Shelagh Macpherson Noble
Shelagh Macpherson Noble was born in
Inverness in 1949. Her father was Allan Grant
Macpherson who owned the renowned John
Macpherson & Sons, Sporting Stores, Inverness.
This was started by her great-uncle Duncan who
later owned the Royal Hotel, Kingussie.
Duncan’s brother was Alexander Macpherson
who emigrated to Australia in 1855 and was a
survivor of the Burke and Wills expedition. The
shop was bought from Duncan by Shelagh’s
grandfather, John who had been a shepherd
boy from Newtonmore. He first met Duncan
when he walked over the hills to Inverness with
sheep. The shop was eventually sold when
Shelagh’s father and his brother retired in 1976.
Her father died in 1987 and her mother, Helen,
suffered from ill health, so they sold up and left
the family home, moving south to Haddington.
As a girl Shelagh always spent the month of July on family holidays based at Invertromie
Farmhouse, Kingussie. Her father couldn’t take holidays in summer as the shop was very
busy with shooting and fishing clients. With mother, they rented the farmhouse every year
from 1954 until the mid-sixties from Tom and Jessie Gair (brother and sister) who moved
into a cottage to vacate the farmhouse for the summer. There they enjoyed an idyllic life
which provided some of Shelagh’s happiest memories. There were three girls in the family,
Shelagh being the middle one. There was a seven year age gap so they usually invited
friends or cousins to join them for a week.
On Saturday night Dad would come on the train from Inverness and her parents would have
dinner in the Duke of Gordon Hotel. They became friendly with Bill Patterson, the owner. On
Sunday they would have a campfire by the Tromie and cook sausages and tatties. Early on
Monday Mum would drop Dad at the early train and bring back hot rolls from the baker’s.
Jimmy Murchie, a great local character, would come round each Thursday with his grocer’s
van. The children would be allowed to spend their pocket money on sweets. They also went
in to Kingussie weekly for the “messages” from Mackintosh and Rutherford’s. They became
friendly with Charlie Mackintosh. They bought their shoes from Maclean’s Shoe Shop; ice
cream from Volante’s and coal from Macpherson, the coalman. In later years they were
allowed on Saturday nights to cycle in to go to the “Pictures” at the Victoria Hall. It was
always breaking down and people would stamp their feet.
The family became friendly with many local folk, particularly Macphersons. They visited
Christine (Chrissie) Macpherson who was a teacher and dancing instructor and also Cath
Hunter. They often visited “Ginger Lizzie” and Alec Macpherson, an elderly couple in
Garraline Terrace, who were keen clan folk. Lady Stewart Macpherson from Balavil would
drive out to the farm. They would also visit “Old Mrs Glentruim” who was “married on a
Dunlop” (of tyre fame). Shelagh recalls the Doctor, “Boysie” Orchard. Shelagh’s mum had to
go round to his house regularly for treatment and the children played there with the
doctor’s family. Another regular visit was to the Cattanachs in Columba House, the former
manse, now a hotel. “Old Evan” was the provost and ran a café.
Shelagh always stays in room 3 at the Duke Hotel during the Macpherson Clan Gatherings.
This room was always used by the family and, because Mum was in a wheelchair, everyone
would go to the room after the main ceilidh and have an after-ceilidh until 3 or 4am. The
whole Hotel (all Macphersons) would gather there with the blessing of the owner, Bill
Patterson, who was a close friend. Father was one of the founding members of the
Association in 1947 and became chairman. In 2009 Shelagh became Chairman and has now
been a life member for 50 years.
By an amazing coincidence, when tracing her family tree, Shelagh discovered that her
ancestor Angus Macpherson had been a tenant farmer on Invertromie Farm!