Facebook bid to trace missing Alison

THE power of social media is being harnessed in a fresh bid to solve the mystery of Alison Macdonald, a student who went missing on holiday in India 33 years ago and whose parents now live in Golspie.

Co-op shop assistant and computer buff Kevin Macnicol (30) has set up a Facebook page entitled “Let’s Find Alison,” and it has sparked renewed interest across the globe.

“During the last two weeks over 15,000 people have reviewed the page, liked it and shared it. Visitors to the site hail from across the world,” said Mr Macnicol.

The 30-year-old became interested in Alison’s story after meeting her parents, retired Free Church minister Rev Kenny Macdonald and his wife Reta. The couple, who have never lost faith that they will see their daughter again, moved to Main Street, Golspie, around six years ago.

Alison was just 19 and a student at Aberdeen University when she went missing while backpacking with a friend in India in August 1981. The two women were staying at Sonamarg, 9000ft up the Himalayas, but had temporarily parted company, with Alison’s friend going on a two-day excursion to view a glacier.

Alison went for a walk on 17th August and was last seen buying apples from a trader. Her clothes and rucksack were found in her room. Many scenarios have been put forward as to what happened, including that she was in an accident or was kidnapped. Mr Macdonald feels she may have been snatched and forced to marry into a local family.

Mr Macnicol said: “Alison disappeared a couple of years before I was born but I’d obviously heard her story, although I never thought about it much. I met Kenny and Reta through my work and just asked them about Alison one day. They are very willing to talk about her.”

He searched the internet for more information but found just a few scattered newspaper stories and a video, made to mark the 30th anniversary of Alison’s disappearance.

The video is of an interview with Mr and Mrs Macdonald and is overlaid with a track entitled “Keep Hope Alive”, written by Lewis musician Calum Martin.

Mr Macnicol decided to use his computer skills to set up a dedicated site where all the information about Alison could be collated.

“I thought this would provide a useful focal point. Somebody, somewhere knows something about Alison, it’s just a question of reaching out to as many people as possible,” he said.

He has been delighted with the response to the site so far and is now making tentative plans to visit Kashmir next year.

He vowed: “I am going to try everything in my power to reunite Kenny and Reta with their daughter before it is too late.”

Mr Macnicol has the blessing of Mr and Mrs Macdonald, who have another four children, seven grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.

Mr Macdonald, who is registered blind and has multiple sclerosis, said: “We feel that the more people who know about Alison, are involved and interested in the search for her, the better. We are expecting that there will be an end result to this story.

“It is not a vague vain hope we have. At the beginning, we accepted that she was dead. I went out looking for a dead body but it was during my time out there that we came to the conclusion that she is not dead. There is far more to the story than we know and that has given us tremendous confidence.”

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