Strathy reporter to be laid to rest near family home

The life of Strathy reporter Clive Dennier will be celebrated next Friday (June 14).

There will be a private family burial on Thursday followed by a service of thanksgiving the next day at 12 noon at Christ Church Aughton near Ormskirk in Lancashire.

Donations wil be collected in aid of the mountain rescue services.

Family flowers only and people do not need to wear black.

The family have said that refreshments afterwards will be available in the Ministry Centre next door to the church.

Clive’s body was discovered in a river on Friday at Kinloch Hourn.

A post mortem was completed yesterday (Wednesday) and concluded that Clive had died as a result of a head injury and drowning.

There are no suspicious circumstances and it is believed that he must have fallen and hit his head before entering the water.

The popular journalist, who was based at the newspaper’s Kingussie office, disappeared after going hillwalking over the weekend of March 23-24.

Tributes continue to be paid to Clive.

Colleagues at the Labour Party offices in Inverness, where he was as a press officer prior to joining the Strathy full-time in August 2011, said that he was a joy to work with.

Former Scottish Education Minister Peter Peacock commented: "One thing is for sure, if you were with Clive there would always be laughter. But not just fun but also a keen analysis of contemporary events, a deep compassion for fellow humankind and our weaknesses and the challenges we encounter, with varying degrees of success.

"All met with a quiet yet firm commitment to his guiding beliefs.

"I first met Clive when he worked for the P&J and I was a local councillor involved in the running of Highland Regional Council and then Highland Council. "Our paths crossed when I was in the Scottish Parliament and as a Minister, and Clive was ever the professional journalist, with no side to him, no chips on any shoulder, likeable and fair.

"Then he came to work with me and colleagues in our parliamentary office. Much serious debate, much fun and joking, much encouragement to him to finally embrace the most modern of technology!

"I am very saddened he has gone, with so much yet to give, but I am thankful our paths crossed, and that he enriched so many lives. An honest, humorous, generous and gentle man."

He also worked for Labour Highland regional MSPs David Stewart and Rhoda Grant.

Mr Stewart said: "Clive was a very good Journalist and was a valuable member of our team in Inverness. Nothing was ever to much for him, he was always so obliging. He will be sadly missed."

Mrs Grant said: "He was respected in the journalistic world, he was amenable and always willing and a free spirit. He was very much part of our team, part of our extended family and we will all miss him."

Another former work colleague Liza Gilhooly said: "He always had an infectious smile that rubbed off on all his colleagues. He loved to travel and I will miss him sharing his stories from his time overseas. Clive always saw the best in people.

"He was a wonderful friend and I miss him dearly."

Clive spent much of his free time hillwalking in the Highlands and was often joined by his friend Mike Cawthorne.

He said: "Clive was a regular partner on countless hill climbs and walks over some 30 years, mainly in the Scottish Highlands, and with his passing I’ve lost not just a close friend but someone who’s shared a huge part of my life.

"He was a brilliant companion, always funny and high-spirited, and he had a kind of natural charisma that I don’t think he was aware of.

"He was pretty resilient when it came to the outdoors - for instance he would think nothing of bivouacking on the side of a hill, even in the middle of winter or when pouring rain was forecast.

"And he loved nothing better than exploring somewhere new, so I wasn’t surprised when I heard he’d gone out walking at Kinlochourn, not a spot I’d ever been to with him. But he chose the stormiest weekend of the winter.

"My deepest condolences to his family."

Some tributes from Facebook in memory of Clive:

Tanya McLaren: Everything that has been said so far, shows how well liked and respected he was by everybody. It’s very sad.

Sarah Quirie: Such a lovely man.

Laura Hänsler-Ross: Clive such a lovely friendly caring man, helped me run a couple of disability awareness pieces in The Strathy, i wasnt very confident about my writting but Clive did everything he could to Bhoy my confidence along, end result because Clive belived in me and what i was saying, no edits were needed. Sorely missed genuine guy, rest in peace now xx

Ken Mcloughlin: RIP mate, we all miss you deeply

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