History of 200-year-old Highland firm whose headstones can be seen across Ross is written in stone
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One of the oldest businesses in the Highlands is marking its 200th year.
John Hood & Son has provided headstones and public monuments across Ross-shire, Sutherland and its home county of Caithness.
The company was already over a century old when, in the aftermath of the Great War, it installed war memorials as far afield as Ullapool, Dundonnell, Lewis and Orkney, using a fishing smack for some deliveries.
The firm of monumental sculptors was founded in 1820 by Alexander Hood, who had come to Caithness from Cromarty.
There is no photographic record of its early days – because photography had yet to be invented.
The first stagecoach journey from Inverness to the far north had only been completed the previous summer, taking well over 24 hours, and it would still be more than half a century before the railway would reach Caithness. The Highland Clearances were gathering pace and, far away in London, George IV had just ascended to the throne.
Hood's first yard is thought to have been in Wick's Union Street, close to where Mackays Hotel is now. From there it moved to other premises at the town's riverside before relocating in 1871 to its present site in Station Road.
The firm had a site in Rogart for a time and leased a sandstone quarry on the Orkney island of Eday. Hood's growth across the north also saw operations being established at Golspie, Dingwall and Stornoway, although now the only branch outside Wick is the one in Thurso.
From Aberdeenshire granite to Italian marble, stone came from many sources to be worked on. These days most stone comes from India to be worked on.
The Hood family's connection with the firm ended in the 1980s. However, a family link of a different kind has endured as Mar Gordon, who runs the office, is the daughter of the late Ian Christie, who was a partner in the business for many years.
The present team of six includes a trio who between them have clocked up 140 years of service.
Mar (65) started at Hood's at the age of 15, supposedly just for the summer holidays, and has worked there ever since apart from an eight-year break for family reasons.
Willie Wydmuch (63) has been there for 46 years. Gordon Fraser (68) goes back even further, having joined the company in 1968. He looks after the Thurso end of the business.
Willie and Gordon are directors, along with Gavin Nicolson and his son Steven. Mar is in charge of office duties along with Alison Miller.
“There have been a few other companies on the go since we started up but they’ve fallen by the wayside,” Willie explained.
The business has adapted to technological change, with many enquiries and orders now coming online, but the small office has a reassuringly traditional feel to it and Mar still refers to paper documents from as far back as the late 1940s.
“Everything is kept on computers now but we still keep a paper record,” Willie said. “We get clients from all over the world."
