Nairn business community has led tributes to a former hotelier who has passed away after a short illness at a hospice in Clapham
THE business community of Nairn has led tributes to a former hotelier who has passed away after a short illness at a hospice in Clapham.
Rosemary Young OBE was a dynamic force promoting tourism in a town she fell in love with on a golfing holiday.
But it wasn't only in business she made her mark. Many organisations benefited from her generosity of spirit, energy and organisational skills.
Iain Fairweather, a friend and fellow member of VisitNairn described her as 'a dynamic, inspirational character and a dedicated ambassador for tourism'.
"She was a driving force within our own VisitNairn network and a strong voice on community issues. All of us I’m sure, and Nairn as a whole, will be poorer for her passing.
"Our thoughts are especially with her daughter Heather, son David and their families."
Local Hotelier Morag Holding said: "I first met Rosemary 30 years ago when she hosted my wedding at the Claymore House Hotel, the first she'd held there. She breezed through the task with confident enthusiasm, a firm hand on the tiller and easy humour. A style I came to know and admire.
"Rosemary had an extraordinary zest for life. Being around her made me want to try harder, achieve more, be better. When people talk of Rosemary they cite her determination, boundless energy and wicked sense of humour. They describe a strong, boldly opinionated woman who achieved so much for Scottish tourism. What people talk less about is her kindness and generosity.
"Rosemary took many young people who had taken the wrong path in life under her wing. She provided them with jobs, encouraged them to seek qualifications and determinedly set them back on the right road whenever they wavered."
Born in Ipswich and growing up in London and Hertfordshire Rosemary embarked on an eventful and varied career starting out in the music industry in London at Abbey Road studios to criss-crossing the globe as a senior BOAC stewardess.
After having children she became a successful pony breeder and shepherdess. Having been an accomplished horsewoman since a young age it was a natural progression to enter the realms of horse judging for which she travelled all over the country to such major competitions as the Royal Highland, Royal Windsor, Horse of the Year Show, Royal International and even Australia.
She even found time to reignite her passion for golf when her children had become older and it was on a golfing holiday to Nairn in 1991 that she fell in love with the area. The skill sets she’d gained in the airline stood her in good stead for starting a career in hospitality which would span 30 years.
Heather said: ”As with everything she ever turned her hand to she was a complete success.”
“As well as running a multitude of successful businesses, her input as part of the government’s Welfare to Work programme saw her pass on her knowledge to the unemployed and school leavers to help them prepare for a career in hospitality.”
It was her expertise in this field of work and within the hospitality industry in general that saw her receive an OBE in the 2006 New Year’s Honours List.
A former Chair of Nairn West and Suburban Community Council she continued to take a close interest in local issues and only weeks before her diagnosis she successfully campaigned for new road signage near her home after a tragic fatal accident. She was also a part Chair of Nairn’s Rotary Club.
Heather added: “She faced her short illness with the same bravery and fortitude that she had shown throughout her life. She loved Nairn and never stopped trying to improve it for its residents.”
Her family hope to host a memorial for Rosemary in the Nairn in 2022. Using it as an opportunity to celebrate her life and raise valuable funds for both Pancreatic Cancer UK and the Royal Trinity Hospice, where she was cared for so exceptionally during her final days.
