A former pupil of Strathallan School, who became a highly regarded clinical hypnotherapist in Perth and Perthshire, has died aged 81.
Lindsay Heron, of Murthly, used hypnotherapy to help people struggling with many issues including alcohol addiction, drug reliance, PTSD and weight loss concerns.
His “gentle, powerful and effective” approach along with practical and incisive help aimed to get peoples’ lives back on track.
Born in Newcastle Upon Tyne on June 23, 1943, Lindsay grew up in the market town of Morpeth in Northumberland.
His father Norman Heron was a dentist and hypnotherapist and his mother Dorris was a dental assistant.
Growing up with his younger brother Anthony and sister Christine, who are both now deceased, his parents were always proud of his achievements as he was immensely proud of them.
Lindsay attended Strathallan School in Perthshire.
In 1964, at the age of 21, he was given the opportunity to emigrate to Australia as a ‘£10 pom’.
It was then that his lifetime fondness and connection with Australia began.
Lindsay Heron’s journey from caravan park entrepreneur to hypnotherapist
For three years, he travelled and worked extensively around Australia.
There, he met Martha Walsh, whom he married and returned to Scotland with, and where eldest son Paul was born soon after in March 1967.
Marcus, their second son, arrived only 18 months later, and daughter Zara was born in Northumberland in 1974.
With the help of friends and family and whilst living back in Morpeth with his parents, Lindsay started his own business, Clifton Caravans and Leisure Centre.
He successfully ran this business for more than 25 years, pursuing his entrepreneurial passion for the outdoors in selling caravans and small boats.
In May 1981, Lindsay married his second wife Carol.
Soon after their daughter Jules was born, and Carol’s sons Paul and Mark joined the now family of six children.
Then in 1985, after the early passing of Lindsay’s sister Christine, David came from Canada extending the family once more.
The move to Perthshire
In 2015, Lindsay and Carol moved to Murthly in Perthshire where he later followed his father’s footsteps in taking up hypnotherapy.
Through this profession, he helped many people with all sorts of ailments and challenges in life.
He carried this on until very recently.
Lindsay’s eldest son Paul said they recently received a card from a former client that stated that through Lindsay’s help with hypnotherapy, he not only helped save a marriage, but a husband’s life.
“These types of stories and references were not uncommon but also very private,” said Paul.
“From a family perspective, our father with his love for life was a man who is easy to remember in better times and at his best – driving through his beloved Scotland with the music up, roof down and grinning from ear to ear with childish joy.
“Family was everything to my father, and he was immensely and equally proud of his whole family that helped him smile to the very end.”
Lindsay Heron is survived by wife Carol, grown up children ‘Big Paul’, Marcus, ‘Little Paul’, Zara, Mark, David and Jules to whom he was a wonderful father figure.
He was also a grandpa to Sophie, James, Hamish, Lochlann, Oliver and Zoe, a patriarch and mentor to the extended family.
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