Doris MacKenzie, retired landlady of the Cammachmore Hotel, the Victoria Bar in Rothes, Aberdeen’s Bridge Bar and The Spider’s Web in Dyce has died aged 83.
Buckie born
The fifth of six children for John Cowie (Dougal) and his wife Polly, Doris MacKenzie was born in Buckpool, Buckie, on June 22 1939.
John was a merchant seaman, often away for months at a time. As a war baby Doris grew up with rationing and emulated the hard work ethic of her family and peers.
She left school at 16 to attend Aberdeen University. She achieved her MA qualification then qualified as a teacher. She went on to teach in Portgordon and Buckie primary schools, then Buckie High School.
During the last years of her studies she had found a job in the Lovat Hotel, Fort Augustus. There she met Roderick MacKenzie, known as Roy. Both employees, they began courting and married in 1963 in Buckie.
Hotel life
With a loan of £1000 from Roy’s father, Rory, they bought the Cammachmore Hotel in 1963, where they lived and worked.
By day Doris taught in Cove Primary School. By night, and at weekends, she ran the hotel with Roy.
“Mum enjoyed hotel work but it was exhausting doing both,” said Rhoda, Doris’ daughter. “After moving on to teach at Cove in the mid 1960s – where she briefly became headteacher – they sold the Cammanchmore and bought the Victoria Bar in Rothes.”
The couple lived above the premises and this time both were full-time publicans.
Bridge Street business
Their daughter Rhoda was born in 1968. A year later they sold up again, purchasing the Bridge Bar in Aberdeen, where they remained until 1984 while living in Countesswells.
A popular pub, especially with Aberdeen’s police officers and detectives, it was also an old-fashioned place. Roy and his staff wore tan bar jackets with a shirt and tie. Rhoda and Doris made up the toasted sandwiches every night and washed the dozens of bar cloths.
Rhoda said: “It was the second last pub in Aberdeen to have no female toilets. Customers and staff would form a sort of honour guard to let my mum use the toilets without interruption. Local policemen would act as unofficial bouncers at the weekend.”
The Spider’s Web
In 1984, now with a reputation for buying businesses, developing them and selling at a premium, the couple sold The Bridge and purchased a larger premises with a pub, lounge and restaurant: The Spider’s Web in Dyce.
“It was a big step up from a ‘mannies’ bar’ and they ran it when Aberdeen was becoming a hot spot for the oil industry. It was near Dyce train station and the airport, and became incredibly popular.
“They were there when the Piper Alpha tragedy happened. I always remember them saying not a single customer or staff member was unaffected by it. Every one knew someone lost that day.
“My mum deserves a lot of credit. For many years she almost ran The Spider’s Web almost single handedly as Roy was ill,” Rhoda said.
New season of life
In October 1987 Roy died suddenly from a heart attack. Doris and her daughter worked on – despite Rhoda progressing through medical school – until 1991.
Having built the business up, it sold for enough money to allow Doris to retire from paid work. Instead, she used the proceeds to facilitate a life of voluntary work.
For two decades she was a welcome face at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and Woodend hospitals. As a WRVS volunteer she would take patients and visitors to their wards, and would also take the trolley selling papers and snacks around the building too.
She also volunteered for many years in the library of Monymusk Primary School where she was known as Granny Doris by the children.
Family joy
In 2006 Doris became a granny to Rhoda’s daughter Maia. To be nearer her family she moved to Monymusk in 2011.
A proud grandmother to “her wee china doll” she enjoyed more time surrounded by her girls and son-in-law Tony McMahon. Relocating meant forging new friendships.
Doris joined Monymusk Indoor Bowling Club and the Scottish Women’s Rural Institute. She maintained her fitness walking her dog Darcy around the village.
For her 80th birthday Doris, Rhoda and Maia flew to St Andrews by helicopter to enjoy a meal at the Peat Inn.
“It was a bit of a dual celebration. Not only had she reached 80 years of age, she had been through multiple cancers by that point,” Rhoda explained. “And all of it without a complaint.”
Health battle
Over a 23-year period Doris was diagnosed with cancer five times. Two-and-a-half years ago, she was given the news that she had lymphoma for a second time.
“It was partially controlled thanks to Dr Dominic Culligan and his wonderful team at the ARI. I’m really grateful to all they have done, but sadly by the end she could only receive palliative care.”
After six weeks living with Rhoda and her family, Doris passed away in her sleep on May 8. Her quiet humility and “fierce intellect”, often hidden behind manual work and the strength to lead at times in a man’s world, stayed with her until the end.
Rhoda added: “The day I began medical school in 1987 I was very apprehensive. She stopped me, looked at me and said, ‘Rhoda, just you treat other folk the way you want to be treated and you’ll be fine’. I have done that for the rest of my career, and she was right.”
Rhoda trained as a surgeon, later becoming a professor. Doris was incredibly proud of all her family and her “fisher roots”. She loved to reminisce with Buckie folk, especially her sister Marie.
A celebration of Doris’ took place on Thursday May 18 at Aberdeen Crematorium West Chapel.
You can read the family’s announcement here.
Conversation