From our 1st May edition

25 YEARS AGO
(April 27th, 1990)

A LOCHINVER shellfish processing company, which pours more than £1.25 million annually into the local economy, is threatening to move out because of cramped conditions.

Marcoak Ltd is presently housed in portacabins and small factory units on the roadside at Glac Mhor industrial estate outside Lochinver.

Assynt community leaders claim the Scottish Office is delaying approval of £5.5 million expenditure on harbour development, which would give Marcoak space for a custom-built processing factory for its 50 workers.

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MP Robert Maclennan has called for money to be made available to carry out improvements along the north coast road. Mr Maclennan said the single-track road between Melvich and Tongue was a major deterrent to increased tourism in the far north.

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A TREE has been planted in the grounds of Golspie High School in memory of Scourie pupil David Shaw, who drowned off Handa Island in October 1988.

At the tree planting ceremony, school chaplain, the Rev George Donaldson of St. Andrews Church, Golspie, said a prayer in David’s memory and James Mather, a piper from Sutherland Schools Pipe Band, played a lament before there was a minute’s silence.

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WORK on repositioning Dornoch’s war memorial is to begin shortly. The monument is to be moved out of the way of the junction between Castle Street and Poles Road.

There was considerable opposition when the idea was first mooted with the local branch of the Royal British Legion Scotland one of the objectors.

However, with major improvement work being undertaken in Castle Street, it was agreed the repositioning was necessary.

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THE Timespan Centre at Helmsdale has won its fourth award since opening two years ago.

The centre has been awarded the Scottish Museum Council’s audio-visual prize, one of five annual awards made to museums which have produced outstanding developments.

Helmsdale Heritage Society chairman Mary Dudgeon and secretary Colin Mackenzie received the award at a ceremony in the Royal Museum of Scotland at Chambers Street, Edinburgh.

50 YEARS AGO
(April 30th, 1965)

MR Alexander Bain, deputy headmaster of Helmsdale J.S. School and 16-year-old Ian Whitehead, elder son of Mr and Mrs J. Whitehead, were last Monday, at Dornoch, presented with the parchment of the Royal Humane Society by Mr J. H. Mackay, convener of Sutherland.

On August 8th last, Ian had rescued his 12-year-old brother, Billy, who had got out of his depth from seven feet of water in the harbour basin at Helmsdale, and brought him to the shore.

Then Mr Bain came on the scene and successfully applied the “kiss of life”. Ian is now a member of the crew of the Helmsdale seine-net boat, the Bunillidh Braes.

The presentation ceremony took place at a meeting of Sutherland County Council when Mr Mackay said that Mr Bain and Ian had acquitted themselves with skill and courage in a very difficult situation.

Ian had shown conspicuous courage in diving into the water to rescue his brother from the sea-bed. He had great pleasure, said Mr Mackay, on behalf of the Royal Humane Society, in handing over the parchment to Ian.

But Ian’s gallant action might have been in vain if it had not been for the professional skill of Mr Bain.

They were proud to have both Mr Bain and Ian with them that day and the village of Helmsdale could feel fortunate in having two men who could act in such difficult circumstances with such outstanding success.

Mrs C. P. Rutherford, on behalf of Helmsdale, said how proud the village was. There had been very considerable concern that day when it became known that a boy was in the water.

She said it was necessary that children should be taught not only swimming but life-saving. Ian had not been taught life-saving – it was just a very gallant effort which made it possible for him to rescue his brother.

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THE Scottish Education Department has proposed that work should start now on the £43,000 reconstruction of the primary department of Dornoch Academy and that work on the new £60,000 primary school and two teachers’ houses, to be built at Kinlochbervie, should start after April 1st next year.

75 YEARS AGO
(May 2nd, 1940)

IN the House of Commons on Tuesday, Mr John Colville, Secretary of State for Scotland, stated that Sutherland farmers had notified their intention to plough 1244 acres of old grassland under the ploughing subsidy scheme, but that the actual increase in tillage in 1940 is expected to be in excess of this.

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CLYNE Schoolboys have made rapid progress with planting in the school garden taken over last week. A large number of cabbage plants, etc., have now been planted. The public hope that when the pressure has eased a little, the boys will be sent out to attend to the gardens of service men. In Golspie, senior boys can be seen daily working in the gardens of men on service.

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CLYNE comforts work party has used about 1200 cuts of wool since they started knitting for men and women on active service. Some 948 garments have been made and nearly 700 despatched in three batches of parcels already sent. During last week 138 garments were sent to Sutherland men.

A total of £84 5s 1d has been spent on wool and large quantities have been received as gifts. This all shows how industrious the members of the work party have been during the past few months and it is the intention of members to keep up the good work despite the longer evenings and other counter attractions.

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MISS Macrae, domestic science teacher at Bonar Bridge, is giving a course of instruction in the best uses of food in wartime to the pupils on Thursday afternoons. Parents and others interested are being given the opportunity of being present. It is hoped that as many as possible will take advantage of these demonstrations.

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A CHICKEN with four legs, all perfectly formed, was hatched at Carnlaggie, Helmsdale, last week. The bird was otherwise quite normal but did not live.

100 YEARS AGO
(April 29th, 1915)

OWING to the scarcity of men, women are perforce taking up men’s occupations in various capacities, one of the latest being that of stationmaster. In Strathcarron, a fairly populous valley to the west of Ardgay, a large proportion of the tenants and their sons are away, mostly with the Seaforth Highlanders and Lovat Scouts, with a sprinkling amongst other branches of His Majesty’s Forces, now arrayed against the Huns.

Therefore, when sheep dipping time came the women – mothers, wives, sweethearts and sisters of the absentees – wired into the work, performed it cheerfully and finished it to perfection. A woman sheep dipper is, perhaps, as rare as even a woman stationmaster.

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WHILE the masons were engaged in completing the new building at the Sutherland Arms Hotel in Lairg on Friday last, one of their number, Mr John George Noble, Gartymore, Helmsdale, overbalanced while placing a stone on the chimney head and fell from a height of three storeys, bringing part of the wall along with him.

He was rescued from underneath part of the fallen stones in an unconscious condition and was removed with all haste to the hospital at Golspie, but succumbed to his injuries that same evening.

The scaffolding fortunately remained intact, otherwise the other masons working along with the deceased would probably have lost their lives.

The accident has cast quite a gloom over the parish, where the deceased was several times engaged in building work and was always held in the best esteem by his fellow workmen.

The greatest sympathy is extended to his bereaved wife and family of five, who are all young. Deceased was 43 years of age.

The parish is greatly inconvenienced at present owing to the want of a doctor. Dr Mowat is away on military duty and Dr Macdonald, who was here for some time, has now left. Insurance patients are at a loss to know what to do in case of sickness. It is expected that the parish council has the matter in hand.

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