Bill Mowat was 'a great character' and had a life that was 'well lived'
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Bill Mowat, who passed away this week at the age of 80, was "a great character" and had a life that was "well lived".
These were the words paid in tribute to the former journalist and Highland councillor by Mark Gibson, who served with Bill on the board of Gills Harbour Ltd and on Dunnet and Canisbay Community Council.
Mr Gibson said: "We have lost a great character, a passionate advocate for the economic regeneration of this part of Caithness and someone with an encyclopaedic knowledge of the area he loved.
"Bill was always freely and generously giving of his knowledge, expertise, friendship and support. I remember in the days when I was his vice-chair at Gills I would ask him a question on something or other and not only would I get the answer but also the full background and history of how it came to pass. That was Bill.
"He had an aim to improve the lives of the residents of our area and he never let up in that, right to the end of his days. His views were sometimes controversial but he never let that put him off.
"He was always an advocate for green energy and a strong supporter of new technology. His public service principles held with him and shone through during the time I knew him."
Mr Gibson added: "I loved his anecdotes, and the connections he had made over his lifetime were wide-reaching. If I needed to know something, Bill was always an early port of call. I will miss you, Bill. Yours was a life well lived."
Eric Green, chairman of Dunnet and Canisbay Community Council, said: "Bill served our community in several roles over his lifetime with passion and commitment. He served the community council where his knowledge of planning was a great asset.
"Bill also possessed encyclopaedic knowledge of local history and it's fair to say we all learned things from him about our community we didn't know.
"He used this knowledge to great effect on many issues. Right to the end he was full of ideas and enthusiasm as to how the local community could be improved. He believed strongly in this area and the people who live in it."
Mr Green recalled the time when Bill arranged for rock star Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin to officially reopen the renovated Phillip's Harbour at Mey in 1979.
"Everyone ridiculed the notion of Jimmy Page coming up to open the harbour but Bill came up trumps and Jimmy arrived. Jimmy was an absolute gentleman and spent a lot of time there. He even attended a function at Mey hall afterwards. It was obvious he had a genuine friendship with Bill. It was quite a thing to get Jimmy Page up here to open a harbour."
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David Farquhar, who comes from Caithness and now lives in Texas, was a student with Bill at Edinburgh University in the early 1960s.
He said: "I’m shocked and deeply saddened to learn that my old friend Bill Mowat has passed away. He was one of these guys I expected to be around forever. Bill was indeed one of a kind. He was bright, articulate and passionate about politics.
"Bill certainly revelled in the local and national musical scene. In the early days he’d wax enthusiastically about new and upcoming bands and was a devout fan of talented groups such as Cream and individual performers such as Jimi Hendrix. He also organised and compered band shows."
Mr Farquhar added: "It’s hard for me to believe that Bill is no longer with us. He was a multi-talented individual who gave generously and selflessly of himself to promote causes that benefited the Caithness community. He will be sorely missed. I mourn his passing."
Roy Wares, of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, shared a story revealing how Bill had developed his communication skills from an early age. "In January 1955, a heavy blizzard stranded high school pupils from Mey and John O Groats in Wick because the roads were blocked with snow," Mr Wares recalled.
"The pupils were boarded in the then Station Hotel. Bill managed to get himself quoted in the Aberdeen Press and Journal as a representative for the pupils, probably about 30 in number."
The funeral service will be held at Canisbay church on Thursday, August 17, at 1pm.
