Retiral of Highland’s Chief Registration Officer

The Chief Registrar in the Highlands, who has married hundreds of couples in the Inverness area and overseen major improvements to the Registration Service, bows out today (Friday) after 34 years service.

Mrs Margaret Straube said farewell to her colleagues following a ceremony in the Council Chamber, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness, when tribute was paid to her outstanding service.

Margaret worked for the former Inverness Town Council in 1963-64 as an office junior in the Registration Office in Bank Street and returned to this service in 1974 after the arrival of her children, Fraser and Lesley.

She worked her way up the ranks after passing the examination in the Law and Practice of Registration in 1980 and two years later was appointed a Senior Registrar.
Margaret was appointed Chief Registrar for the Highlands in 1993, being responsible for more than 90 staff at 34 Registration Offices.

She has overseen the introduction of a computerised system of registration; digitally-imaged entries on-line; civil marriages at venues outwith Registration Offices;  civil partnerships and citizenship ceremonies.

There are now 103 premises licensed to host civil marriages in Highland and celebrities who tied the knot at a Highland wedding venue include Madonna, Jude Law, Helen Mirren and Joanna Lumley.

There have been more than 100 civil partnership ceremonies and 126 citizenship ceremonies for people from 30 countries.

Margaret said: “It has been a privilege to have been involved in so many important and sensitive occasions for so many people over the past 34 years.”

Alistair Dodds, Director of Corporate Services, said Margaret was held in the highest regard by General Registration Office staff in Edinburgh and by her own staff in Highland for her attention to detail in all aspects of registration work and for introducing new initiatives in a very successful way.

He said: “Margaret was organised and efficient and always put the customer first. The  huge number of thank you cards received from all corners of the world is testimony to this. The Service owes much to Margaret’s leadership and dedication. She has worked tirelessly and very effectively for the Council and at all times with great enthusiasm for a job she clearly enjoys. Her dedication has been a key in raising the profile of the Registration Service in the Highlands. We wish her a very happy and healthy retirement.”