OCTOBER 2010
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COMMERCIAL & DOMESTIC WINDOW CLEANING MULTIPLE STORIED BUILDINGS A SPECIALITY USING PURE WATER FED POLE TECHNOLOGY
Stevenson & Foster Telephone
01343 850051 or 07877 226 169 Regular & Reliable
No Streaks - Guaranteed!
Full office cleaning available - ask for details.
MORAY COAST VETERINARY GROUP West Road Greshop Estate Forres
Tel: 01309 672243 Fax: 01309 676710
www.moraycoastvetgroup.co.uk Modern well-equipped surgical facilities Full Range of services for household pets, Equine & Farm animals
Acupuncture G Allergy testing G Ultrasonic dentistry G Ultrasound G Endoscopy/Bronchoscopy G Nurse clinics G Visiting specialist ophthalmologist G Full in house lab facilities for instant diagnosis G Digital xray processing G Dedicated equine vets G Full range of pet and horse feeds
BRANCH SURGERIES
NAIRN St Ninian Road 01667 453161 LOSSIEMOUTH 68 Queen Street 01343 815335 BALLOCH Culloden Road 01463 794224 24 Hour Emergency cover for clients on 01309 672243
Renovations Extensions
Small Works New Builds
For free professional advice contact Andrew on 07869 110094 / 01463 223086
Mobility & Independent Living Centre 01309 676677 Power Power Chairs Chairs Wheelchairs Whee lchairs
Electric B Beds
&
from fr om onl only y
£750
Riser/ Recliners Recliners
fr from om onl only y
£650
Overbed Ta Tab ablle es s from fro m............... ......£47 Chairrs s fro fr om m................. ....£240 Co om mmodes fro fr om m............... ...... .... £70
21 West Road, Greshop Industrial Industrial Estate, Estate, Greshop Forres Forres IV36 2GW (Behind (Behind Lidl)
And much morre e!
sales@wheelchaircare.co.uk sales@w heelchaircare.co.uk www.mooringsmediquip.com www .mooringsmediquip.com
Thinking about Mobility? Call us for an informal chat or we can take equipment out to your home to try! Hours of Business MON - FRI 9am - 5pm Easy Parking & Disabled Toilet Facilities
THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS.
Westercraigs, Inverness
Hamilton Gardens, Elgin
3 & 4 bedroom homes and 1, 2 & 3 bedroom apartments from
3, 4 & 5 bedroom homes from
0845 890 9441
£125,000
£160,000
0845 504 9900
Marketing Suites open Thursday to Monday, 10.30am to 5.30pm.
robertsonhomes.co.uk Price correct of time going to press. Images are of a typical Robertson Home and may not be representative of the particular developments advertised.
SpotLight In this issue......
AUTISM RIGHTS GROUP HIGHLAND (ARGH)
HIGHLANDS ASTRONOMICA SOCIETY
INVERNESS FIELD ARCHERY CLUB
Clubs & Societies 3 Pastoral Letter 4 Tide Times 4 Organic Farming 5 Church Details 6 School Dates 6 What’s On 7/8 & 9 Cinema Listings 9 Chef’s Confidential 10 Council News 12 Whales & Dolphins 13 Useful Numbers 14 Local Holidays 14 Advertisers Index 15
Run by and for autistic adults. We hold meetings for members; produce a newsletter; campaign for improved services and challenge discrimination as a group, and as individuals in our daily lives. Working as a collective we aim to make the adult autistic voice heard. We uphold ‘Nothing About Us Without Us’ principle. Contact kb@arg highland.co.uk www.arghighland.co.uk
To promote and extend the awareness, interest and enjoyment of astronomy. Meets on the first Tuesday of every month in Smithton-Culloden Free Church from 7.30pm10pm. Contact Pat Williams tel: 711205 or 07923 443803
To teach and participate in the sport of Field Archery. Winter Tuesday 7.30pm9.15pm at Sports Centre, Spring/Summer at Course 6pm to dusk. Secretary Gerry Parks Tel: 01667 462219
SAMPLE ADVERT RATES Box £53.00 Big Box £101.00 ¼ Page £185.00 ½ Page £351.00 Business Profile £597.00 Full Page £664.00 Enhanced Listings in What’s On pages from £57.00 All rates are per month plus VAT and based on a Black & White 12 month series. Deadline for November issue is Wednesday 6th October. Call 01309 690063 for more details. SpotLight on Inverness is published by Winterburn Media Ltd, Comraich, Woodside Farm, Kinloss IV36 3UA All material contained within the SpotLight magazines is subject to formal copyright restrictions and therefore the reproduction of any listings, editorial, advertiser artwork or any other content, without the publishers prior consent, will be considered to be a breach of copyright.
BEFRIENDERS HIGHLAND
Provide befriending service for Highland. Contact Dr Graeme Mochrie, tel: 712791 www.befrienders highland.org.uk CLACHNACUDDIN CYCLING CLUB
Tel: 791000 or email: strathlynn@ btinternet.com DINGWALL SCOTTIS COUNTRY DANCE CLUB
Adult Scottish Country Dance Class, Tuesdays in Conon Bridge Church Hall from 5th October 7th December, 7.30pm9.30pm. Price £2. Further details from Fiona 01997 423373
SpotLight - Inverness and District
HIGHLAND LONGBOWS
Tel: 741307, or email: barbara39campbell@ btinternet.com HIGHLAND RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB
To offer coaching and competitive opportunities in Rugby Football and to provide facilities for, and promote participation of the whole community in the sport of Rugby. Contact Andrew Russell tel: 238664 or 07786 256891 INVERNESS CHESS CLUB
Promotes chess in the Highlands and provides coaching and games for all ages and standards, juniors very welcome. Every Wednesday, 7pm10:30pm, Chieftain Hotel, Inverness www.spanglefish.com/ invernesschessclub
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MEDITATION CLASSES
Guided drop-in classes Mondays 6.30pm at RNI Chapel, Ness Walk, Inverness, IV3, £5 (£4 conc.). Everybody welcome. For more details visit our website www.meditate inglasgow.org or tel: 0141 334 1334 THE CLAN DONALD SOCIETY OF THE HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS
For more details visit www.clandonald.org WESTHILL INDOOR BOWLING CLUB
Meets in Cradlehall Primary School on Tuesdays and Thursdays from October to March from 7.30pm9.30pm. Contact the Chairperson tel: 790524 or Gladys tel: 790834 If you would like details of your club or society included in this section please let us know. Not all clubs will be listed every issue. October 2010 - page 3
SpotLight Having enjoyed many decades of excellent health, I’ve recently had some health issues that led to surgery a prolonged period of recuperation. It has been an interesting experience and I found myself thinking how often we take good health for granted. One of our members commented that all the money in world can’t make up for the loss of your health. Most of us have periods of ill health that soon pass but sometimes people have to live with pain, discomfort or disability for years. The Apostle Paul lived with a health problem for years. In 2 Cor.12:7, he said I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh ... Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.”
destiny - stew. And this small grain of sand which had bothered him so, Was a beautiful pearl, all richly aglow. Now this tale has a moral - for isn't it grand What an oyster can do with a morsel of sand; What couldn't we do if we'd only begin With all of the things that get under our skin. Is there an aggravation that’s getting under your skin? Is there a problem that’s causing you pain? Surrender yourself to the God who loves and cares for you. Let him take the problem that overshadows you today and make it into something that brings a special beauty into your life. Bill Slack Culduthel Christian Centre Inverness
God often meets us in our times of ill health and physical weakness. It’s then we become aware of our need of Him. How we respond to our problems and difficulties will determine whether they become a curse or a blessing. There’s a lesson to be learned in this little poem about an oyster. There once was an oyster whose story I tell, Who found that sand had got under his shell. Just one little grain, but it gave him much pain, although they're so plain. Now, did he berate the working of Fate, Which had led him to such a deplorable state? Did he curse out the government, call for an election? No; as he lay on the shelf he said to himself “If I cannot remove it, I'll try to improve it.” So the years rolled by as theyears always do, And he came to his ultimate
LOW TIDE TIMES FOR INVERNESS IN OCTOBER Walking on the beach should be possible 2 hours either side of these times AM PM 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
F SA SU M T W TH
10.22 01.21 02.52 03.59 04.57 05.49 06.35
page 4 - October 2010
13.51 15.26 16.31 17.24 18.09 18.50
8 F 9 SA 10 SU 11 M 12 T 13 W 14 TH 15 F 16 SA 17 SU 18 M 19 T
AM 07.16 07.57 08.36 09.14 09.51 10.20 10.24 00.37 02.26 03.37 04.31 05.14
tel: 01309 690063
PM 19.30 20.09 20.48 21.29 22.12 23.07
14.47 15.52 16.40 17.15
20 W 21 TH 22 F 23 SA 24 SU 25 M 26 T 27 W 28 TH 29 F 30 SA 31 SU
AM 05.44 05.59 06.20 06.52 07.28 08.04 08.35 08.30 08.37 09.19 10.25 00.59
PM 17.39 18.04 18.37 19.12 19.48 20.22 20.53 21.02 21.27 23.34 11.56
SpotLight - Inverness and District
SpotLight
Organic Farming Sandy’s Story At the vegetable section of my local supermarket I stood pondering….Organic…Non Organic? What’s the difference? Well for those of you who want to know, this is what it’s all about…. Organic farming is the name given to a variety of agricultural production systems that aim to work with nature, rather than by conquering it. Organic is most commonly associated with food production, both crop and livestock. However, organic methods are also employed in the production of many other goods, leading to products as diverse as timber and clothing, to be labeled as organic. The principal differences between organic farming and conventional farming are: an extensive restriction of the use of artificial pesticides, fertilisers and other agro-chemicals; ❍ a hostility to the agricultural application of biotechnology; ❍ a rejection of the routine use of pharmaceuticals on livestock; ❍ an attention to animal welfare; and ❍ a focus on crop rotation, soil quality and maintaining biological ❍
SpotLight - Inverness and District
diversity as chemicals.
alternatives
to
In this way, organic farming is in many respects, a return to traditional farming methods. Organic food is felt by a growing number of consumers to be safer, more nutritious, taste better and be less harmful to the environment and animal welfare than conventionally produced food, and the market for it has grown in recent years accordingly. I recently spoke to Hugh Grierson, one of Scotland’s largest organic farmers, and he talked to me about his father Sandy. “Sandy was not an Organic farmer but watched with interest as Hugh stopped using sprays and fertiliser. He still worries about the weeds but the change that he really noticed was the butterflies. Insects have thrived since we went organic, especially the butterflies. They are drawn to the red clover that we plant for soil fertility. As they feed on the flowers they fill the farm with colour and movement. When the white clover flowers it can be quite alarming to walk through. Every step disturbs a cloud of bees. Fortunately they are well fed – too sleepy to be alarmed. Hoverflies and ladybirds hunt through our potato crops keeping them free of aphids and the diseases that aphids carry. Where there are insects there will be birds and mammals. We have wetland fields with Lapwings, Red Kite and Curlew. Other fields provide seeds for finches, larks, and Tree sparrows. Sand Martins follow the cows, hunting for www.spotlighton.co.uk
insects. Barn owls hunt for voles and Red Kites clear up the leftovers.
Organic farming has brought the wildlife back into the fields but we have also worked at improving the woods and waste ground. We have planted hedges and wildflower meadows. We have dug ponds and planted woods. We look after wetlands and rare habitats. It is always very rewarding because new plants and animals moving in and setting up home repay our efforts. They all beautiful and all have a role to play. They are all a part of the jigsaw that makes up a healthy, living farm.” Moray Coast and the Highland’s have some of the finest organic farming in the world, so next time, like me, you stand pondering Organic or Non Organic, think of Hugh’s dad, Sandy! Grateful thanks to: Hugh Grierson Organic Newmiln Farm, Tibbermore Perth, PH1 1QN 01738 730201 07876 732633 www.hughgrierson.co.uk in the compilation of this article October 2010 - page 5
SpotLight and School Dates
Picture by Roger Carr, Copyright
Cale House, C of S, Millburn Road, Inverness tel: 718616 Culduthel Christian Centre, Culduthel Avenue, Inverness tel: 222795 Pastor Reverend Bill Slack culduthelchristiancentre.org Culloden, C of S, 45 Oakdene Court, Culloden, Inverness Dingwall Baptist Church, Tulloch Street, Dingwall www.dbc.org.uk Dingwall Episcopal Church, St James The Great Castle Street, Dingwall tel: 01349 862204 www.stjames-stannes.org.uk Dingwall Catholic Church, St Lawrence 21 Castle Street, Dingwall tel: 01349 863143 Fortrose Episcopal Church, St Andrews 1 Deans Road, Fortrose, tel: 01381 620 255 Free North Church, Bank Street, Inverness, tel: 224332 www.freenorthchurch.org Hilton, C of S, Tomatin Road, Inverness, tel: 233310 www.hiltonchurch.org.uk Inshes, C of S, Sir Walter Scott Dr, Inverness tel: 226727 www.insheschurch.org Inverness Baptist Church, 69 Castle Street, Inverness Rev Tom Urquhart email tajurquhart@btinernet.com tel: 223506
Inverness Crown Church, C of S, 3 Midmills Road, Inverness tel: 230537 Inverness Methodist Church, Huntly Street, Inverness tel: 231170 or visit www.churchesinverness.com North Kessock, C of S, Main Street, North Kessock tel: 731712, www.churchofscotland.org.uk Old High St Stephen's, C of S, 1. Old High Church, Church Street, Inverness tel: 250802; 2 Southside Road at Old Edinburgh Road, Inverness tel: 250802 www.oldhighststephens.com St Andrew's Cathedral, Scottish Episcopal Church, Ardross Street, Inverness, tel: 233535, www.invernesscathedral.com St. Ninian's Catholic Church, 21 Culduthel Road Inverness tel: 236620, www.saintninians.org.uk St. Mary's Catholic Church, 30 Huntly Street, Inverness tel: 233519, www.stmarysinverness.co.uk Salvation Army, 84 Firthview Drive, Inverness tel: 225276 www.salvationarmy.org.uk Smithton Free Church, Murray Road, Smithton, Inverness tel: 790977, www.freechurch.org
If you are a member of a church not listed here please email us with details and we may print this in future issues.
School Dates for 2010/2011 (all dates inclusive) Autumn Term Ends Friday 8th October 2010 Regional Closure Monday 25th October 2010 Winter Term Starts Tuesday 26th October 2010 Winter Term Ends Thursday 23rd December 2010 Spring Term Starts Monday 10th January 2011 Holiday Closure Monday 14th February 2011 Holiday Closure Tuesday 15th February 2011 Regional Closure Wed. 16th February 2011 Regional Closure Thursday 17th February 2011 Regional Closure Friday 18th February 2011 Spring Term Ends Friday 8th April 2011 Good Friday Holiday Friday 22nd April 2011 Easter Monday Holiday Mon. 25th April 2011 page 6 - October 2010
Summer Term Starts Tuesday 26th April 2011 May Day Holiday Monday 2nd May 2011 Summer Term Ends Friday 1st July 2011 For 2011/2012 (all dates inclusive) Autumn Term Starts Tuesday 16th August 2011 Autumn Term Ends Friday 7th October 2011 Regional Closure Monday 24th October 2011 Winter Term Starts Tuesday 25th October 2011 Winter Term Ends Thu. 22nd December 2011 Spring Term Starts Monday 9th January 2012 Regional Closure Wed. 15th February 2012 Regional Closure Thursday 16th February 2012 Regional Closure Friday 17th February 2012 Spring Term Ends Friday 30th March 2012
tel: 01309 690063
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Deadline for November issue is Wednesday 6th October. To book advertising call 01309 690063 or email david@spotlighton.co.uk
SpotLight
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2010
SEPTEMBER 29 wednesday
OCTOBER 1 friday
the weir, 8pm, strathpeffer pavilion, age 14+, £10/£5, visit www.strathpefferpavilion.org
cinema nairn - the railway children (u), 5.30pm, nairn community centre, king street, nairn, £4 aduts/£3 under 18’s, visit www.cinemanairn.blogspot.com for details
30 thursday blood donors, 5.30pm-8pm, conon bridge primary school friends of the pavilion quiz night with quizmasters julian & anne marie foot, 7.30pm for 8pm, £16 per team of up to 4 people, licensed bar & raffle, visit www.strathpefferpavilion.org or tel: 01997 420124 scottish mental health arts & film festival - big day, 7:30pm, eden court, inverness, drama about eating disorders and young people, commissioned by hug, tickets £2/£3, tel: 234234
2 saturday inverness farmers market, 8.30am-4.30pm, local produce and goods on sale, eastgate precinct
3 sunday baxters loch ness marathon and festival of running 5k, 10k and full marathon, visit www.lochness marathon.com/for details on how to enter cawdor castle closes for the season, last entry 5pm, www.cawdorcastle.com
4 monday & 5 tuesday early christmas fair in aid of children 1st, monday 5pm-8pm wine and savouries included, tuesday 10am-3.30pm tea and coffee included, soup and sandwiches available, westfield house, spynie, near elgin iv30 8xl, enticing shopping for christmas or indeed any other occasion, tel: 01343 547308
5 tuesday dingwall scottish country dance club adult class, 7.30pm-9.30pm, conon bridge church hall, £2, for further details contact fiona tel: 01997 423373 or see the details on page 3
6 wednesday scottish mental health arts & film festival - can you see me?, 1pm, eden court, inverness, pupperty and film performance about mental ill-health and recovery, based on the stories of people in the highlands, free entry blood donors, 5.30pm-8pm, holm primary school
7 thursday blood donors, 9.30am-1pm, free north church hall scottish mental health arts & film festival - rag tag in wonderland, 7pm, the town house, inverness, this show uses a theme of alice in wonderland to present the creations of rag tag ‘n textile, a social enterprise making hand-crafted items from recycled textiles, free entry
SpotLight - Inverness and District
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October 2010 - page 7
OCTOBER 2010 continued
8 friday scottish mental health arts & film festival - harebells in the wind, 10am & 2pm, highland council debating chamber, glenurquhart road, inverness, a sensitive and holistic approach to perinatal mental illness with mothers and their partners giving vivd accounts of their experiences and recovery, free entry
10 sunday golden spurtle world porridge making championships 2010, carrbridge, visit www.goldenspurtle.com for full details ‘nigel’s nonsense’- a jazz quartet performing toetapping tunes from the 1920’s, 2pm-4pm, nicky tam’s bar, glen mhor hotel, ness bank, inverness, free, more details from www.nigelsnonsense.org
11 monday - 15 friday blazin’ in beauly, come and join blazin’ fiddles and friends for a musical extravaganza in a week of classes, sessions, concerts and craic in the heart of the scottish highlands, visit www.blazininbeauly.com
13 wednesday the man who planted trees, 7.30pm, strathpeffer pavlion, £6, visit www.strathpefferpavilion.org or tel: 01997 420124
14 thursday scottish mental health arts & film festival - the unloved, 7pm, eden court, inverness, a powerful drama about a young girl growing up in a childrens home, which provides an intimate child’s-eye view of the uk’s care system, tickets £2/£3 from eden court tel: 234234 the animals & spencer davis, 8pm, strathpeffer pavilion, £19.50/£5, www.strathpefferpavilion.org or tel: 01997 420124
14 thursday & 15 friday scottish mental health arts & film festival - ‘see me’ photographic competition exhibition, eastgate centre, inverness, a public exhibition of the highland entries to the ‘see me’ photography competition on the theme ‘support’, free
17 sunday orienteering at carse wood, registration 10.30am to 12noon, a full-scale event with seven different courses to suit all ages and abilities, £6 adults/£2 juniors, visit www.moravianorienteering.org free walk & talk for speakers of other languages, 2pm, la caverna, clifton road, lossiemouth, come for a walk, meet new people, practise speaking english, all welcome, visit www.english4moray.co.uk or phone / text 07922 051930 for information scottish mental health arts & film festival - etre et avoir, 3pm, eden court, inverness, a single-class french school, where the handful of boys and girls, page 8 - October 2010
whose ages range from 4-10, are all taught by the same remarkably dedicated and caring teacher, a true gem of a film, tickets £2/£3 from eden court tel: 234234
19 tuesday scottish mental health arts & film festival - my life as a dog, 7pm, eden court, inverness, set in the sweden of the 1950’s, a 12-year-old boy is farmed out to country relatives when his antics prove too much for his ailing mother, witty, touching and perceptive, tickets £2/£3 from eden court tel: 234234
21 thursday catherine wheels : white, 10.30am & 1.30am, strathpeffer pavilion, £6, visit www.strathpefferpavilion.org or tel: 01997 420124 brendan shine, 8pm, strathpeffer pavilion, £16/£14, visit www.strathpefferpavilion.org or tel: 01997 420124
23 saturday highland lgbt forum halloween bash with live entertainment, 8pm-1am, raigmore motel, inverness, tickets £10, visit www.gay-ness.org.uk for details
24 sunday ‘nigel’s nonsense’- a jazz quartet performing toetapping tunes from the 1920’s, 2pm-4pm, nicky tam’s bar, glen mhor hotel, ness bank, inverness, free, more details from www.nigelsnonsense.org
27 saturday dingwall scottish country dance club rally, 7.30pm11.30pm, strathpeffer community centre, dancing to lindsay weir’s band, further details from fiona tel: 01997 423373
29 friday cinema nairn - the hurt locker (15), 7.30pm, nairn community centre, king street, nairn, £4 aduts/£3 under 18’s, visit www.cinemanairn.blogspot.com for details
30 saturday hocus pocus - spooky halloween walk in the grounds of brodie castle, dooking for apples & other activities, 6pm-7.30pm, adults £2/children £4/family (2+2) £10, tel: 0844 493 2156 rave on - a tribute to buddy holly, 7.30pm, strathpeffer pavilion, £14.50/£13.50/£5, visit www.strathpeffer pavilion.org or tel: 01997 420124
30 saturday october - 2 tuesday november bioneers at findhorn - sustainability conference and celebration, universal hall, findhorn, tel: 01309 691653 or visit www.findhorn.org/bioneers
tel: 01309 690063
HOW THE “WHAT’S ON” WORKS All line listings are free Send us details of any events coming up to natalie@spotlighton.co.uk SpotLight - Inverness and District
Moray Playhouse, Elgin New Screenings begin on Fridays Call 01343 542680 or visit www.morayplayhouse.co.uk
Cinema Listings October 2010 Vue Cinema, Inverness From 1/10 Burries (15) Takers (12a tbc) From 8/10 Wall Street 2 : Money Never Sleeps (12a) Charlie St Cloud (12a tbc) From 15/10 Despicable Me 3D (PG) Vampires Suck (12a tbc) From 22/10 Alpha & Omega (PG) RED (12a tbc) Paranormal Activity 2 (15) Legend of the Guardians 3D (PG) From 29/10 Saw 3D Special Showings 1/10 Grease Sing Along 2&3/10 Thomas : Misty Island Rescue Date tbc Back to the Future - Special Edition
Eden Court Theatre, Inverness Inception (12A) Scott Pilgrilm Vs The World (12A) Five Easy Pieces (15) Mother (15) Waltz With Bashir (18) The Human Centipede (18) Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky (15) Despicable Me (U) The Prestige (12A) Made In Dagenham (15) The Town (15) plus many others
Visit www.eden-court.co.uk or call 01463 234234 for details
KidsAM - Every Saturday & Sunday at 10.15am - 95p per ticket Senior Screenings - Every Tuesday at 12.30pm - ÂŁ3 inc. refreshments
Visit www.myvue.com for details
Universal Hall, Findhorn Showing films throughout the year. Visit www.findhorn.org/uhall or call 01309 691170 for details.
Cinema Nairn 1/10 The Railway Children (U) 29/10 The Hurt Locker (15)
Visit cinemanairn.blogspot.com or contact Nairn Community Centre on 01667 453476 for details SpotLight - Inverness and District
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October 2010 - page 9
Bouillabaisse of Local Mussels, Grilled Fillet of Sea Bass and West Coast Langoustine
SpotLight
Bouillabaisse is a dish which I love, it can be made up of so many types of fish and shellfish. To me bouillabaisse is a great dish if there is a slight nip in the air...a steaming bowl, hunk of crusty bread and glass of dark ale, such as red kite from black isle brewery. ingredents - serves 4 people 6 teaspoons of extra virgin oilive oil 500g mussels cleaned and debearded 4 fillets of sea bass 4 cooked langoustine 2 gloves of garlic 6 ripe tomatoes 1 ltr fish stock 1 tin chopped tomatoes 2 teaspoons of pernod (optional but really gives it a kick) small bag of new potaoes cooked and chopped into half small bag of green beans (optional) small bunch of thyme and parsley finely chopped Method This is a really simple dish to cook..... In to a big soup pan pour your extra virgin oilive oil, crush your garlic and put into the pan, add your fresh tomatoes which you need to roughly chop. Give this a good stir around and then add your thyme and parsley, again give a good stir around, leave for two/three mins, stirring to make sure the mix is cooking evenly.
Photograph by Lucy Knott Š
want your green beans, chopped in half. Turn the heat down and simmer until the mussels are open. Now you have two options with your sea bass, you can if you want chop the seabass into strips and add to the pot cooking for about five minutes or you can grill the fillets. To grill I would suggest you score the skin on the bass a couple of times, this allows the fish to cook evenly without curling. also sprinkle the bass with some sea salt - this will crisp the skin - put under a hot grill skin up. To serve, ladel into a bowl, place the bass in the middle with the cooked langoustine and enjoy.
Next add your tinned tomatoes and fish stock, this will need a really good stir throughout. Add your pernod and your mussels, potaoes and if you page 10 - October 2010
tel: 01309 690063
Allan Little Head Chef River House Restaurant, Inverness 01463 222033 SpotLight - Inverness and District
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www www.beavtrav.com .beavtrav.com
MORAY BASED ROOFING SPECIALIST
Slating Tiling Fascias Guttering Single Ply & GRP Flat Roof Systems G
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General property maintenance service. Chartered surveyor ref on request
OF RO O F WIIZARD Z ARD 01343 850063 07765 947025
++ ++ F FABULOUS ABULOUS HOLIDAY HOLIDAY OFFERS ++ ++ Paris Christmas Market from Edinburgh 17th Dec, 3nts B&B)..£299pp including Guided City Tour
Disneyland Paris from Aberdeen 29th Oct 3nts at Sequoia Lodge Total price....................£1650 for a family of 4 2 adults and 2 children
Copenhagen Christmas Market from Aberdeen 10th Dec 3nts B&B from..... £449pp incl transfers
Las Vegas from Glasgow departures up to 15th Dec 4nts B&B in 3star hotel on the strip from..£629pp
FORRES FORRES 01309 01309 672203 ELGIN 01343 0 1343 5 548844 48844
Beaver Travel, 78 High Street, Forres also at: 2-6 South Street, Elgin Beaver Beaver Travel TTra ravel in Forres Forres is also a ticket ticket agent agent for for Eden Eden Court Cour t Theatre, Theatre, Inverness Inverness - at Box Box Office Office Prices
email: enquiries@roof-wizard.co.uk
FAMILY RUN FOR 21 YEARS
SpotLight Picture by Rachael Jones, Copyright
extRaCts fRom tHe DRaft miNutes of tHe meetiNg of august 2010 of iNveRNess City CouNCil
Inverness City Vision - Progress Report there had been circulated Report No. iCC 27/10 by the Development Plans manager, detailing the draft inverness City vision, which had been previously discussed at Committee. mr m macleod informed the Committee that the draft inverness City vision would be reviewed by the Planning environment and Development Committee on Wednesday 11th august. further that it was proposed to consult on the draft City vision in tandem with the Highlandwide local Development Plan. the draft referred to critical areas of focus at the longman and inshes District Park. mr D lawlor outlined the process behind creating the vision and encouraged comments on the draft document. in summary, the following points arose: • Community views would take this project forward and improve the vision; • inverness should be a social place; • to create a successful vision in the current economic climate, many complex issues required co-ordination; • How would the City vision affect people on an everyday basis; • the vision would be for all the City and that would mean joint working with all partners; • the passion for the City needed to be matched to the potential, with individual ideas being pulled together; • “Citizens, assets and Competencies” would be the building blocks; • the creative economy needed to be utilised with ideas tested; • inverness is proactive, as evidenced by scotland’s Housing expo, which shows an idea taken forward and being successfully executed; • 30-40% of land/assets within the City are owned by the Council or the City’s Common good fund; • the vision divided the City into 3
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Zones with one thriving Heart: - Zone 1: a9 Corridor, Zone 2: Waterfront and remaking the coastal edge to be safe and clean, Zone 3: Quality neighbourhoods • the new Beechwood and uHi area of the City would be part of the structure; • a thriving City Centre would match capacities and challenges; • the expansion of the City Centre would require prominent areas of flexibility and mixed use; and • the motto would be to “think different and do different”. in summary, the economy is at the heart of all the key themes. Quality is very important in respect of life, services and Design with a thriving City Centre which should be expanded beyond its current boundaries. the City Centre should have: • space inhabited by flexible uses; • an integrated Public Realm with priority for Pedestrians; and • High quality Public art. Scotland’s Housing Expo - Update mr D Hendry and mrs H Carmichael declared a non-financial interest in this item as Directors of the expo Board and after applying the test in paragraph 5.18 of the Code of Conduct decided to take part in the discussion. • 29 students had been employed to act as ambassadors and they had direct contact with the architects; •the average number of visitors stood at 1,000 per day, which was close to target; • Wayne Hemmingway launched the event and had high praise for the site. He was quoted as having compared the standard of the site to a competition standard used by the liveability Competition and stated that if it had been entered then it would have scored it 19/20; • australians had visited the site for a ‘fact find’ for their own Housing expo;
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• there had already been 290 entries for the children’s competition to build clay and lego houses; • some of the house designs may be used on a second phase and in a new development at glendoe terrace; • a number of visitors had upgraded to the £10 season ticket; and • the valuations of the houses were still to be received, although there had been 60 expressions of interests. the Committee shared their support for the project and commended all the officers and staff involved for producing such a unique event to the Highlands. During debate the following points were made: • unanimous congratulations to all involved for the supreme efforts made to deliver the expo; • excellent partnership working was achieved by the Private and Public sectors working together - especially by officers of the Council and contractors who simply stayed on site until the job was done, with the expo opening on time at 10am on sunday (1st august); • the success shows how the ‘can-do’ attitude is alive and thriving in the Highlands; • the statement by Wayne Hemmingway that ‘it is better than anything he has seen’ must not be underestimated; and • the expo will have long-lasting benefits for the City of inverness and the Highlands
Picture by Natalie Hunt, Copyright
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Whales and Dolphins around the Moray Firth At the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) we are only too aware of how much whales and dolphins have always fascinated us humans and that seeing these amazing animals in their natural environment is often a memorable experience. People tell us just that every day! If you choose the right site and invest a little patience, then you could glimpse one or more of the 24 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises recorded around the Scottish coast. If you do fancy getting out by yourself, with the family or the dog to see some of these creatures, then the Moray Firth is a fantastic area to see whales, dolphins and porpoises from land. The resident population of bottlenose dolphins tends to spend a lot of time close to the coast and can be very active, making them easy to spot. Porpoises are smaller and tend to be quite shy but with a bit of practice, they can also be seen around the coast. Even minke whales make regular visits to some of the deeper coastal waters like Cullen Bay.
Before you get out and about, there are some considerations that you will need to take onboard- a good set of binoculars for a start! In the Moray Firth area, the bottlenose dolphins and minke whales tend (not always though) to be seen more regularly in the summer months - watching in good weather (and earlier in the day) will increase your chances of sighting a whale or dolphin. On a windy day, waves and sea spray may obscure a dorsal fin breaking the surface. As for good viewing spots, there are countless great places from which you can watch for whales and dolphins in the Moray Firth. Top sites include; Cromarty Sutors, Chanonry Point, WDCS Dolphin and Seal Centre at North Kessock, Fort George, WDCS Wildlife Centre at Spey Bay, Cullen Bay, Broughty Ferry Castle, and Aberdeen Harbour. If you want to watch for whales and dolphins in comfort and with easy access to food and facilities, then the WDCS centre at North Kessock is ideal. From the Cullen Bay Hotel too, you can even look for minke whales through the dining room windows while you eat! Other sites such as Lossiemouth, page 13 - October 2010
SpotLight Nairn and Spey Bay offer easy access to cafés and toilets. Fancy being guided by the experts? Then WDCS can help here too. Some of the best encounters with whales and dolphins are when out walking the cliffs and beaches, and if it is an all round encounter with nature that you are interested in then you could sign up to WDCS' PoD Plod, a brand new challenge event taking place in August, and created to help raise funds to protect the dolphins of the Moray Firth. The event is a 26-mile sponsored walk along the breathtaking Moray Coastal Trail from Findhorn Bay to Spey Bay….. the challenge is to do it in 2 days! Guided by Sarah Dolman, WDCS’s head of policy for Scotland, and Alice Pope, WDCS’s Scottish Conservation Officer, you will also be taken on a dolphin and wildlife boat cruise, look out for dolphins from viewing spots along the route, enjoy a reception and guided tour of the WDCS Wildlife Centre at Spey Bay and finish with a dolphin watching trip to Chanonry Point with resident dolphin expert, Charlie Phillips. No matter where or how you choose to go watching, a notebook and ID guide are useful to take with you. These will help you to make notes about what you are seeing and look up the details if you are not sure. If you spot something that puzzles you then WDCS now has a comprehensive species guide that can be accessed on-line through wdcs.org. Make good notes and take pictures, then check them on-line when you get home. If you get hooked, then you could become a regular WDCS shore watcher. Contact our volunteer manager and we’ll get you trained up and watching the sea! It’s a vital part of what WDCS does as we use our shore watch data and other research to try to understand dolphin movements all year round and better manage potential impacts to them and their environment. For more information on the PoD Plod or Shorewatch go to www.wdcs.org/uk Wildlife Centre 01343 820 339 Email: wildlifecentre@wdcs.org
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Picture by maggie grigor, Copyright
Police Station. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 08456 005703 Bus Station, Inverness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 239292 Citizens Advice Bureau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 706014 Dalcross Airport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01667 464000 Highland Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01349 886606 National Rail Enquires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 08457 484950 Ardersier Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01667 462658 Beauly Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 782930 Cromarty Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01381 600318 Culloden Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 792531 Fortrose Community Library . . . . . . . . . . . 01381 622235 Inshes Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 725928 Inverness Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 236463 Black Isle Leisure Centre. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01381 621252 Culloden Academy Community Complex . 01463 792794 Inverness Leisure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 667500 VILLAGE HALLS & COMMUNITY CENTRES Abriachan Village Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 861257 Ardersier Old School Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01667 462658 Cameron Youth Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 234785 Cannich Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01456 459224 Croy Public Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01667 493480 Culduthel Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 712844 Farr Community Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01808 521244 Floral Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 713553 Kiltarlity Community Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 741447 Kirkhill Community Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 831737 Merkinch Community Centre . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 239563 Phipps Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 782930 Smithton-Culloden Youth Centre . . . . . . . . 01463 793284 Smithton Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 792794 Spectrum Centre & Theatre. . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 221842 Stratherrick Public Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01456 486464 Strathnairn Hall (Daviot) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 772228 VETS Burgess & Donald . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 237000 Crown Vets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 712202 Culloden Veterinary Clinic . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 793700 Eastgate Veterinary Practice . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 230893 Fish Vet Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 717774 Inshes Veterinary Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 711777 Kessock Equine Veterinary Clinic . . . . . . . 01463 731107 Moray Coast Vet Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 794224 DOCTORS Beauly Surgery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 782794 Burnfield Medical Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 220077 Cairn Medical Practice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 712233 Cromarty Medical Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . 01381 600224 Crown Medical Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 710777 Drumnadrochit, Surgery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01456 450577 Dunedin Medical Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 712157 Fairfield Medical Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 713939 Fortrose Medical Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . 08444 772497 Foyers Medical Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01456 486224 Kingsmills Medical Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 235245 page 14 - October 2010
New Craigs Hospital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 704000 Riverside Medical Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 715999 Raigmore Hospital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 704000 RNI Community Hospital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 706966 Strathlene Surgery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 870843 The Aird Medical Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 782214 The Surgery, Munlochy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 811200 DENTISTS 11 Hilton Village . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 236873 21 Kingsmills Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 233416 Abban Street Dental Clinic . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 718140 Academy Dental Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 232423 Burnfield Dental Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 241515 Black Isle Dental Studio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01349 877082 Castle Heather Dental Practice . . . . . . . . . 01463 234598 Dalneigh Dental Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 243767 Dental Clinic, New Craigs Hospital . . . . . . 01463 704000 Fraser Street Dental Practice . . . . . . . . . . 01463 242344 High School Dental Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 235468 Highland Dental Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 236295 Inshes Dental Centre. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 794949 Riverside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 226358 Southside Surgical Dentistry Centre . . . . . 01463 710760 Southside Dental Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 710760 Torwood Dental Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 712772 Dental Helpline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0845 6442271 PHARMACIES Alliance Pharmacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 231192 Ardersier Pharmacy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01667 462615 Boots, Eastfield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 715343 Boots, Eastgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 225167 Kinmylies Pharmacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 221094 Lloyds Pharmacy, Church Street . . . . . . . . 01463 233208 Lloyds Pharmacy, Greig Street . . . . . . . . . 01463 233545 Rowlands Pharmacy, Grant Street . . . . . . 01463 232217 Rowlands Pharmacy, Balloan Park . . . . . . 01463 712171 Rowlands Pharmacy, Culloden . . . . . . . . . 01463 791900 Superdrug Stores . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01463 232587
Holiday Dates 2010 Inverness Holiday Inverness Holiday St Andrews Day Christmas Day * Boxing Day *
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“ Parliament Blog ” One of the g r e a t political skills is the ability to put a name to a face – and, ideally, some relevant background information too. Conversely, it can be embarrassing when the mental pathways come to a dead end and leave their owner stranded hopelessly in front of someone he has met but cannot quite remember when or where. I hugely enjoy meeting thousands of local people in the course of my work, but it does add to the challenge as time goes on! This is one area where my Highland colleague Charles Kennedy definitely has an edge on me. Charles has been an MP for 27 years, but seems effortlessly to recall people
whom he once gave directions to in 1986: their names, where they met and where it was they were trying to get to at the time. Last month, I was delighted to be invited by Fujitsu to open their new offices in Inverness and came across a familiar face. While all the people present were being introduced, I was challenged to remember where it was that I had previously met my host, Fujitsu’s company service development manager. I am afraid that I did not succeed. It was a relief – and a very pleasant surprise – to be told he was Neil Macleod who, some 28 years previously when I was aged 10, had coached me as a young Ross County cricketer. I could only add that he had never taught me how to spin!
It is said that over the past decade or s o , Inverness has been the fastest growing city in Britain - some say in Europe. Which statistician keeps the tally of city sizes I know not. But, given the pace of growth in population that we have undoubtedly seen in Inverness, Nairn and the corridor between them, it is fitting that we have hosted the first housing "Expo" in Scotland and indeed Britain. And what a success it was. With well over 30,000 visitors it was one of the top summer attractions in the North. I joined Alex Salmond, Scotland’s First Minister, on the day before the official closure of the month long event when he returned for his own second visit - and I
Danny Alexander MP
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suspect that this was in part so that Moira Salmond, who accompanied him, was able to see it for herself! Now the Scottish Government will work with the Council the housing alliance and others to evaluate and learn from the event, and, I will be astonished if the Inverness Expo is not one of many that will follow in Scotland in the years to come. The idea of the expo originated in Finland, but the Highlands have led the way in Britain and this in itself will be good for the region; good for the reputation of those involved, and also for the thousands of our citizens who in one way or another depend, for their lives and livelihoods, on a thriving building sector. Better to be known as Expo city than Tesco town. Fergus Ewing MSP
October 2010 - page 15