A HIGHLAND businessman died when his car went off the road and plunged down an embankment as he drove to Glasgow for the birth of his first grandchild.
Douglas Moyes, from Wester Ross, was alone in his vehicle when it left the A82 and ploughed into trees at the side of the busy trunk road in Lochaber.
The 64-year-old electrician – known as Dougie – was described last night as “great fun and very popular”.
He stayed at Achintraid, Kishorn, Lochcarron, with his wife Nana. The couple have two grown-up children, Mairi and Jamie.
Neighbour Helen Murchison, who is chairwoman of Lochcarron Community Council, said locals had been left “shocked and devastated” by his death.
She said his wife had already travelled to Glasgow to be with their daughter, who is expecting their first grandchild next week.
Mr Moyes was on his way to join them for the happy event when the accident happened at Corrychurrachan, about four miles south of Fort William, about 1.15pm on Tuesday.
Mrs Murchison said: “This was their first grandchild and they were so excited about it, so the whole thing has been a terrible blow to the whole community.
“Our thoughts are with the family and we will do everything we can to support them.”
Mr Moyes ran his own electrical business, D.C. Moyes (Electrical Contractor), and was well known across the area as he travelled all over Wester Ross and Skye.
Mrs Murchison said he had a thriving business and was always busy.
“I’ve known him for many years,” she said. “Dougie was great fun and very popular. He would do anything for you and was very good with the old age pensioners. If they had a wee job needing doing, he used to do it for free.
“This is a very sad day for the whole community. It’s been a real blow to everybody here.
“Dougie will be very much missed. This is quite an elderly community and it’s hard to believe that one of the more active members of the community has been taken away.”
Mr Moyes, who came from Glasgow, moved to Wester Ross to work as an electrician at the Howard Doris Yard at Kishorn in the late 1970s.
He married a girl from Shieldaig and, when the yard closed, the couple stayed in the area and he set up his own business.
Their daughter, Mairi Johan Moyes, is a talented jewellery designer who lives in the Glasgow area and their son, Jamie, lives in New Zealand. He is flying home to be with the family.
Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch MSP Dave Thompson, who is an active road-safety campaigner, said last night: “It is very sad to hear of any deaths on the roads and particularly to hear of another death on the A82.
“My heart goes out to the family at this difficult time.
“I will continue to press Transport Scotland to complete the route-improvement plan currently being carried on the A82 south of Fort William, and to implement improvements on the road as soon as they possibly can.”
The fatal crash happened on Tuesday afternoon and police have appealed for witnesses to contact them.
Meanwhile, the occupants of two cars and a van escaped uninjured when the vehicles were involved in a crash on the A82 yesterday morning.
The accident happened close to the Lodge on the Loch Hotel at Onich just after 9.20am. An ambulance was called to the scene but was not needed.