Kenneth MacKenzie

Attribution: unknown or not recorded

Kenneth MacKenzie

Born in Dublin, Ireland, Kenneth William Bain Mackenzie (Kennie) was belonged to a family from East Ross-shire in the village of Portmahomack. He was one of nine children with only two of them having been born in Ireland. The family home, ben View Cottage, Gaza Port, Portmahomack remained in the family for three generations, being sold by Kennie’s niece.
Kennie became a Salmon fisherman and was working in Dyke, near Forres when he married Isabella Tulloch, a nurse living in Forres in 1911. By 1921, he was the manager of salmon fishing for the Moray Firth Salmon Fisheries Company, based at Portsoy.
It is not known when he moved to live at the Toll house at Maryburgh, but documents show he was living there by 1930 where he was water bailiff for the Brahan estate. Kennie built a magnificent weather vane to commemorate the coronation of HM Queen Elizabeth II in 1952.
He conti9nued to live at the Tollhouse until 1954, when his wife died. He moved back to the family home at Portmahomack and lived with his sister Barbara until his death in 1973.

Kenneth MacKenzie

Photo donated by Mrs Margaret Beaton

Toll House

Attribution: Unknown

The Old Toll House situated at the Maryburgh end of Thomas Telford’s bridge, demolished and replaced by the “new” bridge in 1979.

Weather vane

                                                                                              Photo donated by Mrs Margaret Beaton

View from the Old Toll House looking at Thomas Telford’s bridge crossing the River Conon.

Page created on 6 April 2023

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