The village of Plockton was saddened by news of the passing of John Taylor (the oldest resident) at an Elgin Care Home - he had only been there for a couple of months.
John was 94 years and 10 days when he died. In general his health and memory were good, with his knees the main problem.
Born in Rogurt, Sutherland, in 1930, John’s father was the Reverend William Taylor and his mother, Catherine, was a primary school teacher. John had four sisters but they all predeceased him.
His father died when he was only five and his mother died when he was 19 and away doing military service. By this time the family had moved to Helmsdale.
With no parents at that young age, the family moved to Edinburgh. After his military service, John attended vet school in Edinburgh. His first job was in Haddington, then in Inverness for a year before moving to Elgin in 1955.
He met Catherine, from Plockton, who was a physiotherapist in Elgin in the mid 1960s and they married in 1966.
Whilst in Elgin he joined Elgin vet Andrew Buie to form Buie and Taylor, a partnership that lasted them to retirement in 1989.
After learning to sail in Plockton, he built a Mirror dinghy in Elgin, which he originally sailed in Plockton before buying a Wayfarer, “Bata Gorm”, which John and his wife Catherine would sail in the Plockton Regatta.
When John and Catherine retired to 27 Harbour Street, Plockton, they quickly got involved in village life. He loved to sing and joined The Lochalsh Singers, and the couple also both enjoyed playing Bridge.
They both enjoyed working in their garden and going out to lunch with friends.
John was on the hall committee and, following a major renovation in 1995, they presented a piano to the hall which is still in use. John was a regular attender in church up to his 80s.
In his university days John was a keen rugby player and he enjoyed some of the local annual outings to watch Scotland, who sadly never won in the nine trips that he made.
The all-male party enjoyed his company and his many jokes and stories.
At ceilidhs he would sing his favourite party piece, By the Bright Shining Light of the Moon.
John had a great sense of humour, a cheeky smile and he was a true Highland gentleman, loved by young and old in the village.
He will be much missed, with Plockton not quite the same place without him.
John lived alone for five years after Catherine died and was well looked after by the care at home team, his family and district nurses.
A very large crowd attended his funeral in Plockton Church, conducted by the Reverend Roddie Rankin. Organist was Catherine Will and a cremation followed in Inverness.
Sympathy is expressed to John’s son Ian in Plockton and daughter Fiona in Edinburgh.
A collection was taken for the Care at Home team and Andersons Care Home (charity) in Elgin who looked after John so well in his final months. CM
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