From the Northern Times 25, 50 and 100 years ago

25 YEARS AGO

From the newspaper of November 20, 1998

The full extent of Sutherland's deepening economic crisis has been revealed in a disturbing statistical report on unemployment, made available this week to local councillors. Figures for the third quarter of the year show that there has been no change in Sutherland's unenviable position at the top of the north's unemployment league table. There continues to be proportionately more people out of work in this area than anywhere else in the Highlands.

Lord Strathnaver is to join Highland councillors and representatives from Caithness and Sutherland Enterprise on a special steering group established to revitalise Golspie's flagging economy.

Residents in Strathy and Armadale are asking selling agents to put back the deadline for the sale of 2200-acre Bowside Estate to give them time to look into funding sources and put in a bid. The community sent a letter to Finlayson-Hughes on Wednesday. The asking price for the estate is £250,000.

50 YEARS AGO

From the newspaper of November 9, 1973

There was grand news for Sutherland last Monday when Mr Gordon Campbell, Secretary of State for Scotland, gave the go-ahead for a full scale investigation into the possibility of bridging the Dornoch Firth. Mr Donald McBain, convener of Sutherland County Council described the decision as "absolutely wonderful news" and of terrific importance for the whole of the north of Scotland. Sutherland councillors were recently in Edinburgh for talks with the Scottish Development Department to plead the case for a bridge across the firth.

Brora coal will be on sale from Monday. The good news that the local mine was again in production after being threatened with closure was given by the new owner, Mr Eric Pritchard of Stockport. His lorries would go into Easter Ross, but he was willing to further afield if there were orders from industrial users, he said. His current work force numbers eight. At present he has a stock of 100 tons of coal on the surface. "Things are beginning to move and I'm quite happy," Mr Pritchard said.

100 YEARS AGO

From the newspaper of November 22, 1923

The inhabitants of Brora got a surprise on Monday morning when they received the Sunday and daily papers containing reports of lively scenes at the Brora Fishermen's Hall. The Fishermen's Hall had been engaged by the Brethren for a conference, and when the leaders arrived, they found all the windows broken and the oil lamps removed. Previously members of the Free Church had held meetings at the hall.

What took place at the Fishermen's Hall has been largely magnified in the reports and the inhabitants of Brora and district are quite indignant about the publicity given to the matter. The question at issue is: Who does the Fishermen's Hall belong to? The fishermen claim that they have a right to the hall, and as some individuals were not in favour of the meetings held in it, they took steps to prevent them being held. On Thursday night the windows of the hall were broken by some malicious person or persons and a few of the lamps removed, but there was none of the lively scenes reported in the south papers.

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