Obituary: Highland newspaperman was old-school journalist with hundreds of contacts from all walks of life

A tribute to Laurence Ford who worked as a freelance journalist covering holiday leave for a number of years at the Strathy up to 2015.

He would call into the Claymore Bar in Grantown for a lunchtime pint of Guinness armed with his Daily Mail whilst working out of the newspaper's Strathy office in the town.

A good journalist never takes things at face value.

In a press release, statement or interview, he or she always looks to see if anything has been hidden away either deliberately or mistakenly.

You are looking for the line that will make your story special.

And so it is with this touching order of service for my pal Laurence Ford. He was a great journalist and would have spotted it straight away.

And it is actually a line – it’s that little one between 1949 and 2021.

For that little line represents 71 years of a life well lived at work and play.

A talented journalist and fine outdoorsman and good father, family man, friend and companion.

I first met Laurence 43 years ago when I moved to Inverness. It was in a pub of course – I’m not sure which one, probably the Gellions, as it was one of those nights.

He was holding court at the bar entertaining a group of newspapermen with an exceedingly long and bawdy poem.

Our paths and careers criss-crossed over the decades and in the last 19 years we became firm friends and colleagues.

He was an old school journalist and proud of it. He was honest, accurate, determined and could turn around a story quickly and in a lucid manner that required little or no alteration.

He was likeable and loved the craic with folk – and as the pub was the haunt of journalist, he built up hundreds of contacts from all walks of life.

He also spent many years covering the courts in around the Highlands and was equally at home conversing with sheriffs, lawyers, fiscals, police and often the rogues that had been in the dock.

Over the years he therefore built up an extensive contacts book which was the envy of others.

Amongst the Ss was Sir Rod Stewart and in the Ps was Led Zeppelin star Jimmy Page – no doubt a contact made in the heady days when rock star Page owned Boleskine House, one time home of notorious black magician Aleister Crowley.

Laurence was an enthusiastic angler, deer stalker and a very good shot. He loved the outdoors and was familiar with many rivers and hills around the Highlands and had the strength to drag a stag from the hillside.

Laurence’s career in newspapers saw him work for the P&J, The Highland News and North Star and spells as a freelance journalist with his stories appearing in the dailies, Sundays and local papers.

He also loved working in outlying offices especially the Strathspey & Badenoch Herald in Grantown.

The pinnacle of his career was the 14 years he spent as editor of the Ross-shire Journal bringing all his experience and skills to successfully running the busy weekly title.

Laurence left journalism almost four years ago and took up a new career with his beloved partner Seonaid (Ross) running the guest house at Moorcroft in Inverness.

Here are a few comments I found in the guest book – “Great craic”, “Best B&B in the world”, “Excellent hospitality – Laurence is a great host and true Highland gent”.

Doesn’t that just sum him up?

Laurence Ford was laid to rest at Daviot Churchyard by Inverness on March 31.

Contributed: Paul Breen

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