OBITUARY: Passing of Allan Fraser Taylor marks the end of an era for Black Isle business as friends mourn much-loved man
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THE passing of Allan Fraser Taylor is an end of an era for Munlochy on the Black Isle. Allan was the fifth generation in A Taylor & Son’s business; a well-known and much-loved character with his fox Labrador, Wallace, latterly always by his side.
He was born in Munlochy to his parents Florence (nee Holm) and Alistair Taylor where he grew up with his three sisters: Ann, Rosemary (Romy) and, the youngest, Sue. His parents built their house, Dungrianach, just up the road from their shop looking onto Munlochy Bay and they established a beautiful garden where Alastair kept bees. It was there that Allan spent a happy childhood. He was interested in sport and was soon playing golf, football and rugby as a schoolboy. He also enjoyed fishing – sometimes poaching.
The family’s world centred around Munlochy and the adjacent communities. Inverness felt like a far-away place as there was no bridge over the firth until 1982 and so the family’s shop and associated businesses was really the centre of the community. His grandfather and father were both tailors to trade, as well as grocers and his father, Alistair, took his drapery business over to the Highland west-coast mainland in his van, where Allan sometimes accompanied him. The young Allan enjoyed his trips to Poolewe, Achilitbuie, Little Loch Broom and Ullapool, chatting to everyone he encountered on route. It was his dad who made the shop the first self-service grocery shop on the Black Isle, a Spar franchise, realising that times were changing.
Allan’s education came as much from the school of life as Munlochy Primary and Fortrose Academy.
He was undeniably clever, able to achieve good results with apparently little effort. He went on to study at Aberdeen University initially studying history and philosophy but he’d cheerfully acknowledge that it wasn’t for him. He enjoyed himself way too much outside lectures to bother getting up in time to go to many! Instead, he came home and worked on the roads for a while. He went on to study a Town and County Planning degree at Duncan of Jordanstone in Dundee. There was plenty more socialising during these years but he completed his qualification.
Unfortunately his graduation coincided with a dearth of jobs in his field. He returned home and took on labouring jobs, then entered the oil industry; first as a rigger, working up to the role of regional manager in drilling companies, living all over the world: Egypt, Brunei ,Holland to Norway.
It was while Allan was working in Norway that his father announced his retirement and Allan, whose heart had always belonged to Scotland, decided to return to take over the family business, the fifth generation of Taylors to do so. He lived in Burnside which had always been the Taylor family base, right next to the shop. He was pleased to fit back into his network of friends in the Highlands, and delighted to be able to utilise his life membership of Fortrose and Rosemarkie Golf Club and Ross County Football Club; he was a very proud lifelong Staggies' fan.
Allan needed to work hard to keep building up the business so it would survive the pressures of competition from the big supermarkets in nearby Inverness. He was a generous person, always delighted to support local initiatives and local people, from sponsoring the primary school’s football kit to sponsoring a golf competition; from helping support Munlochy village hall to being one of the Black Isle volunteers who drove people into town for hospital appointments or shopping.
Allan and his then partner, Gill, married in Norwich but the marriage faltered. Allan had no children although he loved those he encountered especially his niece and nephews.
Allan was always a keen traveller, and as well as the places he’d actually worked, he visited New York (for Tartan Week), as a Scottish supporter in the Six Nations rugby matches abroad and many golfing destinations with his friends; many escapades accompanied each trip. His friends and co-conspirators included Peter ‘Doc’ Mackenzie, Ivar Campbell, Alan Henderson (known as Fred), Willie Main, and many others; Allan and Ivar used to perform together at the Mull Folk Festival, dressed as ministers. Allan was a bit of a showman, delighted to sing and dance at the drop of a hat.
He knew the words for countless Scottish ballads and was happy to lead any sing along be it for friends, family or the wider public.
Allan’s life wasn’t without sadness and trauma. He was devastated by the deaths of people close to him, especially his much-loved sister, Romy who died aged 50, and his niece, Alison, Ann’s daughter who died at the age of only 12. One of his good friends, Chris Rae, died in a quad bike accident in 2007, with Allan on the back of the quad at the time. It was a very hard time for Allan.
Being a Highland man and an oil man, Allan was used to drinking heavily and the rate of his drinking increased until he suffered a heart attack and was told that his liver was compromised. To his great credit, Allan made the decision to stop drinking, and he did. It can’t have been an easy time for him but he was adamant that his friends continued to drink as they wished in his presence. He and he alone was the one who had decided not to risk his life for a second more, to consider his life worth living.
The Spar shop was leased to Co-op group, becoming one of the Highland’s network of Scot-mid stores, still serving small local communities and passing trade. Never the less, Allan’s own front door was still always open to friends and acquaintances. He wasn’t done with work yet, and, although he made very little money at it, he started using his home for Airbnb; becoming a renowned super host.
He wasn’t interested in amassing money, as he really enjoyed meeting people. His overseas guests were thrilled, delighted to hear all the stories about the area and Allan’s interest in and knowledge of local history. He would regularly take his guests out for free grand tours to show off the land he loved. Accordingly, he made many new friends, from places as diverse as Denmark and China.
To the commuting passers- by he was also known as ‘The Flag Man’; he would hoist up arriving guests’ flag of their country of origin, unless, of course, they were English. That’s where he drew the line, and would put up only their county flag instead!
Allan was a staunch SNP member and supporter. This was especially evident outside the front of his house which could never be described as unassuming, a swathe of Saltire flags. Recently he was pleased to meet his MSP, Kate Forbes,and he once hoisted extra Scotland flags when the Scottish Tory leader at the time, Ruth Davidson, visited the Munlochy Hotel.
It was very appropriate that Wild Mountain Thyme, was chosen to sing at his funeral service, not only because it’s quintessentially Scottish; the line that stands out ‘We’ll all go together’ applies to Allan’s inclusiveness for everyone he knew.
At Tore cemetery 18 life-pals, in group formations of six, took it in turns to carry his sea-grass casket from the hearse to his grave side led by John Don Mackenzie, piper from Dornie. A fitting Highland tradition organised by Peter ‘Doc’ Mackenzie, Plockton, who conducted his heart-felt and moving eulogy at the service of hundreds in attendance and those watching online; a tribute to such a self-depreciating, modest and kind person.
