From the Northern Times 25, 50 and 100 years ago
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25 YEARS AGO
A DAMP, coldish day did nothing to dispel the warmth of the Prince of Wales's welcome when he talked literally to hundreds of people in Sutherland's north-west on Friday during a seven-hour official visit to Tongue, Durness and Kinlochbervie. Highlights of his relaxed, friendly tour included the Gaelic medium class at Tongue school, having a snack with the senior citizens of Durness and his obvious delight at the hi-tech achievement and design of the new Kinlochbervie High School.
Members of the Friends of the Far North Line will be gathering on the platform at Rogart railway station tonight – to wave through a freight train. Friends' founder and railway buff Frank Roach, who lives at the station, this week welcomed TransRail's decision to take coal and steel to Wick by train – traffic lost since 1982.
He said: "Railfreight is competitive and environmentally less damaging and this sort of traffic will secure the line's future. Caithness and Sutherland businesses must join in the initiative."
50 YEARS AGO
Tomorrow Brora Rangers have the opportunity to qualify for the Scottish Cup competition proper for the very first time in their history. They will achieve that distinction if they defeat Inverness Clachnacuddin, at the latter's Grant Street Park, in the third round of the Scottish qualifying cup.
A record number of soccer fans from all over Sutherland are expected to be making the trip, and the right encouragement from them is double important because Rangers are almost certainly to be still without the services of their exciting centre forward, Tommy Reid, who has been battling to get fit for this important match.
A DEPUTATION from Sutherland County Council is visiting St Andrew's House, Edinburgh next Wednesday with the object of getting clearance for all the developments proposed for their white fish pier at Loch Bervie. These include a covered fish market. If the weather is clear, the deputation will be flying by chartered plane from Dornoch on Wednesday morning.
100 YEARS AGO
Having completed their task of gathering a supply of willows to meet their requirements, two Embo fishermen, namely Mr Peter Ross and Mr Kenneth Fraser (Loudie), were walking on the railway on Saturday afternoon with the purpose of reaching Rogart station, when, at a point near Dalmore rock, they were run over by a passing train and killed instantaneously.
Sad and distressing as the fatal accident is – plunging, without a moment's warning, two homes into deep sorrow – it was an occurrence that was most liable to take place on such a day as Saturday was. A howling east wind, accompanied with a deluge of rain prevailed at the time of the sad happening, and when it is mentioned the wind was blowing in their faces and that they had each a burden of willows on their back, with their minds intent on reaching Rogart station, and that the accident took place near a sharp turn on the line, it can be very accurately concluded that they never heard the train approaching. The poor men had no chance to escape.
