From the Northern Times 25, 50 and 100 years ago
25 YEARS AGO
From the newspaper of March 24, 2000
Brora Community Council has held a public meeting to give local people the opportunity to discuss the future of Hunters of Brora’s old mill site with relevant officials. The 4.4 acre site in the centre of the village is owned by Highland Prospect - the business development arm of the local authority and there has been some disquiet locally that the site has not been advertised and appears to have been the subject of an exclusive deal with Inverness building firm, Tulloch Construction Group. Highland Council planning director John Rennilson, an advisor to Highland Prospect, said at the meeting that the only viable interest in the site to date had come from Tulloch, which had plans for housing, shops and a nursing home on the site.
The latest information on the Kinlochbervie 2000 Pageant promises a fun-packed programme of events with something for all ages. The pageant on June 24 will be the culmination of the Millennium Committee’s efforts to provide social and cultural events to celebrate the year 2000 locally.
50 YEARS AGO
From the newspaper of March 28, 1975
The Local Government Boundary Commission have provisionally recommended to the Secretary of State for Scotland that most of the parish of Tongue and the south-west part of the parish of Farr, including Altnaharra, should be returned to Sutherland from the Caithness district. The rest of the parish of Farr, including the north coast centres of Bettyhill, Armadale, Melvich, and Strathy, would therefore stay under Caithness administration. These two parishes were to have been completely lost to Sutherland.
The Sinclair brothers of Golspie - R.F. and Harold - have given up their well-known drapery business in Main Street (Sutherland and Company) after giving between them nearly 114 years to its service. It was in 1911 that Mr R. F. Sinclair joined his father Alexander and 13 years later it was Harold’s turn. Now both have retired, and their many friends throughout the north wish them well.
A start on construction of a bridge at the head of Strathoykel after a long campaign for Government aid by Sutherland County Council is now a possibility within weeks. The Highland Region transport committee, meeting in Inverness recently, gave authority to their chairman to give approval, should the army decide on a quick start to bridge construction.
100 YEARS AGO
From the newspaper of March 26, 1900
A very destructive fire occurred on Sunday morning on the croft belonging to Mrs Wm. Manson, Rallan, close beside the Ford Bridge. The fire was observed about three o’clock in the morning, but before anyone could render any aid the dwelling-house and all that it contained were completely destroyed. Mrs Manson was not residing at the croft at the time. The origin of the fire is supposed to be due to a spark igniting some clothes that were drying at the fire.
We are, all of us, imbued with a spirit of appreciation for the very fine work of the Motor Ambulance in the county of Sutherland, and it is pleasing to note how liberally the public contribute to the Ambulance Fund, through the instrumentality of public entertainments and otherwise. For the past few years the Helmsdale United Football Club has given most generous support and if the club has not done as well as others in the sphere of football, it can claim to have served humanity with far more effect than the winning of sporting trophies could hope to do.
The Golspie fishermen have had a successful spell at the cod-fishing, the returns somewhat making up for the lean time they have experienced for some time past.
