Caithness civic leader's New Year spoon-playing attracts tens of thousands of viewers
Caithness civic leader Willie Mackay has been entertaining tens of thousands of online viewers with his first spoon-playing session of 2021.
Smartly attired for New Year, he tapped out a rousing selection of well-known Scottish melodies in Bothy Night style in front of a roaring log fire in his cottage at Oldhall.
Councillor Mackay's first Saturday night "Tunes on the Spoons" of the year attracted 30,000 overnight views on Facebook. By the start of this week the number had shot up to 56,000.
Comments came in from around the UK and Europe and from as far as away as Canada, America, Australia and New Zealand.
Councillor Mackay, who hails from Embo, began posting his spoon-playing in May last year in appreciation of NHS staff and frontline workers, including his two daughters – Samantha Law, working at Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin, and Kirstin Mackay, at Caithness General Hospital in Wick.
“Scores of complimentary comments have centred around viewers being cheered up in this unprecedented pandemic," Councillor Mackay said. "Lots of requests have come in asking for tips on how to hold the spoons and many more would like a shout out for their special birthday, anniversary or a forthcoming celebration.
“I’ve done 36 straight Saturday nights on the spoons and I’d like to continue pounding my fingers and knees to favourite Scottish tunes. I must admit, I never thought after the first one minute and 40 seconds, eight months ago, that I would still be spooning away – but I’m enjoying it immensely.
"And I couldn’t ask for a better producer, director, sound and lighting engineer, staging and wardrobe adviser than my wonderful wife Glynis."