Have a say on Mrs Baxter's gift to Tain
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RESIDENTS of an Easter Ross town are being given a say on the best use of a swathe of land at a prominent entrance to the historic royal burgh.
The six-acre site was gifted for the benefit of the community of Tain by the late Anne Baxter (née Holmes), fondly remembered for pioneering her own local postcard publishing enterprise and as a great champion of the town where she was born.
Mrs Baxter’s father, Craig Holmes, a local seedsman, used the land next to tennis courts at Knockbreck Road, as a nursery for many years.
Mrs Baxter, who died recently at the age of 93, left Tain to live in Golspie when she got married but always felt a great affection for the place and happily returned to her old home for the last 20 years of her life.
She was known for teaching and almost 30 years photographing and publishing postcards of the Northern Highlands.
Her son Robert, who still lives locally, said: "She loved going round the shops in Tain selling her postcards and bumping into old pals. A stroke left her wheelchair bound but she still continued with the postcards for a few years. She had always wanted to do something worthwhile with the land and with the tennis courts already there she quite fancied the idea of more sports and recreational facilities but could never decide what.
"In the end she thought it best to gift it to Tain to be used in a good way that was beneficial to the people of Tain."
The family decided to follow her wishes and bequeathed the land for community use through the Tain Initiative Group (Tig), which was formed in 1996 to benefit the public through provision of facilities for the organisation of social or recreational activities and to advance environmental protection and improvement as well as education, health, citizenship, arts, heritage and culture.
It has charitable status and works in partnership with the Tain Task Force.
Group member Alasdair Rhind, who is also a local ward councillor, said: "It’s a substantial piece of land just at the entrance to the town. Anne Baxter was a great supporter of Tain and this is a very generous gesture.
"It is for the benefit of the community. Tig is thinking about what is the best option and would welcome comments from local people."
Fellow Tain and Easter Ross ward councillor Fiona Robertson said: "The donation of the land was extremely generous of Mrs Baxter. The land offers a very exciting opportunity for the town and it would be great to get suggestions from the community as to future uses."
What do you think would be the best use of the land? Email us at newsdesk@spp-group.com or write to us at the address on our letters page.
