From our June 19th edition
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25 YEARS AGO
(June 15th, 1990)
WHEELIE bins will be distributed on the west coast of Sutherland at the end of this month. This marks the third phase of the district council’s scheme to give every householder in the county a wheeled bin by 1991.
BRITISH consumers are in danger of being unnecessarily alarmed by inaccurate and misleading news items surrounding bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), said Colin Maclean, technical director of the Meat and Livestock Commission.
He said: “All the scientific evidence, as opposed to rumour, conjecture and guess, provided by leading veterinary surgeons and scientists in the UK and the rest of the EC has indicated that UK beef is perfectly safe to eat.”
A 14-YEAR-OLD Cairn terrier which went missing from its Golspie home two weeks ago, has turned up safely in Yorkshire.
The terrier, called Bella of Balintore, had been picked up on the side of the road by an English couple travelling home from holiday in Caithness.
The couple, who live in Rotherham, found the dog on the A9 near Drummuie and, thinking she was a stray, decided to give her a home.
Bella’s whereabouts were discovered after her owner, Elizabeth Woollcombe, put an advert in the Northern Times which was seen by friends of the Yorkshire couple.
THE new amenity housing for the elderly in Kinlochbervie should be completed this weekend and the new tenants will be moving in as soon as possible, releasing some local authority housing for others on the waiting lists.
Mackenzie Square has been developed by Kirk Care Housing Association and consists of eight cottages of two apartments, all designed for two persons.
A NEW leaflet has been launched to try and make the A9 from Perth to Inverness a safer road.
The leaflet, produced by the Scottish Office in conjunction with the police, states that the improved standards of the A9 south from Invergordon have led to increased traffic speeds, contributing to the large proportion of fatal and serious accidents.
50 YEARS AGO
(June 18th, 1965)
IN the recent Birthday Honours there were three awards of direct interest to Sutherland.
Major Williamina Polson, of Queen Alexandra’s Royal Nursing Corps became an Associate of the Royal Red Cross (second class). Major Polson is a native of Doll in the parish of Clyne.
Major Polson trained as a nurse at the Royal Northern Infirmary, Inverness, and in Edinburgh.
She joined the Army in 1942 and has served in India, Jamaica, Hong Kong and Greece. At present she is in Munster, Germany.
Mr John Murray, Inverness, who has family connections with Rogart, became an MBE.
Mr Murray received his award for services to the Highlanders Institute, Glasgow. He was the driving force behind the movement to raise funds for the new building but he is better known to Sutherland folks for his long connection with the Glasgow Sutherland Association.
A knighthood was conferred upon Dr Hector R. Maclennan of Rogart Hotel, who is president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Dr Maclennan has a long family association with Sutherland.
His eldest son Robert has recently been selected by Caithness and Sutherland Constituency Labour Party as its nominee in the next General Election.
SUTHERLAND Housing Committee is perturbed about the problem of meeting the growing demand for council houses.
At Dornoch last Monday, it was agreed that a new building programme should be planned and the waiting list vetted to find out just how many justifiable applications there are for tenancies. At the moment the committee is committed to building nearly 100 homes.
THE site for the vehicular bridge at Balnacoil, to link the parishes of Clyne and Rogart, is still in doubt.
Sutherland County Council, at its last meeting, remitted back the question to the roads committee, which on a vote, recommended that the bridge be built 300 yards upstream from the existing footbridge. The defeated section of the committee wanted the bridge at the site of the present ford, which would not be opposed by the estate concerned.
But at the committee’s meeting at Dornoch last Monday, it was agreed to look at the issue again.
75 YEARS AGO
(20th June, 1940)
UNDER Mr Craigmyle, headmaster, who with his usual thoroughness and efficiency, as secretary of Brora’s wastepaper campaign, an extra special effort is to be made. Schoolboys have been detailed off to collect in the various districts and the public are requested to help in the effort. A waggon of wastepaper was despatched on Wednesday, 12th inst.
THE first native of Golspie to make the supreme sacrifice in the war is Leading Seaman Andrew C. Sutherland, second son of Mr and Mrs Alexander Sutherland, 13 Sutherland Street.
Intimation that he had been killed on war service was received by his parents in a telegram from the Admiralty on Saturday.
A particularly sad feature of his death is that he was only married about a month ago at Sheerness where his young wife now resides. Seaman Sutherland was identified with the R.N.R. for several years and at the outbreak of the war he was undergoing his annual training.
Later he was posted to H.M.T. Myrtle on which vessel he met his sad fate when she was blown up by an enemy mine. It is feared that there are no survivors.
It is understood that Seaman Sutherland was in the running for promotion, but as this might mean being posted to another vessel, he felt he could not accept as he had been so happy with the crew of the Myrtle.
Three of his brothers are serving in His Majesty’s forces. His elder brother William was the sole survivor of a vessel sunk as the result of enemy action and was mentioned in despatches for his courage and endurance.
Seaman Sutherland’s father served with the naval forces throughout the last war.
DRIVERS of private cars are advised in the event of an air raid warning not to just leave their cars on the side of the road but to pull into a car park or a narrow turning off the road.
100 YEARS AGO
(June 17th, 1915)
TWO naval men and a territorial officer were injured in a fire at Dunrobin Castle which partially destroyed the new part of the castle.
The building is currently serving as a hospital for wounded soldiers. About noon on Sunday a nurse who had been on night duty was disturbed in her rest by smoke in the vicinity of the room in which she slept.
The fire alarm was sounded and the fire brigade, under the direction of firemaster Horne, the estate architect, promptly answered the call.
It was found that the fire had obtained a firm hold and was making progress in the direction of the eastern wing.
A slight breeze of wind from the east fanned the flames and added to the difficulties of the firemen. An effort was made to save the older part of the building by cutting the roof and this wise precaution helped to limit the destruction of the historic pile.
Naval lieutenant Liddell was busy on the roof directing operations on the glass cupola over the grand staircase.
He slipped off the glass roof and was badly cut about the thighs and was bleeding profusely but fortunately Dr Simpson was at his side in a few seconds and rendered first-aid.
The bleeding was arrested and the brave officer was removed to the Lawson Memorial Hospital where his injuries were further attended to by Dr Simpson.
It was found that the cuts were deep and of a serious nature but with careful surgical treatment he is making progress.
The Duke and Duchess of Sutherland, Lord Alistair Leveson-Gower and Lady Rosemary Leveson-Gower were in the vicinity of Loch Choire when tidings of the fire reached them.
They motored to Dunrobin and arrived about half-past-four o’clock. Their first inquires were about the safety of the wounded and as to the progress of Lieutenant Liddell and several others who had received minor mishaps on rendering service.
On Tuesday, Millicent, Duchess of Sutherland arrived at the castle.
