Relatives made an emotional pilgrimage to the Highland capital yesterday to pay their respects to a young Inverness-born serviceman who died in action almost 60 years ago.
Royal Marine Alexander (Alasdair) MacDougall was shot by a sniper while on lookout duty in the Troodos Mountains on Cyprus in June 1958.
A 15-strong group of relatives including two of his sisters travelled from across Britain and France for a special ceremony at The Cenotaph in Cavell Gardens.
They were joined by serving and former service personnel and local civic leaders at the event, organised by the Royal British Legion Scotland.
The service was conducted by RBL Scotland Inverness branch padre Reverend Alastair Murray and assisted by the Reverend Peter Donald of the city’s Crown Church.
Mr MacDougall’s name is the latest to be added to the roll of honour of the post-1945 fallen.
The ex Inverness sea cadet died at the age of 20.
It was a poignant service for two of his three surviving sisters who were able to make the trip and who were given the task of unveiling the updated roll.
The two women, who have been to Cyprus several times in recent years to visit his grave, both travelled from North Uist for yesterday’s ceremony.
The youngest of his four sisters Catherine Third, 68, said: “It’s very nice to see his name in Inverness and to know that he’s been remembered.”
His eldest sister, 76-year-old Margaret MacQuarrie, said: “He was our only brother. He was a special guy.
“It was a very moving ceremony. I’m just glad that his name is on the plaque in Inverness, where he belonged. He spent most of his young life here.
“We felt sad at that time that his remains never came home – it was simply the policy at that time.
“The thing that I kept wishing was that my mother Isobel had been alive to know about this occasion.
“I feel sad that she didn’t – and my (late) sister (Rosemary), in Australia. Rosemary died 14 years ago.”
Mr MacDougall, the son of a policeman, was born in the Culcabock area of Inverness.
He is buried at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery of Wayne’s Keep near Nicosia.
