Though she lived more than 100 miles away for most of her adult life, Marie MacAulay is remembered, as part of the Sinclair family, through a memorial bench.
Situated at the mouth of the River Lochy, the wooden seat, which pays tribute to her grandparents, three brothers, and two sisters, is located where she played as a child.
Marie Sinclair MacAulay
First daughter of Donald and Annie Sinclair, Marie arrived on April 27 1942.
Keen to explore life further afield than the Highlands she moved to London to work as a housemaid in her late teens.
After some years in the south Marie decided to return home to Inverlochy. There she met James “Jimmy” Macaulay, originally from Caithness.
In her 20s by then, she was taken with the new guest of her family’s bed and breakfast.
They began courting which led to their engagement.
“Marie was lovely,” said her only surviving sibling Florence, “I always wished she was closer.
“She had a lovely life with Jimmy though.”
Becomings Mrs MacAulay
The couple tied the knot in Fort William in November 11 1969 surrounded by family but the newlyweds soon moved to South Lanarkshire.
They went on to have three children: Deairdre, Barbara Ann, and Steven.
Jimmy worked up in quarry as a tractor driver and Marie stayed at home in Glassford with the children.
Jimmy died, aged 77, in 2008 following several heart attacks. He was laid to rest nin Glassford Cemetery.
Lost without her other half Marie returned home to Fort William, residing in accommodation for older people.
There for just a short time, she later relocated to Dorset in 2013, to be nearer to her daughter Deairdre and son-in-law Paul.
The oldest of the Sinclair girls, Marie passed away in March 2023 aged 81.
Like some of her siblings Marie suffered from Alzheimers.
Following her cremation, Marie’s ashes were split between her English home and her husband’s grave in Scotland.
‘I miss her smiling face’
“I’m sad to be the only one left,” said Florence. “It’s just what happens when you get older I suppose. I think it’s lovely that all my siblings have plaques on the bench.
“It’s a really nice place to go and remember everyone.
“Especially since we all played there as children. Back then there were planted areas. We were never away from the foot of the road where the bench sits.”
Daughter Deairdre hopes to come up to see the bench sometime soon.
“It still feels very raw to have lost mum, just last year. So we do hope to come up at some point. I really miss her a lot, as do her grandchildren. We often chat about her. I miss her smiling face.”
The second memorial bench for the family, the first was burned by vandals.
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