From our December 18th edition
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25 YEARS AGO
(December 14th, 1990)
THE historic Aultnamain Inn on the Struie was badly damaged in a fire at the weekend.
Owner Mrs Cheryl Bunnetat has criticised the “no Sunday gritting” policy on the Struie road for hampering fire appliances from Tain and Invergordon from reaching the blaze on a particularly frosty night.
The fire started in the early hours of Sunday morning and by 2am the hotel’s large main bar was in flames.
Mrs Bunnetat woke to the smell of smoke and raised the alarm. But she said by the time the fire units from Tain and Invergordon arrived, the bar and toilet block were destroyed. She cannot say how the fire started.
NIREX would support a rail bridge over the Dornoch Firth to speed up the traffic of nuclear waste, if Dounreay was chosen as the disposal site.
DETECTIVES have asked the public to help them solve a robbery from Campbell’s fish shop in Main Street, Golspie, last weekend.
The shop was broken into from the rear and a “four figure sum” of money was taken, although the police are not disclosing the amount.
Nor are they connecting the theft to the discovery by children on their way to Golspie Primary School on Monday morning of around £120 in £10 notes.
The money was on the ground around whin bushes on the track leading from the back of the school to the Ross Street and Tower Street area.
ALBERT “Bertie” Buchanan, Lochinver, has been presented with a framed diploma for 29 years’ dedicated voluntary service in support of HM Coastguard.
Bertie, manager at the ice plant at Lochinver harbour, was presented with the diploma by John Griffiths, district controller, Stornoway, who also paid tribute to the Lochinver team. He hoped over the years they would all be honoured like Bertie, who was now retiring from the service.
Thanking Mr Griffiths, Bertie said it was an honour to be involved in such a well coordinated team and he wished local officer in charge, Maurice Macleod, all the best for the future.
50 YEARS AGO
(December 17th, 1965)
THE government’s proposal to disband the Territorial Army was deplored by Sutherland County Council at Dornoch last week and it was agreed to protest the plan.
Mr D McBain, Lochinver, said the TA was an excellent training ground for young men, instilling in them a great sense of self-discipline as well as providing comradeship and a social life.
The government plans to disband all existing TA units by 1967 and replace them with a reserve company of the Queen’s Own Highlanders, 115 strong and based in a single centre in Inverness.
SUTHERLAND roads committee decided at Dornoch last Monday that emergency action must be taken in the present hard weather to keep open the two roads leading to the white fish ports at Kinlochbervie and Lochinver.
Last week many fish lorries were held up by vehicles skidding and being ditched on the narrow roads, particularly on the 9ft wide road between Lairg and Laxford Bridge. The cause was ridged ice and hard-packed snow.
It was agreed that council surveyor Mr Gordon Edmond should be given immediate powers to hire tractors equipped with high-lift shovels to load grit on to road lorries at strategic points and as near the trouble spots as possible.
THE Rev. J. Weir Campbell, minister of Clyne Free Church, Brora, preached his farewell sermon to his congregation last Sunday night before leaving to take up a new charge at Nairn.
Mr Campbell, who has served the Brora community for 18 years, was presented with a cheque from the congregation and community in appreciation of his service.
A TOTAL of 41 firearms and 341 rounds of ammunition were handed in to the Ross and Sutherland police during the amnesty offered by the government for their surrender from August 5 to October 30 last. In Caithness the figures were 21 firearms and 1134 rounds of ammunition.
SEVERAL units of the Polish fishing fleet have returned to the Dornoch Firth as their base.
75 YEARS AGO
(December 19th, 1940)
HOUSEWIVES who have put away a week or two supplies of food in readiness for an emergency, need have no anxiety over Lord Woolton’s statement on hoarders in which he threatened to take strong action.
The Food Minister made this clear in a statement on Saturday. The people he is after, he said, are those who go from shop to shop trying to buy up supplies of any goods of which they hear there may be a shortage pending.
Flagrant cases of food hoarding might lead to court proceedings in the future, he added.
MANY of the 20,000 pairs of binoculars – more than half of them gifts – handed over by the public in response to Lord Derby’s appeal are already being used by the fighting services.
Reports to the Ministry of Supply show that in one Scottish area, gifts have been ten times as numerous as offers for sale. After the main London depot, Scotland has produced more glasses than any other centre set up by the Ministry, closely followed by Manchester, Leeds and Taunton.
THE ration of meat has been reduced from 2/1 to the original figure of 1/10 per person per week. This came into force on Monday. Allocations of rationed and non-rationed meat to hotels and caterers will be reduced by 33 and a third per cent. The reduction should be regarded in its proper perspective. Statistics show that the average consumption of meat is only up to about 1/9 per head.
DESPITE the warning by Lord Woolton, Minister of Food, that he could not guarantee rations to those who do not take the trouble to ask for them, millions of people have not yet applied for their new ration books.
Over the whole of the United Kingdom, 74 per cent of the population have now applied for new books with an average of 11 per cent incorrectly filled in.
People who forget to apply are failing to cooperate in a vital piece of war work.
100 YEARS AGO
(December 16th, 1915)
WORD has been received by Mrs Murray, Dunrobin, that her son, Lance-Corpl. D. Murray, 1/5th Seaforths, has been wounded by the bursting of a shell. He was struck on the forehead, wrist and thigh. He is making a speedy recovery.
Before being called up, he was in the reserve and has been in France on active service for the past seven months. He has a brother, Corpl. James T. Murray, in the Canadian Expeditionary Force.
ALEXANDER, the fourth son of Hector Macleod, Hillview, Ardgay, is to give service in the country’s need. He left a few days ago to take duty with the hospital of Millicent, Duchess of Sutherland, in France.
From the first call, this patriotic youth left no stone unturned in efforts to join any regular, territorial or home defence battalion or to get employment in munition work. A defect in hearing debarred him in all attempts for military acceptance. He had engaged himself for a civilian post in Henley-on-Thames, but when he at last got favourable notice from Her Grace’s representative, he immediately cancelled private arrangements.
His eldest brother, Murdo (of Lovat Scouts) is recovering from an operation in Egypt. The only brother not now enlisted is young Hector, not yet five.
AFTER a ten and a half month’s participation in active service in France, Pte. W. G. Mackay, 2nd KOSB, West End, was home on furlough for a few days.
During that 10 months’ period, he took part in all the numerous engagements in which his battalion has participated, outstanding amongst which may be mentioned the double attack on Hill 60, the relief of the Canadians at St. Julien and, more recently, the severe fighting around Loos. He has come through the whole ordeal unscathed and looks fit to do his bit.
LAST week the weather was changeable. There was heavy rain alternating with keen frost and it was bitterly cold throughout. Sunday was particularly stormy with snow, wind and hard frost.
