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Caithness Field Club

Caithness Field Club Annual General Meeting 1992; CHAIRMAN'S ADDRESS

Welcome to our Annual General meeting.

The 1991 Summer Outings proved popular.

Ernest Jones drove us around the Castles, and D.B.Miller told us about the castle builders.

Alan Abernethy surpassed himself in arranging the Durness week-end. The Friday gales abated on Saturday, allowing the ferry to shuttle the Club across the Kyle for a sunny walk and bus to the lighthouse. On Sunday, Alan avoided the rain by holding the boat trip underground.

Gordon Wilson took us through a tunnel of brilliant yellow gorse to the extensive Wag of Forss and for good measure found us a broch, a burnt mound and a souterrain.

Ken Butler got in some alpine practice locating plants an the vertical sides of hills behind Helmsdale.

Sunset at Dunbeath turned to down-pour at Dunbeath, but as we cowered behind the graveyard wall, Les Myatt told us what was visible just above the storm clouds.

I took a few hardy souls up Ben Hope, meeting David Oliver's knees on his way down, and were rewarded with spectacular views. The less energetic were driven far by Les Myatt to see Dun Dornadilla, stone rows, and the graveyard near Kinbrace.

Jess Campbell led us through occasional showers up the Yarrows Trail, a brave initiative which links the brochs and cairns on the map. On the ground the sign posts pointed into the trackless heather.

John Porter took us around Halkirk which hooches with splendid old machinery, and mourned the passing of the distilleries.

Bob Walker took us to Langwell to see and hear the stags rutting, too busy chasing away rivals to notice us.

The Winter Programme was launched by our Silver Anniversary Dinner where Mr L.Hunter, a founder member, nimbly balanced the Club's past achievements with future ecological challenges.

Richard Hingley followed his tv appearance by taking us to pre-Roman and Roman times, and aroused our incredulity with the notion that brochs were built a status symbols.

Barbara Smith charmed the birds out of the trees and on to the Flow Country.

Our five-minute talkers proved as elastic with time as always. Dave Sprague projected 30 year old slides of Caithness. Tim Blackie perused the Pictish stones, some of which have taken to foreign travel. Gordon Wilson challenged us to an enigmatic photo quiz.

Charlie Simpson, fully recovered from his fall, told us the story of Stroma, and revealed the location of the Kennedy Mansion.

I want to thank all our speakers, expedition leaders, contributors to the Bulletin, our Editor, and your Committee for an instructive and enjoyable Silver Jubilee season.

Committee membership is not arduous. We meet four times a year to pick up our programmes, and need new committee members with new ideas. Think it over while Alan Abernethy presents his Treasurer's Report.

FIELD CLUB OFFICERS

CHAIRMAN Geoff Leet, 8 Burnside, Thurso 66989.

SECRETARY Marion Owen, 9 Tormsdale Place, Thurso 62999.

TREASURER Alan Abernethy, 1 Newton Avenue, Wick 2702.

VICE CHAIRMAN Margaret Abernethy.

Published in 1992 Bulletin