The huge attendance at the funeral of Dr John Adamson on Friday, led by the Reverend Fred Vincent of Glenelg, Kintail and Lochalsh Church of Scotland, assisted by the Reverend Roddie Rankin, Kyle Free Church, was testimony to the local regard for this esteemed and much loved resident of Kyle of Lochalsh.
The beautifully crafted eulogy by his daughter Elaine and a highly appropriate Gaelic poem read by Ben MacKinnon, husband of John’s great granddaughter Eilidh, contributed to a fitting and uplifting service celebrating the full life of this special man.
The passing of Dr John Adamson, on November 11 aged 87, is a huge and sad loss to Kyle and Lochalsh, the communities which he served as a dedicated and highly respected general practitioner for almost 30 years. He was popular with patients and everyone in our west Highland community, generous with his time with a welcoming sense of humour and ready smile.
In addition to being an exemplary local doctor, with a natural fireside manner, he had a wide hinterland of interests, with an informed enthusiasm for the west coast waters, the landscape, wildlife and nature.
He was a kenspeckle figure on foot or on bicycle, exploring the Highland environment for which he had such affection, and he was a knowledgeable student of geology.
He played the pipes and had an insightful enjoyment of the great pipe tunes; he would have appreciated Iain Ruari Finlayson’s playing at the interment.
He had an impressive mastery of conversational Gaelic which he so enjoyed speaking to patients, at ceilidhs and church services.
He was a keen supporter of local charities – a regular at the Kyleakin Connections weekly café, actively involved with the RNLI in Kyle from which he derived so much pleasure. He was also a faithful elder and session clerk in the Church of Scotland to which he was so devoted, but also always respectful of people of all faiths. He had a great love of books and literature – and much much more: what we once called in Scotland ‘a lad of pairts’ – a gifted polymath indeed.
Of course, first and foremost he was a patriarch for his family for whom he had such love and quiet pride in their achievements.
To Janice and all the family, the sympathy of friends and all who knew John is extended at this sad time as we grieve the loss of a great friend, a humble and admirable servant of our west Highland community: duine air leth, caraid anabarrach coibhneil – bi sinn ga chaoidh (a wonderful man, a special friend – we shall miss him): we shall not see his likes again.
Duncan Ferguson.