Calls for Lybster American link to be revived
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A CIVIC link between a Caithness village and a small island resort in America should be re-established to help perpetuate the memory of one of the former’s most famous sons, a former councillor has urged.
No contact has been made between Lybster and Fort Mackinac in Michigan for more than 30 years since they were officially twinned in the early 1980s.
The only sign of the connection is on the A99 entrance signs as motorists are welcomed to Lybster.
Few residents are even aware of the connection between the two places, separated by 5374 miles.
But former Caithness councillor Peter Sutherland believes this is a shame as the twinning had kept alive the story of one of the former herring port’s most famous citizens.
Mr Sutherland was part of a group which launched the link to recognise Lieutenant General Patrick Sinclair.
Between 1759 and 1784 he served with the Royal Highland Emigrant Regiment during the American Revolution, when he held the post of Lieutenant-Governor of Michilimackinac, which covered most of Michigan.
During the revolution, following victories in Ohio and Illinois, Sinclair moved Fort Michilimackinac from its exposed location on the northernmost point of the lower peninsula of Michigan to Mackinac Island.
To avoid confusing the shipping lines, the new fort and town was renamed Fort Mackinac.
Construction began in 1779 and was completed in 1781, but the site had not been finished when Sinclair was called back to Britain to face a court martial over expenses he had incurred while building the fort.
Sinclair died in 1820 and was buried in Lybster, where his grave remains, as well as a plaque commemorating his command of Michilimackinac and the founding of Fort Mackinac.
In the early 1980s Mr Sutherland said efforts were made to create an active twinning with Fort Mackinac, but these had proved short-lived and all contact quickly disappeared.
He would like to see an attempt being made to reconnect Lybster with its American counterparts as he thinks it would be good for the village.
He said: “Unfortunately nobody in Lybster seems bothered about the twinning link.
“The interest originally came from the United States as people there were interested to find out what Lybster was like.
“It seemed a great idea but the problem was that the community council at the time didn’t understand what was involved in the initiative.
“Communications didn’t last long and it’s sad that more hasn’t been done here to carry on the link.
“It’s something the village should try to keep alive. More should be done to show Lybster has a link with the United States.”
Fort Mackinac, based on Mackinac Island, has a population of 492 but welcomes up to 15,000 visitors a day during the tourist season.
Attempts were made to contact representatives of Mackinac Island to discuss the link with Caithness, but no response was received.
There are three known twin town links associated with towns and villages in Caithness, but the only active one is between Thurso and Brilon in Germany, which has been established for more than 40 years.
Wick is twinned with Klaksvik in the Faroe Islands, but the future of the tie-up is in doubt after Wick councillors called for it to be wound up over whaling practices in the Faroes.
