Tribute paid to the George Watson, who has died at the age of 89
GEORGE Watson, who has died at the age of 89, has been described as "one of the foremost experts on the history of Caithness."
The tribute was paid to him by Alan McIvor, the chairman of Thurso Heritage Society, who pointed out that Mr Watson was well-known throughout Caithness and further afield for his extensive knowledge of the area.
He came to Caithness to work at Dounreay and lived in Thurso. Mr Watson was a member of the Caithness Field Club and provided a number of articles for its bulletin over the years. He also wrote booklets on Old St Peter’s Church, John Gow the Orkney Pirate and provided information for other Caithness-related books.
Mr McIvor said: "I first got to know George some years ago, and I distinctly remember my first meeting with him. He was a gentleman, a quiet, modest man and extremely generous. His character never ever changed, and he was always willing to help. We shared information a lot, and until a few years back, we met in the passing on the street and chatted or updated each other on historical gleanings. He was certainly an enormous influence on my interest, and would tell me to keep going in my research. I and many others gleaned a lot from him. His passing is a big loss to Caithness, which he knew like the back of his hand. He will be deeply missed."