1 Northern Times 2010-12-02 obit. Cathie Barbara.
CATHIE Barbara Mackay died peacefully in Raigmore Hospital, Inverness, on Thursday, 18 November, after taking ill suddenly at her home, Whin Cottage, Tongue, on the evening of Sunday, 14 November.
Cathie Barbara was born on the 23 July, 1936, at 29 Gate Street, Embo. Her mother, Williamina, was the daughter of Donald and Barbara Mackay, Island Roan, and had left her island home to undertake domestic service in a hotel in Dornoch, where she met Thomas McKay, a fisherman from Embo.
They married and set up home in Embo. Thomas was serving in the Royal Naval Reserve aboard the HMS Vanquisher and was tragically killed, in his 30th year, when the vessel was in collision with HMS Walker, whilst on convoy duty off Cape Clear, Ireland, on 10 September, 1939.
Cathie's childhood was spent in Embo with her mother and paternal grandparents, Thomas and Catherine McKay, with frequent holidays on the croft in Tubeg, Skerray, with her mother's only brother, Donald (Babus). With the absence of her father, she had a very strong bond with her mother and Embo grandparents. It was her grandfather who fostered in her a political and social interest, by taking her to political meetings in the local village hall. In those days such events were the main local social event.
She was educated locally and her first teacher, Katie Morrison from Balchrick, Kinlochbervie, cultivated her interest in dancing and concerts. In Dornoch Academy she studied Gaelic for two years and her English teacher, Flossie Strachan, awakened in her a great love of story and verse. It was at this time she was imbued with a love of the beauty of the county and a desire to serve the community.
On leaving the Academy her primary desire was to train as a doctor, but due to costs and the long training period she opted for nursing and left for the nurses' training college in Elgin. It was a tough discipline involving theory and practice for two years before heading for the hospital wards.
She saw further training in London, before returning to her beloved Sutherland, where for some time she worked at the Lawson Memorial Hospital, Golspie, before becoming a district nurse throughout Melness and Tongue. She found this period of work especially rewarding, as she had a special affinity for the older people. She sought to offer the highest level of comfort and dignity to all who came under her care. She adopted the old fashioned, no nonsense, ward sister approach, latterly serving as manager of Seaview Care Home in Wick.
Cathie Barbara married John Mackay (Cordach) on 19 February, 1960 in Dornoch Free Church and set up home in Tongue, where John was a central figure in the firm of Messrs Peter Burr. Snow has played a major part in the Mackay's lives - and the groom and cake nearly did not make it on time but for the efforts of best man, Charlie Burr. In similar snowy circumstances her sons, Graeme and Iain arrived in 1963 and 1971 respectively!
At the behest of Dolly Burr, Tongue Post Office, in 1967 Cathie Barbara stood for local councillor and saw off three men for the seat. The period 1967 to 1975 was a very satisfying period and she achieved much as a councillor.
She played a central role in getting the Tongue Causeway built, saving a ten mile detour round Kinloch. It is now affectionately known as "Cathie's Bridge". She also helped to establish the principle of local care, which eventually led to the building of the care unit, Caladh Sona, in Melness.
Island Roan remained close to her heart and she was the prime enabler of the many reunions which natives to the island held in Melness or Skerray.
She had an authoritative, but humorous touch when speaking at the many birthday socials, important anniversaries and retirement functions. She always made praise of the role the young played in the preservation of Gaelic and in keeping local traditions alive within the community. Everybody spoke movingly and warmly of her witty and masterful contribution to her last public event on the occasion of the retirement party of local milkman, Alistair Maclean.
Johnnie Cordach, sons Graeme and Iain, with their wives, both named Fiona, and grandchildren, Eilidh, Andrew and Caitlin, were supported in a joyous service of thanksgiving at St Andrew's Church, Tongue, by a large turnout despite a very wintry day in the Tongue church on Wednesday, 24 November led by Rev Tony Thornwaite, Bettyhill.
The traditional 23rd and 121st psalms were sung whilst Andrew gave the scriptural reading from Proverbs 31. Eilidh gave a beautiful testament to the fruits of the spirit, which her grandmother had in abundance.
Cathie Barbara was a truly impressive, caring individual, who gave steadfast faithful and loving service to Johnnie, her family and the wider community in all their times of need. Her spirit reached out to every soul in the community and although she departed this life suddenly and unexpectedly, there are an abundance of many happy shared memories which will live on.
Following the service in Tongue, the cortege travelled to the East Cemetery in Dornoch, where, following a graveside service - preceded by a fall of snow - the remains of Cathie Barbara were laid to rest next to her father.
The many who had braved the elements were then invited to the Dornoch Castle Hotel, for soup and sandwiches.
"Is sealbhach sinne aig an robh deagh eolas air cuid de shar bhuill na linne ud. Teagamh gum faic sinn an leithid gu brath tuilleadh mar latha fhin."
(We who knew well some of the outstanding members of that generation are indeed fortunate. For we shall not see their like again.) IHF

2 Am Bratach No.195 January 2008.
Fiona Burnett talks to Cathie Barbara Mackay, Tongue

An interest in people and surroundings began early in life for Cathie Barbara Mackay, a former Tongue councillor, and district nurse respectively, who, at the age of ten found her voice.
There are many people who influence our daily lives and for Cathie Barbara, who at the tender age of two and a half lost her father during WW2 when he was just twenty-nine, these people came in the form of her mother, grandfather and teachers, among others.
Cathie was an only child born in 1936 to Williamina (nee Mackay), Eilean nan Ron, and Thomas Mackay, Embo, and spent her childhood living with her mother and grandparents in Embo, often visiting an uncle in Skerray. Cathie is married to Johnnie 'the bread' Mackay, formerly of Messrs Burr's of Tongue, They have two sons, Graeme and Ian, and two grandchildren.
Although just a toddler at the time Cathie Barbara clearly remembers the day her father, a naval reservist, left to go to war. "All the people calling that day. I remember lots of visitors that weekend. His great big kit bag against the kitchen wall," she says. Oblivious to the seriousness of the situation, the toddler danced around touching the kit bag. singing "That's my daddy's bag and he's going away," believing he was simply going on holiday and leaving from the railway station.
The next time she went to the station in Embo it was to see her father's coffin being carried off the train. Holding her grandfather's hand and dancing as she so often did, she knew it was him and was pleased that he was home at last, not realising the significance of what she was witnessing.
The one prominent feature from the past that Cathie cherishes is a heavy dark wooden chest of drawers which sits in her living room. It is a piece of furniture which sat in the family home, beside her father's coffin as she danced round the room, touching the coffin as she passed. "It'll go out the day I go out," she says. Years later, on Armistice Day, Cathie Barbara wrote a poem "Dancing Feet" in honour of the father she never knew.
With the absence of her father it wasn't surprising that Cathie had a very strong bond with her mother, increasing as she got older. "She was a great disciplinarian and I was a bit wayward," she laughs. "I'd forget about time - I was never home in time for tea," but adds, "she was also full of fun, a very jolly and humorous person but very serious at the same time and I had to toe the line. Somebody would feed me on the road! That was me!"
Grandfather Embo spent considerable time with the young Cathie Barbara, often taking her to political meetings in the village hall where such gatherings were considered social occasions with much discussion. At one such meeting the ten year old, who was speaking to Robert John Mackay, a relation of her grandmother's and a Dornoch councillor, complained to him about a public path full of weeds and nettles. "It's a disgrace that path. No-one can walk on it," she said, to which the councillor replied, "Put it in writing," which she promptly did and shortly afterwards the path was cleared.
Looking back on her school days Cathie talks highly of the many teachers in her life. "My first teacher came from Kinlochbervie, Katie Morrison. A bonny girl. I absolutely adored her. She was always organising concerts, plays and dancing. She later became Mrs (Andrew) Marshall and I met her again when the new Kinlochbervie school was opened."
At Dornoch Academy she studied Gaelic for two years and remembers Flossie Strachan, her English teacher who "gave me a great love of story and verse," although embarrassed her by making her read out her essays in class.
Leaving the academy, she remembers Miss Hay, an army person who was a postmaster's daughter from Lairg. Her words to the departing pupils had a profound effect on Cathie. "Now you're all from this beautiful county and some of you will be going to different countries and some of you may not be coming back. What I want you to do when you're growing up is reflect on your lives here and all the beautiful things in the environment you grew up in and all the things you've been taught. And some day when you've experienced other things, and other peoples, remember…this county needs you…and come back!" Cathie Barbara says, "That always stayed with me.
As our conversation steers towards her former nursing career I learn of Cathie Barbara's caring side. "I was determined to be in the health service one way or another." As a child she bandaged up her dolls and was determined to make them better.
Next stop for Cathie Barbara was Elgin to the nurses training college where she enjoyed "tough discipline". There she studied theory and some practical work for two years before heading for the hospital wards. She later worked in the Lawson Memorial Hospital, Golspie.
Referring to her training days she says, "I always look back on that time of my life as being very rewarding. And you had a purpose in life."
Memories include times when she and her friend Mary Sutherland from Caithness would take the matron's dog, Buster, for a walk. According to Cathie, "it was the only way we could get out and speak to a boy in the street!" On a Friday night the trainees were allowed to go to a boy's club between eight and ten o'clock but only if they had put their names on a sheet of paper in matron's room. One night she had dressed in her new red dress and as she was about to leave the matron asked her if her name was on the list. Poor Cathie had forgotten and wasn't allowed out. "You know the rules," bellowed matron. Poor wee lassie - all dressed up and nowhere to go!"
During her days as district nurse throughout Melness, Tongue and surrounding areas she found it a "great priviledge" to be nursing and had a special affinity with her patients particularly the older generation at the time. "They were a wonderful generation," she offers. "Just wonderful."
Snow has played a major part in the Mackays' lives. They got married in Embo during a snowstorm in February. Johnny phoned Cathie from a telephone kiosk, saying, "If Charlie and I can't get through the wedding can't take place!" Fortunately with the help of snow ploughs Johnny eventually made it through with his best man, Charlie Burr, who headed to Lairg the next morning to collect the "stranded" wedding cake, initially from Burnett's bakery, Inverness, on to the Burrs' lorry which was stuck in a drift.
When their son Graeme was born they endured a tricky journey to the hospital in Thurso. Both stories got a mention in local newspapers.
Cathie Barbara was a county councillor from 1967 until 1975 and has fond memories of this period of her life too. While councillor, she played a leading part in getting the Tongue Causeway built, saving motorists a 10-mile drive round by Kinloch. Dolly Burr, who ran the Post Office in Tongue, gave her the idea to stand. "Who are we going to get as councillor?" asked Dolly in her shop one day. "You're not doing anything, Cathie Barbara," she said. "Why don't you stand?" Cathie stood, beating three men for the seat, with no animosity on their part.
Remembering Donnie MacLeod, a councillor for Farr district, she says, "Donnie and I were great pals. He was a great character. He loved his cup of tea," which was served at three o' clock. "Donnie would give me a poke and say, 'Don't get up just now to speak until we get our tea!'"
If they were on an overnight stay, the councillors would often enjoy a ceilidh. "Donnie MacBain, convenor, would take out his boxie and Christy Campbell would sing in Gaelic. And Donnie MacLeod had his fiddle."
Commenting on recent newspaper reports of stormy meetings between the new councillors and their electorate, Cathie said: "I'm so sad for them because they've got to hang in there, because life's worth living and if you don't have humour between council and the electorate, you might as well burn your boats."

3 Northern Times 2011-01-06 obit. Johnny Cordach.
John Mackay (Cordach), Tongue Published: 06 January, 2011

JOHN MACKAY

JOHN Mackay passed away peacefully in Seaview care home, Wick, in December. His death occurred 20 days following that of his wife, Cathie Barbara.
John Robert Mackay was born on 3rd August, 1933, in Lochinver to Robert (Bobby) Mackay (Cordach) and Annie. John was the only boy and the second youngest in a family of five. Robert and Annie ran a general merchant's shop in Main Street, Lochinver, as Robert's father, John, had done in Coldbackie.
Following the death of Robert in January 1941, Annie took her son and four girls to Aberdeen. John went to school there but spent all his holidays with his mother's brother's family in Dunvarrich, Tongue. The day he left school he came to Tongue and stayed with the family in Dunvarrich and worked in the family's rapidly expanding business and shop until national service intervened. National service was not a happy experience for John, for neither he nor the services were suited to his unique character and disposition.
Thereafter he returned to Dunvarrich and remained in residence with the family until he married Cathie Barbara McKay in 1960. It was in the late '60s that Johnnie's mother came from Aberdeen and stayed at Eastwood, Tongue, until her death in 1981, in her 89th year.
At this stage there is a resonance between Johnnie's circumstances and the events leading to the family in Coldbackie being referred to as Cordach (Cairdeach-family related).
Quite some time ago a vessel was shipwrecked in the seas off Coldbackie - the only survivor being a young lad. The Mackays of Coldbackie took this young lad in and raised him as one of their own. John found his home and niche within the family and firm run by Gordon and Tot Burr.
In the early '50s close on 40 people were employed in Burr's and deliveries and services extended as far as Durness in the west and Thurso in the east. Up until the building of the Tongue Causeway in 1971, the west could only be reached by a 15-mile detour via Ribigill and Kinloch. Hope, Eriboll, Laid and east Durness were served by Burr's with provisions for people and animals, whilst the large population of Melness, extending from the Ferry to West Strathan, was served by two vans at the beginning of the week, a Burr's shop at Talmine, and a supporting parcel delivery van. It was undertaking this parcel and bread delivery service that earned John his name - "Johnnie the Bread".
John married Cathie Barbara McKay, the district nurse for Tongue and Melness, in February 1960 in Dornoch Free Church.
Snow played an important part in John's life. But for the efforts of his best man and cousin, Charlie Burr, snow would have disrupted the timing of the proceedings. It was exactly 22 years earlier, at the end of January 1941, that his father's cortege was stranded overnight in snow at Inchkinloch before being able to proceed to Tongue. This event has entered into Sutherland history as Mrs Mackay, Inchkinloch, instinctively prepared a massive baking, little realising her home would have to shelter the funeral party and the road squad who manually opened the road between Lairg and Altnaharra. Winters in Tongue and the North caused John to have to brave all weathers. His parcel and bread-van deliveries took him to Keoldale - he often found Eriboll, Hope and the Moine to be hostile places to be caught in snowdrifts. However, Dunvarrich headquarters were always aware when timetables ran late and there were always fellow employees able to respond and undertake search and rescue.
He was with Geordie Mackenzie on the van one night in the mid-'50s when, returning from the west, they only just got across the Rhian bridge before it collapsed, preventing any travel via Kinloch until a temporary Bailey bridge could be built. John's duties at that time also embraced parcel and bread deliveries to the east as far as Armadale and driving the late Saturday "Picture" bus from Tongue to Thurso. Although he was known to get lost for a few days around New Year during his bread-van deliveries to Melness and Skerray, concern never overtook staff at Dunvarrich HQ because everybody knew that the people of Melness and Skerray held him in high esteem and would care for him until he was ready to find his way safely back to Tongue. It was during these times of celebration that "Wee Johnnie" became renowned for his rendition of "The Wee Cock Sparra", achieving mannerisms and facial expressions which upstaged those of Duncan Macrae.
Sons Graeme and Iain arrived in 1963 and 1970 respectively, and the family moved from Loyal Terrace to Whin Cottage, which had been the home of Mina Mackay "Purnell" until her death in 1972. Mina had formerly been housekeeper to the family, when in Lochinver, and thereafter returning to Tongue she served for many years in Burr's shop.
Around 1978, John left Burr's and following on from Seamus Mackay (Herd) took on the driving of the Melness/Tongue/Lairg postbus. During the 20 years that he was the regular driver he was to know how inhospitable the Lairg/Crask road could be during winter months.
John delighted in family life, which included Labradors and collies. He took great delight in his three grandchildren, Eilidh and Andrew in Inverness and Caitlin in Inverbervie. Latterly ill health overtook him, but he was particularly blessed by the love, care and support given by Cathie Barbara right up to her own sudden death three weeks earlier.
It was a poignant regathering of family and friends, following on so quickly after Cathie Barbara's funeral service in Tongue on 24th November, although with much less snow around. The service held in St Andrew's Church, Tongue, was a testament and tribute to John's life of service. This comforting service was led by the Rev Stewart Goudie, supported immediate family members Graeme, wife Fiona and children Eilidh and Andrew, and Iain and wife Fiona and Caitlin, together with surviving sisters Ella, Alison and Reay, whilst Eilidh and Andrew gave moving tributes to their grandfather. There was a large turnout of friends and colleagues from all the communities he so faithfully served over the last 60 years.
Internment took place at Tongue Churchyard, whilst a collection was taken in favour of Alzheimer Scotland.
Friends met up with family and relatives at Tongue Hotel for soup and sandwiches, on a day in which the snows melted and gave way to light rain and a welcome mildness. Iain Fraser