From the Northern Times 25, 50 and 100 years ago
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25 YEARS AGO
From the newspaper of September 4, 1998
A NORTH Sutherland family were still numb with shock this week at the malicious slaughter of their five pet guinea pigs. The outrage happened in Bettyhill at the home of local paramedic Paul Johnston, his wife Hazel, and their three young sons. The family are in no doubt the guinea pigs were deliberately killed by human hand. Post mortem examinations are being carried out by staff at the Scottish Agricultural College in Thurso.
The Screen Machine, that fabulous pantechnicon intended to bring the joys of the cinema to the furthest corners of the land, but which was damaged on its first outing, is once more on the go and has done a tour of sites around the Highlands, including Bettyhill where it did a test set up last week.
The dedication service and opening of Lairg Church of Scotland's new hall will be held on Saturday, 5th September. Officiating will be the Very Rev Alexander McDonald from Bathgate.
50 YEARS AGO
From the newspaper of August 31, 1973
"We don't want nudist clubs at Sandwood Bay. It is a beautiful place enjoyed by hundreds of people all the year round," Mrs Leila Mackenzie, Eddrachilles, told Sutherland County Council at Dornoch last Monday. "We don't want nudists there - we don't want them in the parish of Eddrachilles at all," said Mrs Mackenzie, although she did not think their presence would do any harm to young people, "who nowadays have their heads screwed on too well for that".
THe major extensions to the Culag Hotel at Lochinver are to cost a total of £215,000. The work, due to be completed by the start of the 1974 season, will be carried out by builders N. Macleod and Co., Portree.
A BRITISH company want to develop a 75-acre site in the Eaglesfield district of Dornoch parish as a holiday complex. The ground belongs to John Grant and Sons, well-known Dornoch farmers and butchers. It is understood that there would be several different types of houses and a motel.
100 YEARS AGO
From the newspaper of August 40, 1923
A LARGE and representative meeting of the Cathedral Septcentenary Committee was held in Dornoch on Friday. His Grace the Duke of Sutherland in the chair. Several suggestions were discussed as to the form the celebration of the septcentenary in 1924 might take, and it was resolved to remit these for consideration to an executive committee, and to issue an appeal to all interested in the cathedral for donations towards a fund which would make it possible to mark, in some suitable fashion, the seven hundredth anniversary of its founding.
The first dance of the season was held in the Granary at Gordonbush, Strath Brora, on Friday evening of last week. There was a record attendance of both sexes and for the opening of the season the dance was a great success.
Recently a carrier pigeon was taken from the Little Ferry to Glasgow. It was liberated in Glasgow at 8.45am and arrived at the Little Ferry at 3.30pm the same day.
