John Lennon and the Highland crash that followed him to Abbey Road

John Lennon and the North Highlands might appear to have very little in common. He was born in Liverpool and became one of the most famous musicians in the world, yet some of his happiest childhood summers were spent at his Aunt Mater's croft above Sango Bay in Durness. Lennon loved the freedom of the landscape, walking in the hills, fishing and writing, and in 1969 he returned with Yoko Ono, his son Julian and Yoko's daughter Kyoko. He wanted them to experience a place that had remained important to him long after he became famous.

Unfortunately, John Lennon was a notoriously poor driver, and the newly introduced Austin Maxi was hardly the most inspiring contribution Britain ever made to motoring. Travelling along the single-track road near Tongue, Lennon encountered a foreign car approaching from the opposite direction. Uncertain what its driver would do, he panicked, lost control and drove into a ditch. Lennon, Yoko and Kyoko suffered facial injuries, while Julian escaped physically unharmed. All four were taken across Sutherland to the Lawson Memorial Hospital in Golspie.

Lennon received seventeen facial stitches, Yoko fourteen and Kyoko four. They remained in hospital for five days, although Julian left earlier with his mother. A nurse obtained the signatures of John, Yoko, Julian and Kyoko, along with other memorabilia from their unexpected stay; the collection eventually sold for £2,000. Lennon later joked that if you were going to have a car crash, you should arrange for it to happen in the Highlands because the hospital had been wonderful.

The wrecked Maxi was transported to Lennon and Ono's Tittenhurst Park estate, where it became a piece of conceptual art in the garden: a mangled reminder of human mortality and the fragility of life. When Lennon returned to Abbey Road, a double bed was installed in the studio so the injured Yoko could remain close to him while resting. A microphone was suspended above it, allowing her to contribute to the recording sessions without leaving the bed. It was another extraordinary consequence of a Highland family holiday that had gone spectacularly wrong.

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