CHRISTMAS PAST: Black Isle railway, Kishorn optimism and drifting snow
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Fundraising drives to enable people to access a famous beauty spot above Loch Ness, news that a new railway line was soon to be operational, and Nessie playing hide-and-seek with outsiders at the peak of 'Monster fever' in 1933 were just some of the colourful stories making headlines in Christmases of long ago.
- LOOKING BACK: Dingwall Royal Bank staff from days gone by
- LOOKING BACK: Ross Sutherland police team in gala mode
- LOOKING BACK: Death of Diana and all change for Dingwall business
1827: FALL OF FOYERS: We are happy to learn that the subscription, alluded to in our last paper, for making convenient access to this romantic scene, is filling up, and amounts already to £12, including the donation of Lord Colchester.
1827: Our Martinmas market, which we noticed in our last, was upon Friday and Saturday very throng and a considerable deal of business done. Butter sold at from 15s to 22s. One lot of 50 stones, was purchased by a Baker at 17s and cheese from 6s to 8sper stone. Home-made plaidings, tartans, &c, at 1s to 1s 5d per Scotch ell. There were a number of horses in the market, but very few sold; the prices for draught horses were from £17 to £26; and for ponies from £5 to £12. Few cows in market which brought from £4 to £7.
We are happy to learn, that owing to the vigilance of our Constables and Police, a posse of whom were on duty each day, fewer depredations were committed than usual at our markets. We only heard of three country women who lost a few shillings each. These petty thefts, we fear, were committed by some young delinquents of this place, who are in a fair way of bringing reproach on their parents and friends, and public punishment on themselves.
1893: THE BLACK ISLE RAILWAY: To-day the signalling apparatus at the various stations on the Black Isle line, between Muir of Ord and Fortrose, will be in full working order for the first time. It is expected that traffic will be commenced within a comparatively short time.
1933: A MONSTER YEAR: The last days of the dying year are bringing no peace to the Loch Ness Monster. True, the countless pressmen who for many weeks had been pitting their Sassenach wits against its Highland modesty granted it a brief respite while they hastened southwards to partake of that Yuletide fare which no true Sassenach would willingly forego. But that brief respite has passed, and although the Old Year is dying and the New Year is knocking at our doors, the Sassenach, full of his turkey and plum-pudding, has no thoughts for anything but the elusive denizen of Loch Ness. Kingdoms may rise and kingdoms may fall, the peace of the world may be trembling in the balance, but what matter things like these as long as Loch Ness holds a secret which Sassenach pressman have failed to elucidate. So to Loch Ness they have returned, on a high and holy "mission" this time, and their bale fires are to be lit on the lochside in the hope of tempting the Monster from its lair.
Happily the Monster has a sense of humour. And so, having denied the eager Sassenachs an opportunity of gazing on its elusive form during all the weeks they patrolled the banks of its loch so eagerly, it was no sooner assured that they were somnolent with Yule-tide fare than it disported itself again for the edification of its fellow Highlanders. How it must have chuckled as it showed itself on two successive days this week when there were no Sassenach pressmen to spy upon its gambols and exaggerate its charms for the benefit of their readers. But it is a patriot as well as a humourist, for well does it know the value to the countryside of its own unsolved secret. So lest the Sassenachs, full of plum-pudding, should grow sceptical and not return to put more money into the pockets of he dwellers around Loch Ness, it danced a Highland Fling on the shores of the Loch a few days before Christmas, and took care that the eager eyes of the seekers after journalistic coup should be attracted to the "spoor" which it thus left. With one eye above the water it watched the outcome of its scheme, and it celebrated Christmas happy in the knowledge that its ruse to stifle any doubts...
1958: HEAVY POSTAL TRAFFIC AT INVERNESS: Over Half-a-Million Christmas Cards: Postal traffic at Inverness G.P.O. particularly in cards and letters, has been as heavy this year as in any previous year.
Up to midnight last night over half-a-million Christmas cards and letters had passed through the franking machines. To-day this traffic will reach its peak.
The Christmas card traffic was particularly big on Saturday, the stamping machine having to deal with about 100,000 of them. Parcel and small package traffic has been slightly in excess of previous years. As usual, the Rose Street and Margaret Street Drill Halls have been utilised to deal with the parcel traffic. Some 280 additional staff have been employed this year. The temporary staff were recruited in the first place through the Ministry of Labour Employment Office in Inverness, and many students home from the universities and senior pupils of the secondary schools have also been employed.
Mr R. S. Holmes, Head Postmaster of Inverness, said last night that the public had responded well to the appeal to post early, and the Post Office authorities were grateful. The permanent and temporary staff had worked well to cope with the exceptional traffic, and to ensure that delays were eliminated.
1981: OPTIMISM ABOUT KISHORN: A year of innovation and technological achievement for Howard Dories was forecast by Mr A. J. Granville, chairman and managing director, speaking at a staff function at Lochcarron on Friday, December 11th. "I fins myself cast in a duel role" he said, "a cross between Santa Claus and the Brahan Seer looking into the future. I have brought no Christmas presents for you to-night; it is too early for that. Nor, however, am I a prophet crying 'woe, woe.' I can forecast that for Howard Doris 1982 will be a year – another year – of innovation and technical achievement."
In the months ahead, he went on, they would complete and float out of the dry-dock the Maureen articulated loading column, the forerunner of buoyant concrete structures for the North Sea, a structure which they were able to show could be built more quickly and cheaply by large-scale use of concrete. It would be integrated to a timetable which had justified its construction "the Howard Dorie way." Discussions were in progress about the deck mating, and Howard Dories Marine Services net year would again capture the headlines at Kishorn using unique skills.
"We will achieve substantial progress with our plans for concrete semi-submersibles with interchangeable decks," Mr Granville continued. "We have been encouraged recently by others who share our view that there is a market for this design. Also, we will continue to progress studies for a deepwater platform with a steel tower anchored to the seabed and a concrete floating top, in the first stage operating to a depth of 3,000 feet. And I can say already that our sights are focused on structures for winning oil and gas from far greater depths."
1981: DRIFTING SNOW CUTS A9: Road Crews to Try Again To-day:
The on-off situation on the A9 was finally settled as darkness fell yesterday when the severe drifting of snow forced the Northern Constabulary and the Roads and Transport Division of the Highland Regional Council to agree to close the route until, hopefully, sometime to-day (Tuesday). This was the difference in the problem as many motorists, advised that there had been no fresh snowfalls, were prepared to move - or did. They had forgotten that the rise in wind strength over Sunday and yesterday caused very heavy drifting. The A9 in the Drumochter area and, to a lesser extent, the A89 from Dalwhinnie to Laggan, were badly affected. Tired road crews had hardly got a route open than it closed in again. Thanks to their hard work no people were stranded nor vehicles abandoned. All the other main routes remained open though traffic-users were warned of hard travelling. There was a bit of a thaw in some parts, like the Isle of Skye, but no reports were received of even threatened flooding.
At the same time, there were quite a number of places on or near some of the minor roads throughout the Highlands which were still cut off. And the threat of some more snow cannot be of much comfort to them.
