Death of Lady Jean Gilmour in house fire leaves community reeling
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A SMALL Sutherland community is in shock following the tragic death in a fire of one of its oldest and most respected members.
Tributes have poured in for Lady Jean Gilmour (93) who died in a fierce blaze at her home, Invernauld House, Rosehall, on Saturday evening.
As the Northern Times went to press, her body had still to be retrieved from the ruins of the substantial, two-and-a-half storey property which has been deemed too unstable to enter.
A 62-year-old woman who cared for Lady Jean, a wheelchair user, is understood to have made a “heroic attempt” to rescue her before fleeing from the house.
The woman, who has not been identified, was taken to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness, where she was treated for burns to her face and hands.
Rosehall resident Dave Goulder said: “The whole village is in shock over this. It’s just happened so suddenly and it’s so difficult to take in. Everywhere is very quiet and I haven’t seen anyone around since it happened.”
Lady Jean was the widow of war hero Colonel Sir Allan Gilmour OBE who died in 2003. The couple were married for 62 years.
Sir Allan had a distinguished Army career, serving with the Seaforth Highlanders and winning the Military Cross for his heroism at the Battle of El Alamein.
The couple retired to the family home at Rosehall in 1967 and Sir Allan began a second career with the local authority, serving as a Highland regional councillor from 1972 to 1991. He was also Lord Lieutenant of Sutherland.
Lady Jean was active in the Red Cross and the local tourist board. She also set up a cafe and craft shop in the grounds of her home and was taking an active interest up until her death. The shop operated seasonally and was due to open again this year.
The couple had three sons and a daughter but two of their children died before them.
Son Colin Gilmour lives with his wife Carol about a mile-and-a-half from Invernauld House. He told The Northern Times: “We’re just keeping our heads above water at the moment. The house is the main issue because it will have to be made structurally safe before anyone can go in. “We don’t know when that is going to happen, but hopefully it will be within the next two to three days. We are not making any plans at the moment.”
Mr Gilmour praised members of the emergency services who attended the blaze.
He said: “I want to thank everyone who worked so hard in terrifying conditions. Access was difficult and there were also problems getting water from the fast-flowing burn.
“Everyone went way beyond the call of duty.
“I have also spoken to my mother’s carer and she is full of praise for the staff at Raigmore Hospital.
“Thankfully she seems on the mend, but she has lost a lot as well. Carers were on monthly shifts so she has lost personal belongings.”
The fire broke out at around 9.30pm on Saturday and firefighters from across the north battled for more than 12 hours to bring it under control.
Units from Lairg, Bonar Bridge and Dornoch were initially sent to the scene and were later joined by the Golspie appliance and a water carrier from Inverness.
Throughout the night further resources were also brought in from Invergordon, Ullapool, Fortrose and Inverness.
A spokesman for Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: “On arrival, firefighters were faced with an intense fire in the front section of the property with both floors and roof space well alight.
“Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the property to try and prevent further fire spread to the adjoining rooms and floors. However, they were withdrawn when possible asbestos slates were found in the central roof area and water supplies were interrupted.”
The spokesman said that at the height of the blaze, four jets were in use but these had to be withdrawn amid fears over the safety of firefighters operating a light weight pump at a nearby gorge. A water relay was then set up to feed hose reel jets.
The spokesman added: “An investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing. This task is being hampered by the unstable structure of the building and the possible involvement of asbestos slates.”
It is understood antique furniture and oil paintings of Sir Allan and other family members were lost in the blaze.
Retired Bonar Bridge hotelier Russell Taylor became friendly with Sir Allan and Lady Jean after they moved to Rosehall.
He last saw her in October when they had dinner together.
He said: “I was absolutely devastated at the news. She was in top form the last time I saw her. She was a delightful person, very charming and also very sharp. You couldn’t pull a fast one on her.”
Musician and dry stone dyker Dave Goulder supplied Lady Jean with his CDs and DVDs to sell in her craft shop.
He said: “She was always great fun and up for a laugh. She had a natural ability to work out what level you were on and find common ground.
“She used to zoom around in her wheelchair which she used as a battering ram. She smashed into so many doors that eventually something like a bull bar was built onto her chair!”
Mr Goulder said Lady Jean used to be a regular attender at music events at the Achness Hotel but had not been seen there recently due to her mobility problems. She particularly enjoyed the sound of the Jewish Harp which her husband had played.
“She certainly was a character,” he said.
Another local resident, Joy Macleod, knew Lady Jean for more than 40 years and would drive her wherever she wanted to go.
She said: “We are all just devastated. She was such an unforgettable character, an absolute icon. We’ll never see her like again.
“She was very sociable and so witty and so entertaining and also very kind and generous.
“The craft shop was her baby and she would wheel herself there every lunchtime to chat to visitors.”
Ms Macleod said Lady Jean had been very fond of watching birds through her kitchen window and would feed them every day.
Rosehall resident Lily Byron also knew Lady Jean.
She said: “She was a remarkable woman, amazingly alert for her age and very sharp and determined. She was also a marvellous cook.
“I would describe her as a bit of a rebel, full of spirit and she didn’t give a hoot for regulations. She would also put you in your place, if she felt you needed it.
“She had a long and fulfilled life but it’s a terrible tragedy particularly for the family.
“Her home was a treasure trove of old things such as photographs, miniatures and artefacts. It is going to be a terrible miss. Every holiday, there would be large numbers of family members gathered there.”
David Richardson of Clashmore, formerly Sutherland’s Tourist Board officer, told us: “Jean Gilmour was a very loyal member of Sutherland Tourist Board throughout my time with that organisation, latterly becoming a director, and we all respected and loved her dearly.
“To me, Jean and her late husband Sir Allan were two of Sutherland’s truly great characters and their dying marks the end of an era.
“Jean in particular was something very rare nowadays, someone who spoke as she saw but always with a twinkle in her eye. She was gloriously politically incorrect and that made her all the more special for it.
“Her passing is so sad.”
