Helmsdale.org

Colin MacKenzie is this years chieftain 2008

Colin Mackenzie was born and brought up on the West coast on the croft at Glendarroch, Lochinver.  In common with most of his generation in rural Sutherland, he had to leave home at age 11 to gain secondary education, spending several years in the Earl’s Cross Hostel whilst attending Dornoch Academy.

After leaving school he took degrees at Glasgow and Aberdeen Universities before embarking on a distinguished career in civil engineering.

He first came to Helmsdale in 1970 to work for the consulting engineers on the construction of the new Helmsdale Bridge.  He so enjoyed the friendship and spirit of the community that when he got married to Moira Brown from Keith a few years later, he came back and built a house on the brae above the Navidale road.  He has since lived there for the last 35 years.

Colin spent most of his professional life working on road design and project management for the local authority across the Highlands, latterly serving as Council and Trunk Road Manager for Sutherland.  He retired from this post in 2002 and has since been kept busy running his own civil engineering consultancy.  Colin has always been actively involved in the community and over the years has served variously as a Volunteer Fireman, Justice of the Peace, Community Councillor and Company Secretary of the local Heritage Society.

An active member of the games committee for over 25 years, his expertise has been called on every year to measure out the games park and organise the track and field events.  His late wife Moira is fondly remembered and was relied on for typing duties in the early days before computers.  Their daughter Fiona, now an actuary in Edinburgh, has joined in by working in the Games Beer Tent every year since she was 18.   In recent years, Colin’s partner Angela Robertson, from Ireland and a teacher in Aberdeen, has also been a willing volunteer helping out on the Games day.

We welcome Colin as our 2008 Chieftain and are delighted to show our appreciation for all his efforts in support of the Games and community over the years.

Published on Saturday 16 August 2008 by David Mason
Last edited on Wednesday 17 September 2008 by David Mason