Annie Mackay, Skerray

Annie Mackay was born at the Old Post Office, Skerray, on Sunday, 3rd March 1940, the youngest of the six children of George and Elizabeth Mackay.

Her father hailed originally from Skerray, where his father had managed the store and bakery overlooking the harbour, once the property of Robert Garden, the Orkney merchant emperor.

However, George met and married his wife in South Africa where he had emigrated because his dad would not pay him the rate he felt he deserved for his job as a baker.

Their first three children, Mary, Willie and Dode, were all born at Benoni, a centre for gold mining in the Transvaal, but Annie, like Lal and Babe, first saw the light of day in Skerray as the growing Mackay family had returned to their native heath in 1932.

Annie attended Skerray Primary School, then a busy establishment, before completing her education at Farr Junior Secondary in Bettyhill.

When she left, aged 15, she initially found work with the Forestry Commission at Borgie Forest Nursery, growing seedlings for planting out in what was, at that time, a rapidly expanding forest enterprise.

Later, she joined her father in running The Store at the harbour until her only son Kenneth was born in 1960 when she took time out to be a devoted mother to him, though returning to The Store, which was soon to close down, and to the Post Office when time permitted.

Much of her life was dedicated to helping others within her family, like supporting her mother when her father died and, when her mum later suffered a stroke, tending her devotedly for the remainder of her life. She was delighted to help out when Babe’s twins, Hugh and Christy, were born/ Later, throughout the long months of Hugh’s fatal illness, she was a mainstay of support in what was a time of great trial for all the family.

No-one could have been more delighted than Annie in the arrival of grandchildren, Bethany, Kirsteen and Lindy-Ann, and she looked forward eagerly to their every visit.

She was even more pleased, if that was possible, to become a great-granny with Travis, Saffron, Connor, Kiri, Anya, Fletcher and Leila appearing on the scene in recent years.

To these direct descendants were added all the nieces and nephews to whom she was a loving auntie and who brightened up the Old Post Office from time to time with their joy, laughter and zest for life.

Throughout her life, Annie kept very busy. If the weather wasn’t fit for working in her well-kept and abundant flower garden, she was displaying her baking skills, perhaps inherited from her father, with her trusty Raeburn, or engaged on one of her many knitting projects.

Her nephew Christy, when not winding her up, would have died for her baking!

Her indoor work was often accompanied by the music of Daniel O’Donnell which wasn’t always appreciated quite as much by her sisters, especially Babe.

Annie really enjoyed sunshine and for many years she and her sisters sought out the sun in Majorca, Mallorca, Lanzarote and Tenerife. Perhaps they were looking for the top quality sunshine their parents and some siblings had enjoyed in the Transvaal, as not every resort met with their full approval.

Southern Portugal, for example, just didn’t make the grade. However, this annual outing gave them all another dimension on the world and time to have fun together, something Annie, with her lively sense of humour, really appreciated.

The closing years of Annie’s life were marred by increasing illness but, as she struggled valiantly with ill-health and endured harsh medical treatments, she enjoyed the loving support of family and friends just as she had given to others so often herself.

She passed away peacefully at the Town and County Hospital in Wick on Friday, 28th March, and the affection in which she was held throughout the community was reflected in the great crowd of friends, relatives and neighbours which packed Skerray Public Hall for her funeral on Tuesday, 1st April.

The service was conducted by the Reverend Stewart Goudie of Tongue Church of Scotland and pall-bearers at the Skerray Churchyard were: Kenneth Mackay, son; Christy Mackay, Leslie Mackay and David Henderson, nephews; Steven Maclean, grand-nephew; Darren Sutherland, grandson-in-law; Andy Munro, friend, and Calum Murray, cousin – JAJ/SG

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