Kirkcaldy charity shop find reunites family with long-lost photograph

Catriona Nicol was buying a gift for her mother a charity shop in Kirkcaldy when she discovered the photograph of Jacky and Mary McKinlay inside a book of Burns' poetry.

She explained: “I purchased the book from the Cairn Centre for my mother's birthday. She loves Burns poetry so I thought it was the perfect present. Inside was the photograph. I asked the staff members if they knew anything about it, but they said as they deal with house clearances, it could have come from anywhere”.

Catriona took to Facebook to try to get the photograph reunited with the family.

She explained: "I put the picture with the additional little message in the book up on Kirkcaldy Connected and asked people to share it.

With the post being shared on Facebook, it allowed Catriona to link up with Emma Rutherford, the great-niece of Jacky and Mary, who was delighted to be reunited with the photograph.

Catriona said: “I didn’t actually think it would work that well to be honest, so I was very pleased to get the message from Emma. It felt lovely reuniting the picture with the family. Emma said it really made her day”.

Emma said she would then be able to pass the photograph on to Kenny Arnott, the grandson of Jacky and Mary, reuniting him with the long-lost photo – although, Kenny, who live sin Dunfermline, said it came as a surprise to be reunited with the picture. He added: “The morning it happened, I opened the message and it freaked me out a bit to be fair”.

The family aren’t certain about how the photograph was lost. However, Kenny said he thinks it was probably lost during a house clearance following Jacky and Mary’s passing. He explained: “Their son came across from Canada, and no one knew it had happened but he sold everything in the house”.

The couple who were in their 90s and married during the Second World War, both passed away within six weeks of each other in 2004. Mary was from Seaham in Durham, whilst Jacky was from Lochgelly. At the time of passing they lived in Cuil Grove, Parkneuk.

The photo is dated August 17, 2002, but Kenny said the family have been “racking their brains” trying to work out what the event was, and where it was taken.

“I tried to work out where they were. The clothes my gran was wearing she bought for the Queen’s garden party at Holyrood. I thought it was that but when you look at it there wouldn’t be a park bench in Holyrood and there would be more people, s I think it’s been someone’s wedding after that – but I can’t work out whose wedding it would be”.

Kenny said that the photograph is one of very few remaining of the couple. He explained: “We had no pictures at all. We had a couple from my wedding day, but that was 1985 so it was a while ago. We didn’t have anything else because I’m not one for taking pictures.

Emma said she intends to send the photograph to Kenny, but he said he’s happy with his digital copy.