I came across it in my files (using that term very loosely indeed) when I was searching for something else.

One of the articles concerned the Ullapool celebrations of Queen Victoria's golden jubilee in 1887; it had been in The Scottish Highlander, a newspaper that was published between 1885 and 1898. The day started off with flags being put on the principal buildings and bunting hung on the boats in the harbour.

Large crowds gathered from almost every district in the parish. "By noon our streets were thronged with pleasure seekers.

A more orderly, respectable and sober assemblage we never witnessed." At noon a "strong muster of volunteers, under Major Mundell," marched through the village along with pipers and stopped in the middle of the village for a gun salute. This was followed by a regatta and by athletic sports held at Castle Terrace.

The article said that the most interesting item on the programme was the old men's race "none under 50 being allowed to enter". The last part of the day's celebrations was the lighting of a large bonfire on Ullapool hill by a Hugh Macleod, Morefield, who was said to be in his 105th year. He was taken to the foot of the hill in a carriage and pair and "ascended the steep incline with the greatest of ease, declining any help. Vociferous cheering greeted the old man's arrival at the summit. At half past ten, having addressed the spectators in Gaelic, he lit the torch and applied it to the bonfire. It was the best bonfire ever seen in this part of the country."

My favourite report came from 1903 which told of how Lochbroom Parish Council had employed a sheriff officer from Dingwall to try and collect outstanding rates arrears. The sheriff officer and his men were met by a crowd of women and boys.

At the first house the contents of a pail was thrown at him and he was told that unless he put his papers back in his pocket he would be violently handled. On the way to the next house he was set upon with stones, mud and other missiles. The sheriff officer then gave up and went on his way - accompanied by a local piper playing Will Ye No Come Back Again!

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