Chieftain this year was local man Ian Keith coming home to his roots in the village where his family has had strong local connections with involvement in the Games before he was born in 1944. Ian spent his youth in Durness, his mother's home village. He is married to Doreen form Scourie and has four children. Two of his uncles, Willie Robert Morrison in 1950 and great uncle Angie Morrison in 1937 and 1947 his nieces Bernadette and Kirsteen Keith, Nephew James and brother Francis have all been former local Durness Games champions.  He obviously was at home amongst many friends and tackled the task of involving and meeting as many of the visitors as possible. Along with his official duties Ian was making sure that he spoke and mingled with the crowd throughout the day.

In his opening address Ian recalled the time when he was part of the group determined to revive the Durness Highland Games in 1970. Among others but along with three members of the committee still serving today, Billy Morrison, Danny Mackay and Hector Sutherland they gained the leadership necessary from the Late Dickie Mackay. Ian regarded Dickie as his best friend, a man still well thought of and respected as a guide to the village. Ian was chairman of the Games committee in the late seventies and early eighties when he lived here and was delighted to be asked to be chieftain in the millennium year.

Ian praised the determination and commitment of the band of local volunteers that generously give their time to ensure the home and community traditions remain rooted in the Durness Highland Gathering. Although Ian now lives in Fortrose on the Black Isle he has business interests in the Sango Sands Oasis and family in the village. Ian has spent his working life in the construction industry working his way through the ranks and has had a responsibility for major works on projects including the Tongue Causeway and Kyleku Bridge. Now semi retired, Ian was head of Morrison Civil Engineering Highland and a director of Morrisons Construction