Memorial heartbreak for widow

Officials removed husband’s bench without warning.

A widow has spoken of her anger after officials removed a memorial to her husband from a stunning beauty spot without telling her.

Kathleen Nicol paid £120 to have a bench and plaque installed at the Glencoe Lochan in memory of Robert, who died in 1999.

She chose the site at the side of the spectacular man-made loch because it was a spot they had both loved.

But late last year she discovered that the Forestry Commission had removed the bench and replaced it with one of their own.

Mum-of-two Kathleen, 70, from Barlornock, Glasgow, claims she has been “struggling for months” to be given a compelling reason for the decision.

“Everything was done by the book and I paid £120 to cover expenses and even offered to pay for the bench’s upkeep,” she said.

“But it was removed without warning along with others and I only found out when a cousin living nearby told me.

“It was as if the memorial plaque would offend people and that our bench didn’t matter any more.

“It’s so upsetting and hurtful. I feel close to tears.

“My son Robert and I used to sit on the bench and talk about how much his dad loved the place.

“But I’ve just been told it is a policy to remove memorial benches.”

The Lochan was created by Lord Strathcona in the 19th Century for his homesick Native American wife.

It sits just a few miles north of the village of Glencoe and is surrounded by stunning conifers and rhododendrons.

Kathleen and former library attendant Robert, who were married for 36 years, were frequent visitors before he died from mesothelioma in 1999 aged just 62.

She still holidays in the area where she helps out at a charity shop and at flower shows.

Kathleen insists the bench placed 13 years ago had never drawn any objections.

She also claims the Forestry Commission refused her offer to pay for its upkeep.

A spokesman for the Forestry Commission said the large number of memorials at the Lochan were beginning to have an impact.

He added: “We made efforts to let everyone know what we were intending to do and tried to get in touch with as many people as we could to ask if they would like their plaques returned or would agree to them being placed on a large log specially prepared for the site.

“Where we haven’t been able to contact owners, we’ve put the plaques into storage.

“We appreciate that this is sensitive issue but we hope people will understand that keeping the site as pristine and natural as possible is a fitting memorial.”

“The benches that had been on site were of a variety of different styles that were not designed to be in a woodland setting, and some were showing signs of wear and tear and needed to be replaced.”

Kathleen’s heartache mirrors that of Steve and Diane Parker, whose daughter, Emily, 20, drowned in a kayaking accident in Glen Coe in 2010.

They were distraught to discover National Trust for Scotland bosses removed her memorial bench in May after just one complaint.