Scottish couple’s love affair with remote coastal village immortalised in innovative eco memorial bench

A Scottish couple’s lifelong love affair with the beautiful coastal village of Portmahomack has been immortalised for posterity in an innovative eco memorial bench. Angus and Eileen McFazdean both passed away in 2020 after nearly 60 happy years together. During their long marriage they brought their family to Portmahomack on many summer holidays after falling in love with the East coast Highlands village in 1975. Now the couple’s family have immortalised their story through an innovative memorial bench featuring a QR code which can be scanned via mobile phone by anyone who passes by.

Not just that, the TDP memorial bench, has been made from entirely recycled plastic along with a planter commemorating the couple. Angus and Eileen’s son Andy said: “My parents used to go away on holiday to Portmahomack for two weeks in the summer and as kids we made a lot of friends in that area. “It’s one of the greatest things that my mum and dad did for us. We had girlfriends there and went back to visit all the time. “My parents had a great life and Portmahomack is where they were happiest. We put their ashes amongst pebbles and compost in the planter and have added alpines, daffodils, lilies and other colourful flowers.”

As well as a QR code allowing passers by to remember the McFazdeans, the planter features a special engraving with the co-ordinates of Portmahomack, along with ‘Dolphin view’ – the holiday caravans where the family used to stay which are still there today. Andy, who now lives in Birmingham but travels regularly to Portmahomack to visit his parents’ bench and keep the planter topped up, said: “The QR code feature is a great idea. People can read my parents’ story. My best friend up there, he’s read the story about how I met his parents. It’s there for generations to come and for us as a family to come back to that place. “For me, one of the most important things is the quality of the materials, the fact they are recycled and they last a long time is just brilliant. They make a bench that is going to be durable and meant a tree didn’t have to be cut down.”

Angus and Eileen McFadzean first met in Johnstone in 1963. Angus was a truck driver for WH Malcolm  Ltd and Eileen Hanlon was a florist for James Jack. When the couple married, it was at the time known as a ‘mixed marriage’ as Angus was Protestant and Eileen Catholic. The McFazdeans and their family first set eyes on Portmahomack when visiting friends in Clashmore near Dornoch. After falling in love with the village they booked a holiday the following year at a caravan site owned by the Smart family, and ‘The Port’ remained the place they were happiest over many years. Kym Barlow, financial director at TDP, said: “Memorial benches are a core part of our service at TDP. We are very proud of how we have been able to help people grieve and remember loved ones with our benches. “Recycled plastic is a great material for a memorial bench because it is very durable. Our customers tell us that our benches are looking as good as new year after year and this adds to the comfort we are able to provide through our products. It’s very sad for families when tributes to the memories of loved ones start to fade. “We offer bespoke engraving on our benches as well as traditional plaques and we are seeing a remarkable rise in demand this year. We are told by customers that having a memorial bench helps with the grieving process, enabling them to sit in peace and remember the happy times they spent together. “We are so happy that the McFazdean family appreciate their memorial bench and planter and the beautiful spot where they are placed forever.”

Here at  TDP we have nearly double the demand for our memorial benches this year from families who want long-lasting and personal tributes to their loved ones. We make outdoor furniture entirely from recycled plastic, and we are seeing a steep demand in memorial benches and we on track to see around twice as many orders as last year. Its unique ‘My Place and Story’ QR code service can also be used in parks and open spaces, allowing visitors to read about the place they are in by scanning the code.