From the Northern Times 25, 50 and 100 years ago
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25 YEARS AGO
From the newspaper of June 26, 1998
The new Loch Fleet National Nature Reserve on Sutherland Estate will be formally opened in Golspie next week and the public have been invited to the party. Magnus Magnusson, chairman of Scottish Natural Heritage, will host the event which includes illustrated talks on the natural heritage and future management of the new reserve.
Two Sutherland roads, recently upgraded at a total cost of £2.8 million, are subsiding because the work carried out by contractors is not up to scratch, it emerged this week. Now tens of thousands of pounds will have to be spent on repairing the A836 Lednagullin to Ben Ainnie Road – part of the main North Coast route Between Bettyhill and Melvich – and the A839 Raemore Wood road, running from Lairg to Rosehall.
Golspie High School's girls' football team have reached the final of the Scottish Schoolgirls' Cup by beating St Margaret's High School from Airdrie in their semi-final at Bridge of Earn.
50 YEARS AGO
From the newspaper of June 22, 1973
The official opening of Royal Dornoch's new £80,000 golf clubhouse tomorrow afternoon by the Countess of Sutherland will be the culmination of five years' planning and discussion. It is the first phase of the club's ambitious development project and now they will get down to the task of restoring the Struie course to its former 18-hole status, vitally important if the club are to cope with ever-increasing demands on their facilities, both social and playing.
It was an occasion for delightful nostalgia last Saturday night, in the Braes Hotel, Brora, as the 1st Brora Company of the Girl Guides celebrated their golden jubilee, much to the delight of the principal guest, Miss Margaret Lawrence (84), who founded and led the company while she was a teacher in the local Higher Grade school.
Tongue and Farr Sports Committee want an instructional swimming pool for the area, and they want it sited as near Farr Secondary School, Bettyhill, as possible.
100 YEARS AGO
From the newspaper of June 21, 1973
The hut on the west side of the Golspie Sawmill caught fire on Monday afternoon and was burnt to the ground. It is thought the fire originated through sparks falling on it from the sawmill engine. The hut being in close proximity to the sawmill, it looked as if the conflagration would spread thereto, but through the commendable efforts of the workmen on the spot, the fire was kept within bounds until the arrival of the Dunrobin Fire Brigade which finally stamped it out.
IT is gratifying to observe that Embo road is at last to be put in good condition. Stonebreakers are busy at work, and Mr Grant, contractor, is the man who will make a good job of the road.
The carriages now in use on the Dornoch Light Railway are a decided improvement on the "old stock" and are appreciated by the travelling public. Could not the 1.5pm train from Dornoch to the Mound be altered to leave Dornoch at say, 1.25pm? Why all the waste of time at the Mound?
