary’s road policing unit.
