• Durness Highland Gathering Association are delighted to announce Mr and Mrs Donnie and Katie MacDougall will be our joint Chieftains at the 2024 Durness Highland Gathering.

• Donnie moved to Durness in 1979 having previously worked in the

  gamekeeping profession and using his musical talents to play in a Scottish dance band. Since moving to Durness Donnie kept up his gamekeeping pursuits in various guises including running the hatchery for Cape Wrath,re-stocking the lochs, and helping run a local clay pigeon group, where he was always willing to coach anyone showing potential. Donnie is a founder member of the very well-known local band “Blue Ridge”, entertaining at many functions across the Highlands and beyond over the years.

• Before Katie moved to Durness she worked as the Community Midwife

  for the Braes area of Falkirk. Having always wanted to work in the

  Highlands she moved to Durness in 1998 to continue her nursing career, taking up the position of District Nurse/Midwife in the Durness,

  Kinlochbervie and Scourie area. During Katie’s nursing career she has

  gone above and beyond her duties and provided excellent nursing skills, delivering babies and helping many families and individuals over the years. With her great knowledge and caring nature she was a great asset to medical care in the North West Sutherland area and beyond.

• Donnie and Katie are very well known for their musical talents. Both

  talented accordion players, it was this love of music that brought them

  together in Durness before they married in 2004. Generous with their

  time and keen to pass on their skills, they were both part of a very

  successful “Durness Music Group” which was set up to tutor children and adults in the area to learn how to play various musical instruments. Here Donnie and Katie utilised their talents to provide accordion tuition.

  Donnie and Katie also became a very popular accordion duo, playing at many local events and occasions in the North West Sutherland area.

  Both Donnie and Katie’s families will be joining them on their big day on Friday 26th July 2024.

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