The widow of a north councillor who died unexpectedly last month has revealed she is battling to take his place on the council.
Jennifer Barclay was praised for her “brave” decision to stand in the by-election, which comes just weeks after her husband Billy, 62, suffered a fatal heart attack.
The farmer was calving a cow alone at Boggiewell Farm, near Fortrose, when he took ill and his wife found him later. Despite her grief, she now hopes to carry on his legacy of hard work for the community as an independent councillor if she is elected to the Black Isle seat at next month’s by-election. She faces competition from other candidates, including council leader Drew Hendry’s wife, Jackie, chosen yesterday as the SNP candidate over former councillor Peter Cairns, and local 18-year-old Shaun Finlayson.
Mrs Barclay said: “I really want to carry on the work that Billy was doing. We had the same thoughts on what we wanted to do, make sure locals get housing and that children and young people get looked after.
“I’m very interested in local people and care in the community. We had a lot of things in common as far as people in the Black Isle are concerned.”
The 65-year-old said she had discussed with her husband running for the council at last year’s election, but decided against it.
She said: “We thought it wouldn’t be sensible to have two Barclays going in at the same time.”
The mother of four, Christopher, Mark, Stephen and Paula, and grandmother of six, ran the youth cafe at Fortrose with her husband for nine years and also works on the farm.
As a longstanding member of Fortrose Community Council, she often helped out if local residents called with problems while her husband was at council meetings. Mrs Barclay is a deacon at Avoch Congregational Church, where almost 1,000 people turned out to pay their respects at Mr Barclay’s funeral at the end of October.
Leader of the independent group on Highland Council, Carolyn Wilson, said: “Obviously, Billy will be hugely missed by the independent group but we’re are all delighted that Jennifer has made this brave move.”
Candidates have until 4pm on Monday to put their names forward and a by-election will be held on Thursday, December 19, with the count taking place the following day at Black Isle Leisure Centre in Fortrose.