A Buckie man has been left devastated after vandals trashed his touching memorial to his late partner of more than 20 years.
Four years ago, Findlay Smith decided he wanted to remember his partner, Diana Milne, with a handmade tribute.
Near to the cemetery where she is buried, he built a sturdy bench constructed from a metal frame and two solid pieces of wood—simple yet poignant.
The 76-year-old’s sweet gesture was topped off with a small blue plaque that read “Diana Milne, Simply the Best.”
Findlay and Diana were together for more than 20 years before her passing in 2019.
The bench has been a prominent feature on Cemetery Road in Buckie for three years, with Findlay visiting it regularly, according to his daughter, Naomi.
She said: “He usually goes down every day to water the flowers at Diana’s grave.
“There are also flower beds around the bench that he maintains.
“He likes to keep it nice down there, especially during the summer.”
Sadly, the bench has also been the target of far less welcome attention.
Bench repeatedly vandalised
The bench suffered damage in early 2024 when vandals damaged the wood.
At the time, Findlay’s son-in-law helped fix the bench, and it was placed back where it was in May.
Findlay was upset by the incident, asking: “Why would anyone do that to a memorial?”
On 28 March, however, the two large pieces of wood used for the seat and backrest were ripped off the metal frame.
Findlay heard the news from a friend and was very upset.
He believes that, due to the sturdy nature of the bench, the vandals must have used tools to pry the wood from the metal frame.
Naomi said her father was devastated that Diana’s memorial had been so cruelly destroyed.
He is reluctant to build a new bench at the same spot and is considering placing a memorial bench within the safety of his garden instead.
Since the news broke, Naomi says many locals have reached out.
She said: “A lot of people in the community have been shocked by it.
“A few people have offered to help him fix it, which is lovely to hear, so he might take them up on that.”
Findlay himself added: “I am grateful for all the kind words from everyone about Diana’s bench.
“It was well-used by many people, and hopefully one day I can replace it.”
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