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Alasdair Monk: Benbecula Gaelic speaker who became Perthshire mechanic dies aged 78

Alasdair Monk.
Alasdair Monk.

Alasdair Monk, a mechanic, Freemason and native Gaelic speaker from Benbecula, who made his home in Perthshire, has died aged 78.

He was a mechanic at garages in Crieff before spending the bulk of his career maintaining the Post Office fleet in the town and then at its Perth depot.

Alasdair, was also a member and an office-bear at Lodge St Kessac Number 269 in Comrie and a member of the Church of Scotland.

He was born in Glasgow to July 1943 to Ann and Iain Monk who lived on Benbecula.

One-teacher school

He was raised a native Gaelic speaker and educated at Torlum School where his mother was he only teacher.

Gaelic was the language spoken at home but Alasdair received basic English lessons to prepare him for school.

His father owned Monk’s shop in Benbecula, ran a haulage business and operated a travelling shop.

Perthshire

When he was still of school age, Alasdair’s mother took at post at Blairinroar, Perthshire.

Alasdair completed his education at the then Comrie Secondary School before studying motor mechanics at technical college in Dundee.

He went on to serve his apprenticeship at John Duff and Sons Central Garage in Crieff.

Skye sweetheart

In the early 1960s, Alasdair met his future wife, Peggy, a fellow native Gaelic speaker, who had been working at Drummond Arms Hotel.

The couple married in June, 1964 and went on to have two daughters, Kay and Ann. Every family holiday was spent on Skye with Peggy’s parents. Alasdair loved fishing and kept a boat in the north of the island.

Alasdair later went to work at Barrington’s Garage, Commissioner Street, Crieff, a job that came with a flat over the premises.

Post Office

When he began working with the then General Post Office in Crieff, the family moved to Addison Terrace in the town before a later move to Hollybush Road.

In the early 1980s, Alasdair moved to work at the organisation’s Perth depot in Feus Road and retired 18 years ago.

However, he did not stay retired long and kept busy with various part-time jobs including delivering prescriptions.

Over many years, he was active in Freemasonry across Perthshire and was an ardent follower of both the Scotland football and rugby teams.

Alasdair also took joy in tending his garden, dog walking, playing bowls and attending accordion and fiddle festivals.

Return to the isles

By coincidence, both his daughters went on to settle in the Western Isles.

Kay trained as a midwife in Perth before taking up a position in Portree.

Ann also settled on Skye where she married, after a spell in the hotel business.

Kay (Mackinnon) has two children, Karen and Jennifer, and Ann (Macpherson) also has two, Martin and Ellie, who received Gaelic medium education.

Alasdair was predeceased by his brother Murdo and is survived by Peggy, his sister Mairi, brother Francis, and his daughters.

You can read the family’s announcement here.