From the Northern Times 25, 50 and 100 years ago
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25 YEARS AGO
From the newspaper of June 13, 1997
Scourie residents were relieved to learn this week that the schizophrenic who slashed their minister’s face at a Remembrance Day service last year was to be locked up in a mental hospital without limit of time following his appearance in the High Court. Villagers had dreaded the possibility of 54-year-old Donald MacLeod returning to live in the community following the vicious knife attack which disfigured the Rev. John MacPherson for life.
The 11,600 acre Armadale estate in Sutherland would be financially viable if the Secretary of State handed it over to the crofters, according to a feasiblity study commissioned by the Crofting Trust Advisory Service. The estate has 93 crofting tenants.
Golspie couple Gerald Hagan (78) and his Belgian-born wife Marie Sellis (75), both retired head teachers, will be Sutherland’s sole representatives to mark the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh’s golden wedding at a Buckingham Palace garden party.
50 YEARS AGO
From the newspaper of June 9, 1972
Members of the 72nd Royal Engineers Regiment have set up camp on the glebe, close to the beach at Farr Bay. They are to construct a 4ft pathway, suitable for use by invalid carriages and prams, as well as pedestrians, along the old right of way to the beach, and will also build a new bridge across the Clachan Burn at high tide mark. The work is being done under OPMAC, the army’s community aid scheme.
Mr D. Macleod, Strathnaver, asked Sutherland County Council last week to provide a play area for Altnaharra children on land adjacent to the school. The land was in a derelict condition at present, and the children had nowhere to play – the road was dangerous. Mr F. G. Blackett, architect, said he had this in mind and hoped the work would be done during the summer.
Mr Donald Macaulay, a native of Lewis, has been appointed principal keeper at Cape Wrath lighthouse in succession to Mr Eric Omand.
100 YEARS AGO
From the newspaper of June 8, 1922
The sun yesterday shone forth in all its splendour and glory at the unveiling of the striking, appropriate, substantial and handsome monument which has been erected by the people of Dornoch and parish to perpetuate the memory of the 69 brave men belonging to the burgh and parish who so nobly laid down their lives for liberty and freedom, for King and country in the Great World War of 1914-18. What a gathering of people. Old and young were present in large numbers.
In connection with Sutherland Education Authority's decision that the teaching staff of Oldshore public school be reduced from three to two teachers, Dr Gunn, Durness, said he protested against the finding and asked that his dissent be recorded in the minutes. Dr J. D. Macrae said that the only teaching at Oldshore should be elementary, to which Dr Gunn responded: "Yes, yes, send all the pupils to the east coast. Everything for the east coast." This remark terminated the discussion about the situation at Oldshore school.
