From our May 8th edition

25 YEARS AGO

(May 4th, 1990)

DORNOCH’s Royal Golf Hotel has sustained substantial damage in a blaze which started in the kitchen and spread to three bedrooms on the first and second floor.

The hotel, owned by the Norscot Hotel group, has 32 bedrooms and is especially popular with golfers as it stands on the edge of the Royal Dornoch course.

A GRANDMOTHER with two young children on holiday from England escaped injury when fire ravaged their residential caravan at Kincardine Hill, Ardgay, early on Wednesday.

Mrs Pat Cooper woke up just after 1am to the sound of crackling flames in the adjoining barn at Croit Mhairi Guest House, the home of her daughter and son-in-law Elizabeth and Clive Groombridge.

Mrs Cooper got her grandchildren Alexandra Cooper (6) and Anthony Cooper (4) to safety just before the flames spread from the barn to the caravan before catching the corner of the main house.

Firefighters from Bonar Bridge, Tain and Lairg brought the blaze under control.

APPLICATIONS for membership to the leisure club at Grannie’s Heilan’ Hame in Embo are coming in “thick and fast”.

General manager Billy Mackay said that the uptake in membership in the month since the club opened had been encouraging. A large number of people had also visited the complex to look over the facilities.

THE former Cambusavie Hospital at the Mound has been put on the market with offers in the region of £100,000 invited.

The hospital was vacated last October when its 30 patients and staff moved to the new £750,000 Cambusavie Wing at the Lawson Hospital.

The original Cambusavie Hospital was built for the treatment of infectious diseases at the beginning of this century. The building enjoys a spectacular setting at the head of Loch Fleet, between Dornoch and Golspie.

Selling agents Graham and Sibbald are suggesting the site would be suitable for a chalet development.

GOLSPIE need not bother entering the annual Village in Bloom contest, because of the amount of rubbish disfiguring the village, according to the community council. Members said litter lay all around the blaes pitch and vandals had already destroyed a new wooden fence in Ross Street.

50 YEARS AGO

(May 7th, 1965)

THE proposed new road to Cape Wrath to cut out the water crossing was the most essential item in the programme which they had recently put before Dr J. Dickson Mabon, Under Secretary of State for Scotland, Mr Walter Sutherland, Brora, last week told the county council.

Dr Mabon himself had said this would be most useful. But Mr Christopher Campbell, Durness, did not agree. He thought there were other roads which should come first because they would benefit more people.

Mr K. Macleod, Kinlochbervie, chairman of the roads committee, said that five new roads had been put before St. Andrew’s House and he said that it had been made clear that the Scottish Development Department would look at this when the money was available.

Mr J. H. Mackay, the convener, reminded Mr Sutherland that Dr Mabon had given it only as his personal opinion that he favoured the Cape Wrath road.

A 15-YEAR-OLD army cadet, L/Cpl. William Murray, son of Mr and Mrs Christopher Murray, of St. Gilbert Street, Dornoch, has distinguished himself by being the first cadet in the north of Scotland ever to win the coveted .22 Hundred Badge. The award goes annually to the 100 best cadet shots in Great Britain.

Very proud of William’s performance is, of course, Major Leslie Smart, commander of the Sutherland A.C.F., who is arranging for the badge to be presented at a special ceremony.

DORNOCH Hotel, one of the largest in Scotland – it has 103 bedrooms and stands in six acres of grounds overlooking the Dornoch Firth – has been sold by British Transport Hotels Ltd., to Ben Wyvis Hotels, Ltd.

The group own the Ben Wyvis and Highland Hotels and the Spa Pavilion licensed restaurant and dance hall at Strathpeffer and have turned the Ross-shire village into one of the country’s top tourist attractions.

Dornoch Hotel was built in 1903 by the old Highland Railway Company and was taken over by the London and North-Eastern Railways and then by British Railways.

Its grounds include provision for tennis, pitch and putt golf and bathing. The Royal Dornoch Golf Club course adjoins it and nearby are the famous Dornoch sands.

75 YEARS AG0

(May 9th, 1940)

THE vital importance of salvaging all waste paper and scrap was stressed at the monthly meeting of Dornoch Town Council, held in the council chamber on Tuesday, Provost John Murray presiding.

Some time prior to the meeting a circular urging householders in the burgh to interest themselves in this work of national importance was issued from the town clerk’s office.

In order to facilitate arrangements in the collection, the council has decided to take over an empty workshop for storage purposes and the scavenger is to make a special collection as necessity demands.

Citizens are asked to assist in the work to be undertaken by tying all paper, cardboard and other such material in bundles.

The council feel that its appeal has only to be made known to the citizens in order to make it the success which members anticipate.

NINE German airmen passed through a town in the north of Scotland on Monday. They were escorted by an armed guard who accompanied them on the train which took them to the internment camp. They are believed to have been captured in the operations in Norway.

Forty-two members of the crew of a German merchant ship arrived on Monday night at a Scottish port. They were landed by a naval sloop.

MR James Hynd, solicitor, Golspie, tendered a plea of guilty at Dornoch Sheriff Court on behalf of Joseph Cooling, skipper, Grimsby. Cooling was charged with otter trawling in Strathy Bay, about one quarter of a mile east of Port Grant.

Accused’s vessel had been sighted by members of a line boat. When intercepted, the trawler was about a quarter of a mile from the shore.

The men on the small craft were not able to board the trawler but they came as close as they could. On being told he was illegally fishing, accused replied: “This is war time.”

Solicitor Mr Hynd said the trawler had been fishing about 10 miles off land, but as the result of gunfire, the skipper, on instructions went inshore. The skipper told the members of the small boat he did not know he was so close inshore. Steps were at once taken to haul the gear aboard. Mr Hynd asked for a conviction without penalty.

Sheriff J. R. Gibb said that he took a serious view of the case. He fined Cooling £10 with a month to pay.

100 YEARS AGO

(May 6th, 1915)

THE Duke of Sutherland’s appeal for the co-operation of Golspie Parish Council in the securing of recruits for the 5th Seaforths and also for the raising of a battalion for Sutherland were laid before a meeting of the council.

In the communication, special emphasis was laid on the urgent and immediate necessity of 500 men for the 5th Seaforths to be provided by the county of Sutherland.

The chairman read over the list of those eligible for military service in the parish of Golspie. The total is 84.

Mr Fraser – We all admit the seriousness of the necessity for more men and if we could do anything to influence those who are eligible to join, I am sure we would all do that.

The chairman – Can any of you suggest anything?

Mr Grant – Show them a good example by enlisting yourself. (Laughter)

The chairman – I am afraid we would have to get new eyes first.

Mr Grant – Everybody knows his duty as well as we can tell them. I am afraid there will be a little gentle compulsion in this matter before it is all settled yet.

Mr Melville – It will end in conscription yet.

Mr Mennie remarked that it appeared form the communication that they thought the parish council as a body could influence eligible men to join the ranks.

The parish council recognise the justice of the claim as set forth in the communications received from the Duke of Sutherland on behalf of the Territorial Association and Army Council and agreed to do all in their power to further the cause.

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