A Highland Funeral

Today was the funeral of John Farquhar Munro who was the Lib Dem Scottish Parliament member for Skye and Lochalsh from 1999 to 2011.

John was my co-sponsor for the first Gaelic Language Bill on 2002 and we worked together on a range of issues over the years. He was an extraordinary man with a massive range of experiences and abilities - he was a councillor in the Highlands for 33 years and had been a merchant seaman, contractor, mechanic, haulier and many other things.

Above all he had a passion for his native Gaelic and for Highland Culture, something that was evident from the service today which included much music and an informative, witty and moving eulogy in both languages from Hugh Dan Maclennan.

After the service , which was in a marquee by the main road at Kintail, we all went to the dramatically sited buried ground at Clachan Duich where, in the cold wind under the shadow of snow covered hills, he was finally laid to rest in sight of his home.

Such is the nature of a Highland Funeral that I found myself , in the first formal "lift" of the coffin from the cemetery gate, partnered with Danny Alexander, one of the remaining Highland Liberal MPs and currently Chief Secretary to the Treasury in the UK coalition. And my place on the next lift was taken by Charles Kennedy, the former Lib Dem leader and the local MP who JF, as he was known, had worked hard to get , and remain , elected.

In truth this picture of the final moments of the internment , after the piper had finished playing, is accurate but misleading. Behind me were several hundred others , from near and far, who had come to say farewell to a good man and generous friend.