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was, who would often sneak up behind her and plant a kiss on her neck. (His hormones were obviously raging at that time!)
‘Michelle, then in her sixties when I met her, had sent a letter to the Countess to inform her she would be visiting Dunrobin whilst on holiday. She had received a reply telling her to announce her arrival at the entrance on the appointed day. We duly showed the letter to a guide who told us to wait in the tea-room while the Countess was informed and obviously the letter scrutinised. After about 10 minutes, Alastair, Lord Strathnaver burst into the tea-room and with great delight and enthusiasm shouted: “Michelle, you haven’t changed a bit”! He hadn’t seen her for over 40 years!
‘Michelle was then escorted upstairs where she was warmly greeted by the Countess who was bedecked in Sutherland tartan and sitting on a large stool covered with matching fabric. She died just a few months ago, in December 2019 at the age of 98 and according to Alastair, now 76, she managed the Estate well into her eighties before handing over the reins . He has inherited the Estate and Castle and now holds the title of the 25th Earl of Sutherland, while his oldest son carries that of Lord Strathnaver. Michelle spoke very fondly of the family and the two years she was in their employment. I was so glad I never got a chance to speak about their ancestors! ‘
All at sea
By Norma Clarkson
‘My first guiding work was in cruise ships. I was told to “keep it under my hat” as a newbie such as myself didn’t usually have the opportunity to access the then lucrative cruise ship market. (How times have changed!) ‘My first job was aboard the “SS Berlin”. In those days the tourist guides boarded the cruise ships at Greenock and sailed with the pax to the various ports around Scotland, disembarking an hour and a half ahead of everyone to be ready for the tours at each landfall.
‘I travelled with a small suitcase with changes of underwear and blouses and a larger suitcase filled with reference books to study between ports. On the first day’s sailing I made an alarming discovery. I had developed a propensity for seasickness, having had no previous trouble (later found out an inner ear problem was to blame). As a result, I had to forego all the delicious buffets and on-board dinners and usually lie on my bunk for the duration of any sea voyage. I survived on the lunches provided with the tours. I couldn’t look at food on board.
‘I wasn’t the only colleague with such a problem. My mentor, Maggie, who later turned her hand to writing about the Jacobites, her favourite
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