From the Northern Times 25, 50 and 100 years ago
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25 YEARS AGO
From the newspaper of December 15, 1995
The Keoldale Sheepstock Club have become the first group of Department of Agricultural tenants to express an interest in taking over their own estate. since the Scottish Secretary Michael Forsyth made the offer over two months ago, crofters on several private estates, and on one owned by the Forestry Commission, have begun investigating the possibility of taking over their own estate. But this is the first time that tenants on a Department of Agriculture estate have considered Mr Forsyth's offer.
The sheepstock club was set up in 1921 on the 30,000 acre Keoldale estate near Durness. According to sheepstock club secretary Billy Morrison, there are 43 shareholders, some of whom live outwith the village of Durness. The club employs a manager and five full-time shepherds to look after its 4000 North Country Cheviot ewes.
No crofters live on the estate itself. The crofters live on a neighbouring one which is owned by a Belgian consortium, so there are several differences between the Keoldale estate and others which have noted an interest in running their own land.
50 YEARS AGO
From the newspaper of December 18, 1970
It was obviously a joyous occasion at Kinlochbervie on Wednesday when Mrs C. P. Rutherford, vice-chairman of Sutherland Education Committee, formally opened the splendidly designed and built, new £67,000 two-teacher primary school to serve this wide district. And it was particularly heartening to hear the chairman, the Rev. J. M. Macarthur, firmly pledge his committee to devoting capital as it became available to modernising or replacing as many of their small primary schools as possible – he suggested a period of 10 years.
On the advice of the Institute of Geological Sciences, Sutherland Development Committee is to urge the county council to fund a further investigation into the gold potential in the Strath of Kildonan. The Highland Development Board will meet half the cost – £300. Earlier this year a £2000 investigation was undertaken, when boring for alluvial gold was carried out over a three-mile stretch of ground between Killearnan and Torrish, beside the River Helmsdale.
100 YEARS AGO
From the newspaper of December 16, 1920
The annual general meeting of the Clyne Parish Council was held in the parish council office, Gower Street, Brora, on Tuesday evening, when a letter was read drawing attention to the Scottish National War Memorial. It pointed out that nearly every parish now had their own war memorials well in hand and asked the council to appoint collectors with a view to raising 1s per head or 1d per month for a year from the inhabitants of the parish.
After fully discussing the matter, and as the sum aimed at for their own Memorial had not yet been collected and considering the numerous calls that have been made recently, the council instructed their clerk to write to this effect, also stating that they would not lose sight of it.
As it was the custom of Clyne Parish Council to give a half-ton of coal to the poor at this season of the year, it was unanimously resolved to continue the custom, with the addition of one or two necessitious cases that were brought before the notice of the council.
