The Sinclairs of Inverlochy remained a close family despite distance separating many of them. Two of the sisters, Anne and Joan, stayed in touch with each other, and their siblings, even when hundreds of miles apart.
Now, thanks to their names being added to a memorial bench by Loch Linnhe, the sisters are reunited again.
Anne Sinclair MacKinnon
The fourth of Donald and Annie’s children, Anne Sinclair was born on Oct 13 1944.
Probably best known for her time as a bus conductor with MacBrayne’s, she married Charlie McKinnon who hailed from the Isle of Canna, and set up home in Fort William.
Charlie – who was born on October 13 1937 – started a joinery apprenticeship on South Uist, which was punctuated by two years National Service, some of which was in Gibraltar. He then completed his apprenticeship in Mallaig.
A Fort William wedding
It was during a visit to Inverlochy, to the home of “Big Isa” – who came from a family with links to Canna – that Charlie and Anne met. At a ceilidh-come-house party, the pair had chemistry right away.
A very good table tennis player, “she won a lot of championships in Inverness,” said Charlie, who tied the knot with Anne on April 4 1964 in St Mary’s Church, Fort William.
The MacKinnons would go on to have two children: Fiona, then Gavin.
Over the years Anne worked in various shops including the Spar in Claggan and for Marshall and Pearson in Fort William.
Anne passed away in August 2021 aged 76.
“She had Alzheimer’s, which is the worst thing in the world,” said Anne’s sister Florence. “But I’m grateful we still have Charlie, he’s like a brother to me.”
Charlie added: “I miss my wife dearly.”
Daughter number three
Joan Sinclair was born on March 16 1946.
The third of Annie’s daughters, in the early 60s she moved to Glasgow to pursue a career as a children’s nanny. She later worked in a children’s residential home in the city.
Joan met and married James “Jim” Gamble, a fireman with the Glasgow Fire Service.
“It was love at first sight. She was already working in Glasgow. We first saw each other at the Barrowland Ballroom.
“I was doing my John Travolta and we just clicked.
“I held her hand and walked her home. She came back the next week and that was it,” said Jim.
Glasgow for good
The couple got married on August 28 1971 in the United Free Church in Fort William.
They went on to have one daughter, Linda, in 1973, who fondly recalls trips to Inverlochy to see her family.
“School holidays were always so much fun with Granny Annie, though it could be unpredictable,” said Linda. “I remember being put out my bed in the middle of the night because they ran a bed and breakfast and my gran didn’t want to turn away any custom.”
Back together as a family
As his career progressed Joan, Linda and Jim moved around.
After a spell in Partick fire house, Jim was promoted to Renfrew station officer.
This meant an upgrade to a home away from the station.
Settled in the west, Joan worked as a cleaner in the Glynhill Hotel.
She passed away on August 21 2011, at home.
In memory of his wife Jim installed the memorial bench.
“She was happy in Glasgow but always wanted to go back home when she died. This was just a way of having a place where she grew up, that we could help her do that.
“As more and more members of the family have been added to the bench it’s even more poignant that she’s back with her siblings and parents,” said Jim.
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