Ross-shire man’s rich legacy celebrated by family across the globe as he turns 90
THE legacy of a man with deep roots in Ross-shire was celebrated when people from across the globe gathered to mark a milestone.
Peter Moodie’s family story is one of enterprise, resilience, and a strong connection to the Highlands.
Memories flowed as family and friends gathered in Conon Bridge to mark his 90th birthday.
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His grandfather, Henry Moodie, first made his mark in Dingwall by introducing the town’s first steam bakery in the early 1900s.
Tragedy struck when Henry’s son, Captain Ralph Moodie, was killed in the Great War. Seeking a new chapter, Henry sold the bakery and moved into farming at Drumderfit Farm on the Black Isle, later acquiring Brae Farm.
Henry’s son Edwin, Peter’s father, carried the family’s Highland connection abroad, working in South Africa, Australia (where Stan was born), and Malaysia (where Ian was born), before returning to Evanton.
Settling at Balconie Farm, Edwin and his wife Essa raised their five children - Stan, Ian, Bill, Peter and Anne -before eventually purchasing Teandallon Farm.
The farming tradition continued through Stan and Ian, with farms in Sutherland, Alness and later the Isle of Gigha.
Bill took a different path, building successful businesses that culminated in his purchase of the Munlochy Hotel.
Anne pursued nursing and emigrated to Canada, where she still lives today. Tragically, both Ian and Bill passed away at a young age, leaving behind their own legacies.
Peter, though he studied at Balmacara Agricultural College, was the one Moodie who chose not to farm. Instead, he joined the army in 1953, serving in post-war Germany, where he survived a serious car crash.
Returning to Ross-shire, he trained as a welder and settled in Conon Bridge with his new bride, starting a family of his own. He worked on the booming hydro schemes before moving south to Glasgow, where he took up work in the shipyards.
When the yards declined, Peter turned adversity into opportunity, using his redundancy funds to establish his own steel fabrication business, which he ran until retiring at 69.
Following a new chapter in his personal life, Peter remarried and continued building a life rooted in hard work and family. Now, at 90, he is the proud patriarch of a large and thriving family spread across the globe.
And bringing his family’s story full circle, he has just become a great-grandfather for the first time - to another Henry.
From the pioneering baker of Dingwall to the newest generation, the Moodie legacy continues.
Around 60 family members gathered at the Conon Bridge hotel to celebrate Peter’s 90th - fitting as it was Conon where he started his married life and where Stephen and Caroline were born.
Well-wishers came from as far afield as Canada and the Bahamas as well as Edinburgh, Glasgow and across Ross-shire. Great-grandson Henry behaved beautifully.
This story was included in the April 18 print edition of the Ross-shire Journal. If you have a picture or story to share, please email hector.mackenzie@hnmedia.co.uk or iona.macdonald@hnmedia.co.uk
