Mull & Iona Life #43 Autumn 2021

Mull&Iona

AUTUMN 2021

Issue 43

Life

APPEAL TO SAVE MULL AND IONA RANGER SERVICE MULL WHITE-TAILS KEEP ISLE OF WIGHT PROJECT FLYING MULL HORROR MOVIE UP FOR FILM FESTIVAL PRIZE MULL AND IONA’S FREE COMMUNITY MAGAZINE DISTRIBUTED TO OVER 1,000 HOMES AND BUSINESSES ON MULL & IONA

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welcome fàilte

FRONT COVER PICTURE

Autumn evening light over Duart Castle

contents

www.scotphoto.com

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Home By The Sea

EDITORIAL

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Mull white-tails keep Isle of Wight project flying

editor@obantimes.co.uk

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Long wait ahead for Mull’s new high school

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Appeal to save Mull and Iona ranger service

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Plea to Mull’s second-home and cottage owners

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Scottish Government rules out purchase of new vessel for Mull

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Mull horror movie up for film festival prize

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Mull’s scaled down games a winner

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Mull Youth Theatre’s TEN +1 Festival gets 10/10

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News round-up from Mull

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ELC children to benefit from outdoor learning in Oban and Mull

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Third time lucky for Mull Fiddle Week

ADVERTISING

Fiona MacInnes 01631 568000

PRODUCTION Kevin McCubbin

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Wyvex Media Limited, PO Box 1, Oban, PA34 4HB Tel: 01631 568000 www.obantimes.co.uk

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Home By The Sea:

Abandoned house once owned by Genesis - and large estate - on sale for £5M For some people, the Ross of Mull’s abandoned Pennyghael House will be haunting and creepy. For others, it’s part of rock and movie history. But for the right buyer, this eight bedroom wreck, alongside its 8,700 acre estate, presents an opportunity.

Five million pounds is all it will cost, far more than its name implies. Pennyghael means the Pennyland of the Gael: a land valued by the penny or section of the penny. Now it will cost you half a billion pennies.

The new buyer will be joining a long list of owners over the last 500 years including the English rock

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group Genesis, though their presence left a somewhat invisible touch.

‘The interest in the estate has been phenomenal,’ Paul Nicoll of Argyll land managers The Estates Office told Mull and Iona Life, ‘even though it has only just come to the market with several viewings already lined up and many more enquiries coming forward.’

For centuries, Pennyghael lay in the hands of the McGilvrays, from the first recorded Laird of Pennyghael, Archibald McIluray who died in 1565, to the last, Hugh McGilvray of Pennyghael, who sold the estate in 1801.

A Canadian William MacGil-

livray of the North West Company, Montreal, then bought Pennyghael Estate and built its present house in 1819, but died before he could move in.

In 1920, Pennyghael Estate was bought by the Pettigrews, who added the house’s two wings and then, when Mrs Pettigrew died, sold it to a Mr Harold Flower, in whose family it remained for the next two generations.

The Buildings At Risk Register For Scotland noted Pennyghael House lay ‘largely unoccupied between 1957-1971’ and then in ‘erratic use’ before it was bought in 1986 by Genesis,

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famous for hit songs Home

By The Sea and Invisible Touch.

An inspection in 1992 found the house ‘rapidly becoming derelict, with the front door lying rotten and unsecured’, and ‘livestock often gaining access’. In 1993 the band undertook repairs to make the house wind and watertight, but four years later, another inspection revealed rot and ‘the hall used for hay storage’.

Genesis sold the house in 1997 to Dutch firm Epsilon but, after a decade, it was reported to be in such an ‘advanced state of dilapidation’, with a leaking roof and ‘a sapling growing on the porch’, that it required ‘£500,000 worth of repairs’.

The last inspection in 2012 found parts of the roof had collapsed and ‘evidence of vandalism’.

Visitors in 2017, in a spoof Homes Under The Hammer video on YouTube, described the property as

‘perfect for any aspiring axe-murderer: it’s creepy, vacant and you could make a killing!’.

Today, though, Pennyghael Estate ‘offers a multitude of opportunities to buyers’, according to Knight Frank’s sales brochure, ‘whether it’s sporting, creating a farming business, eco-tourism development, woodland creation, rewilding or natural capital’.

The ‘derelict’ house is ‘a beautifully positioned former lodge in need of full restoration or replacement’, it continues, with a ‘potential site for a new lodge’.

The estate is 4.2 miles long and 4.7 miles wide, comprising 8.7 miles of rugged coastline facing the Firth of Lorne to the south and Loch Scridain in the north - which includes a floating pier and timber-loading plant excluded from the sale.

It also includes the ancient farms of Beach, Torrans, Killunaig, Pennycross and

Pennyghael - though there are currently no farm operations - and five houses: Killunaig Farmhouse and Killunaig Bothy, The Old Post Office, Torrans House and a keeper’s cottage attached to an estate office.

There is one full-time employee who acts as the estate manager and lives on site, with the brochure saying: ‘The purchasers would be required to take on the current employee.’

As a sporting estate, it offers red deer stalking, trout fishing and game shooting for pheasant, partridge, ducks, geese, woodcock and snipe. There are also wild goats and soay sheep on the hill.

It also presents a number of ‘potentially valuable carbon capture opportunities’, with four potential hydro schemes identified on the Rivers Beach, Leidle, Abhainn an Easa Mhoir and Abhainn nan Torr’.

‘That’s All’, as Genesis might say.

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MULL WHITE-TAILS KEEP ISLE OF WIGHT PROJECT FLYING Mull continues to help release of sea eagle chicks for this wonderful project. Chicks white-tailed sea eagles into from the Isle of Mull were part the English skies. of the first consignment in In 2019, chicks from the 2019 and were actually the island were part of a first first two to be released into consignment that winged English skies. its way under a NatureScot ‘We missed 2020 but we’ve licence to be part of a rebeen able to assist again introduction project on the this year with a further two Isle of Wight led by Forestry chicks from England Mull heading and the Roy south and now Dennis Wildlife It’s an honour flying free. Their Foundation to and a privilege bring the birds to be involved in siblings, back in their original back to the the collection of nests on Mull, landscape down sea eagle have also south. now fledged Mull missed chicks for this successfully sending more wonderful having had the chicks in 2020 project. lion’s share of but was able to food brought in help again this by the adults. I’d especially year, says Royal Society for like to thank the two Mull the Protection of Birds Mull estates which have been so officer Dave Sexton. helpful with allowing eaglets A cohort of birds from from nests on their land to be Scotland were flown down south in a plane to cut down donated to the project.

‘Just as Norway helped their travelling time rather us with chicks from 1975 to than facing a road journey.

2012, it’s a sign of the great White-tailed eagles, once widespread across England, conservation success story of sea eagles in Scotland that are Britain’s largest birds of prey with a wingspan of up to we are now in a position to help other countries with their 2.5 metres. schemes. A fantastic result Mr Sexton said: ‘It’s an all round.’ honour and a privilege to A further 12 white-tailed be involved in the collection

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eagles have just been released on the Isle of Wight in the next stage of the reintroduction project which released six birds in 2019 then seven more last year.

Evidence from similar reintroductions suggests the rate of survival to breeding age is around 40 per cent - 10 of the 13 previously released birds are doing well. The Isle of Wight project plans to release more than 60 of them over its five years, establishing a starter population of six to eight pairs, but they are not expected to begin breeding until 2024 at the earliest.

Fitted with satellite trackers to monitor them closely, one bird released in 2020 crossed the English Channel and has spent time in France, The Netherlands, Germany and Denmark since earlier this year.

Birds from Europe have also been spotted in the south of England, says the project.

Bird enthusiasts and members of the public across England have been reporting sightings of the eagles via @seaeagleengland on social media or via the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation website.

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Long wait ahead for Mull’s new high school There is discussion among New schools for Mull and islanders about where a new Islay are long-term plans, a high school on Mull should councillor has warned. be - in Tobermory or nearer Talk of replacement to Craignure to be handier schools came up at a for families recent Zoom living on the meeting of Mull Ross of Mull.

Community It’s long in the But Councillor Council. Robbie distance, not Mary-Jean Cameron from something that’s Devon told the the Ross of going to happen meeting: ‘We Mull raised the issue saying in the next six or are being a bit premature here. high schools for 12 months.

We’ve not even those islands talked about a were next on feasibility study.

Argyll and Bute The next two schools to be Council’s list to rebuild. He replaced are Mull and Islay also reminded members of but there is no money at the an offer of help from Mull moment. and Iona Community Trust ‘It’s long in the distance, (MICT) to help with any not something that’s going feasibility study.

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to happen in the next six or 12 months. There has to be a feasibility study first.’

There have been concerns about the state of the school building in Tobermory - although work on the roof, decorating and other upgrade works has been ongoing.

At a previous community council meeting, Tobermory High School Parent Council chairman Neil Hutton reported the state of the school would never come off the agenda and the phrase ‘sticking plaster’ when talking about repairs had been used more than once in discussions.

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APPEAL TO SAVE MULL AND IONA RANGER SERVICE Mull and Iona’s rangers are looking for funding to help save their service.

Major cuts and changes in grant-giving priorities has put the outdoor service’s future at risk.

To save it, the islands’ ranger service is calling for financial support by launching a fundraising campaign which NatureScot has agreed to match poundfor-pound up to a value of £6,000.

For more than 20 years, the ranger service has run as part of Mull and Iona Community Trust (MICT).

It was the first communityrun countryside ranger service in Scotland connecting communities and visitors with the islands’ landscapes, history and wildlife.

Advising visitors on how to camp responsibly or on

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new funding appeal also has the best spots for wildlife the support of wildlife and watching, rangers host conservationist campaigner woodland play sessions Daniel Brooks from Ulva for parents and toddlers, Ferry draw inspiration through He said: ‘Nowhere is it outdoor adventures for more important to have a climate change action ranger service than here on with teenagers, work with schools and survey species- the Isle of Mull, the most popular wildlife tourism rich machair and seabird destination in colonies. the UK.’ Ranger Emily Mull Royal Wilkins, who Saving our Society for the works alongside ranger service Protection of a second is so important Birds officer ranger, added: for us all at Dave Sexton ‘It’s all in a said: ‘The day’s work for MICT and Mull and Iona us rangers and for the wider Ranger Service has become a community. does so much valued part of for our islands the community and needs our helping support. everyone enjoy the ‘Its work helps visitors, countryside responsibly.’ residents, young and not so As well as having the young, to appreciate and get backing of teachers among the most out of the amazing others from the islands, the

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Youngsters litter picking on the Java path with Mull and Iona Ranger Service. environments we have here.

‘We are so lucky to have this service and it deserves all the help we can offer to ensure it continues long into the future.’

Moray Finch, MICT general manager, said: ‘Saving our ranger service is so important for us all at MICT and for the wider community.

The benefit to landowners, schools and visitors of the knowledge and skills of our rangers is irreplaceable so we’re determined to keep the service running – but we need help.’

The rangers also support landowners and farmers to manage visitor access and

help to resolve countryside conflicts and issues. They also improve and manage footpaths and parking.

Emily added: ‘Mull and Iona are a unique archipelago of wildlife rich islands and skerries, an extraordinary natural and cultural heritage and therefore an extraordinary responsibility.

Knowledge ‘Without the ranger service, people will have fewer opportunities to connect with nature, less sharing of knowledge about our islands’ landscape and wildlife, less concern and less sense of responsibility.

‘In these times of

lockdowns and Covid recovery, our work has helped to encourage people to improve their mental and physical wellbeing outdoors.

Now we need your help to continue their work.

‘NatureScot has promised to match any donations received up to a total of £6,000. No contribution is too small.’

You can watch a short film about the work of the Mull and Iona Ranger Service at https://youtu.be/TxVqmPIOfs To make a donation towards saving the service go to https://bit.ly/2YfvdXI

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PLEA TO MULL’S SECOND-HOME AND COTTAGE OWNERS

Mull is planning a carefully worded plea to secondhome and cottage owners to consider converting their properties to long-term rentals.

A motion supporting an appeal to property owners to help ease the island’s housing crisis, was passed

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at a recent community council meeting held via Zoom.

It was also decided to set up a working group to draw up a list of solutions that would help alleviate the housing problem and make building more affordable homes on the island

easier - some construction conditions date back to the days of the former Strathclyde Council.

The solution list could eventually go before Argyll and Bute Council and possibly the Scottish Government as Mull’s situation was probably being

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felt in other places along the west coast, the meeting heard.

Building homes on Mull can be 22 per cent more expensive than on the mainland. asked. ‘There’s no pressure,’ The island also has the he said. fourth largest number of ‘Self-catering is critical to holiday homes in Scotland the economy. This would - the figure is understood to merely be a suggestion and be almost 1,500. get people thinking about Those struggling to find making the conversion to places to live include young long-term let,’ he added, islanders wanting to stay saying the idea might appeal to bring up their children, to someone ‘sitting on the seasonal workers looking fence’ who does not want for a temporary roof and the hassle any key workers more of running including a self-catering They might doctors, nurses business or like doing and teachers. who does not something The idea of a necessarily direct appeal to more that’s need the cash. second-homers ‘They might beneficial to and holiday like doing the community. property owners something divided the more that’s meeting, raising beneficial to the concerns it community. It would put the could be seen as being idea out there and at least ‘divisive’ or make selfstimulate the debate and catering out to be ‘a bad discussion, make people thing’, but community think,’ he said. councillor convener Tom Councillor Mary-Jean Nelson said that was not the Devon told the meeting the case. community council needed He said there was no to be very clear to identify need for anyone to feel the actual need and who uncomfortable about being these long-term lets would

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be intended for. Builds in the future include a potential 60 homes from island developer Calum MacLachlainn, 12 housing association homes in Tobermory and eight coming in Salen.

‘Work is ongoing to provide more housing on Mull.

‘It’s not as if the community council has suddenly woken up the issue,’ said Councillor Devon speaking after the meeting.

Keys This May, four years after starting a new affordable homes project in Ulva Ferry, Mull and Iona Community Trust handed over the keys to the new residents.

It took years of fundraising and feasibility work to buy the land and pay for the £1.3 million project which resulted in the four muchneeded homes being built.

More than 30 applications to live in them were received and a locally agreed, points based allocation policy was used to choose the successful families.

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Scottish Government rules out purchase of new vessel for Mull Mull and Iona islanders have islanders and get to grips with the complete shambles called for the First Minisengulfing Scotland’s lifeline ter of Scotland to visit the ferry network. islands after the Scottish ‘Politicians and officials Transport Minister Graeme in Edinburgh seem to be Day refused to sanction the looking the other way, whilst purchase of a new boat for we desperately try to tell Mull, despite a summer of them what the problems are chaos across Scotland’s and how to fix them. It’s a ageing ferry network. slow moving car crash. The Mull and Iona Ferry Committee (MIFC) has also called system is bordering on the dysfunctional. for Caledoni‘There is an an Maritime Politicians and ideal vessel Assets Limited officials in available on the (CMAL), the Edinburgh seem market right Scottish Government-run to be looking the now, but CMAL ferry procureother way, whilst seems to be too arrogant ment company, we desperately and incompeto publish its try to tell tent to take own report into them what the advantage of the potential purchase of a problems are and the opportunity. catamaran that how to fix them. Even worse than that, they a team of naval seem to be architects at Strathclyde University found deliberately obstructing this much-needed vessel in the would be one of the safest most shocking and scandalin CalMac’s fleet. ous manner that shows only Joe Reade, chairman of contempt for islanders.’

MIFC, said: ‘We believe CMAL has since defended it is now time for the First Minister to come to Mull and its position saying its inhouse naval architects and Iona to hear directly from

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a third party naval architect firm both identified dozens of elements in the catamaran that did not comply with Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) requirements for a passenger certificate.

‘We are acutely aware of the need to replace vessels in the fleet and we have commenced an ambitious plan of vessel replacement as part of a £587 million investment to cover vessels and harbours over the next five years,’ said a CMAL spokesperson.

‘In addition, we are actively searching the global market for second-hand tonnage to provide more immediate relief to the service.

‘If this new-build catamaran was a viable solution, we would pull out all the stops to make the purchase happen. Unfortunately, the vessel is not compliant with the strict standards required to operate in the UK. ‘We have spent considerable time and resources over the course of a year assessing the vessel and engaging with the seller of

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the catamaran to address the modifications required to meet UK compliance and secure a passenger certificate.

‘We were unable to secure assurances from the seller that these requirements would be met.

‘As a public body, we simply cannot spend millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money on a new-build vessel that may not be able to secure a passenger certificate and therefore never be able to operate on Scottish routes.’

Transport Scotland also

assured members of the ferry committee and the island communities that the decision against pursuing the vessel has not been taken lightly.

Consideration A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: ‘There has been a lack of confidence in the vessel’s suitability from the outset of this process, but we are confident CMAL has given it the appropriate level of due consideration given the strong feelings from the community on the issue.

‘We are actively exploring opportunities for chartering additional tonnage and looking at other credible, affordable and viable options to improve resilience. We would urge the committee to continue to work with Transport Scotland, CalMac and CMAL as we progress the MV Isle of Mull Replacement Programme.’

In its full account of events which have been published on its website, MIFC allege a catalogue of failings by CMAL in the handling of the potential purchase.

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Running from grief after the mysterious death of his wife, Eric Black, played by Tom Hughes, takes a job as a shepherd and is trapped alone on a majestic weather-beaten island with an ominous secret.

Photograph: Strike Media Limited.

Mull horror movie up for film festival prize A nerve-jangling movie shot on Mull is up for a prize at a top British film festival next month.

Shepherd, starring actor Tom Hughes, is in the running for awards at this year’s BFI (British Film Industry) London Film Festival 2021.

The eerie film starring actor Tom Hughes and Kate Dickie, of Game of Thrones fame as Lysa Arryn, will have its world premiere at the festival on October 14, before being released to cinemas on November 5.

Shepherd’s writer and director Russell Owen is delighted with the news of the film’s selection saying it is a ‘massive honour’.

Earlier this year, The Oban Times reported some of the film’s crew, including extras

from Mull, were still waiting for wages. Film boss Karim Tshibangu said he would pay out ‘whatever is outstanding’ once the film’s sales agents paid him.

Mr Tshibangu, who heads up Castle Valley Films, had already apologised in The Oban Times in 2019 for unpaid wages.

Some of the extras, location assistants and bills were paid, others received part of their money at the time, but there were still some who received no wages at all.

Grief The film plot tells of Eric Black, played

by Tom Hughes, who is running from grief after the mysterious death of his wife.

He takes a job as a shepherd and is trapped alone on a remote weather-beaten island with an ominous secret.

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Mull Funeral Services

Isle Of Mull

Complete 24 hour Confidential service Golden Charter Funeral Plan Tel: 01680 812435 Mob: 07721 623854

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MULL’S SCALED DOWN GAMES A WINNER Mull Highland Games organisers have hailed this year’s alternative gathering a winner.

When the virus threatened to put a stop to the traditional games for a second year running, organisers decided to come up with something new to keep the spirit of the event alive and kicking on the island.

The usual games were scaled down, races still went ahead, picnics were encouraged with a producers market on site and Tobermory High School Pipe Band still put on a parade.

With many of the familiar

heavy weight contestants not travelling this year, Brian Robin - who has been competing and running events throughout Argyll for more than 45 years - invited Edinburgh’s iron man Kyle Randall to come and coach some new competitors from the island, encouraging them on to the throwing field.

In support of the event, the Co-op at Tobermory presented a £200 cheque to organisers for a new banner and Covid 19 signs.

Mull Highland Games chairman William Hume said the games would be back in full next year, Covid allowing.

‘Going ahead with a smaller gathering was the right thing to do this year and we were rewarded for it with a good turnout and sunshine. We didn’t want to see another year without the games because we would’ve had to build it all up again. This way we managed to keep the spirit of it alive. All being well, Mull Highland Games will be back to its usual self in 2022,’ said Mr Hume who thanked everyone who worked so hard for the gathering to go ahead, especially mentioning the generous support from sponsors and patrons.

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Mull Youth Theatre’s TEN +1 Festival gets 10/10 The 10-year celebrations to mark the founding of Mull Youth Theatre should have been celebrated in 2020 – but fell victim to lockdown.

In 2021, it finally got to celebrate with a TEN+1 Festival.

‘The theatre on Mull has deep roots, firstly with The Little Theatre and now Mull Theatre which enjoys nationwide acclaim,’ said Mull Youth Theatre’s director Andi Stevens.

‘In 2010, a permanent youth theatre was established, comprising of Lewis MacLeod, Dexter Govan, Kate Stevens and Dominic Haunschmidt.

‘Mull Youth Theatre has developed steadily ever since from four to 64 young adults.

‘Bold programming and adventurous casting have ensured youngsters continue to be drawn to the theatre.

‘Over the years, there have been many professionals and community members who have supported this venture.

Thank you for all you have given.

‘The 10-year milestone could not be allowed to pass without a celebratory festival.

‘And in July we were able to mark this great achievement with a three-day performing arts gathering.

‘During the festival, our many students attended workshops in improvisational skills, stage design, puppetry,

performance skills, storytelling, photography and costume. It proved to be a great mixture of intensive work, fun, gazebos, bunting, hand sanitiser and amazing cakes.

‘It all culminated in delivering a short performance to show their talents based around newspaper puppets, time machines, steam punk hats and David Bowie. What a mix – but it worked.

‘The focus, commitment and passion from our students never ceases to amaze me,’ said Andi.

‘A heartfelt thanks to all the tutors and caring staff who assisted at the festival - Alan Melvin, Martin Low, Heather Waller, Sarah Darling, Holly Fusco, Flora Thommasson, Ruth Darling, Ruxy Cantir and Sarah-Rose Graber.

‘It has been 10 years of exhilaration and fun, from Edinburgh Fringe performances to a bi-lingual Macbeth performed on the canals in France on one of our many

collaborations with Carcassonne Youth Company.

‘Some of our students have made their careers in the wider arts business.

‘Mull Youth Theatre alum now work as actors, writers, directors, stage designers and creative learning practitioners.

‘We have a great deal to celebrate around our brilliant students of yesterday and today. I have been so proud to know all of them over the past 10 years,’ added Andi.

Mull Theatre’s new chief executive and artistic director Rebecca Atkinson-Lord added: ‘It has been wonderful to spend my first week living on Mull at the TEN Festival.

‘I can’t imagine a better introduction to An Tobar and Mull Theatre and its community.

‘It is an honour to have such a committed, inspiring and beloved artist as Andi on the team. I cannot wait to see what she does next.’

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NEWS ROUND-UP from Mull Dumped human waste and people urinating in front of children at one of Mull’s most stunning beaches was one of the talked-about topics at the latest community council meeting on Zoom.

Fairer treatment for islanders getting ferry tickets, more on plans for a new ferry terminal at Craignure Pier and frustrations with Royal Mail and the Co-op were also discussed at the meeting on Wednesday August 4, as was the latest from Tobermory traffic management trying to keep campervans out of the main street and easing the town’s congestion.

Community councillors heard about problems at Uisken beach and that recruitment of a warden for the Lorn and the Isles area had hit a hitch when the applicant backtracked a day before the job was due to start.

Staff shortages are a headache for Royal Mail, with some islanders not getting deliveries. The community council has sent a letter asking about the problem of getting enough cover for postal workers.

Members of Craignure Bay Development Group and community councillors who

met with Argyll and Bute Council and consultants in July to discuss plans for the new pier area were ‘amazed’ to discover none of those involved in drawing up the ‘mega scale’ proposals had ever set foot in Craignure or Mull. Councillor Mary-Jean Devon invited them to visit and a second more positive meeting was held on July 30 for a walk-through of the area.

The plans seen at the first ‘disappointing’ meeting would have ‘swallowed up’ the area, the community council was told and heard that aerial photographs shown were not from a human perspective and there was no evidence the community’s views had been taken into account.

‘It reinforced the fears and concerns of the Craignure community,’ said Norman Hickson.

‘It was made very clear to Argyll and Bute and the consultants the proposal was totally unacceptable and we sent them packing with their tail between their legs,’ he added.

At the second meeting with ‘feet on the ground’ there was ‘more of a positive feeling on both sides’, reported Mr Hickson saying

plans needed to be on more of a sensible scale and that community involvement was imperative for the final design.

The need to get Tobermory’s Co-op up ranked from convenience store status to a food store was also brought to the community council’s table.

About 60 per cent of the shop’s current stock is convenience food and drink including wine and snacks.

Members want to know what the Co-op’s plans are for the future.

A cancelled visit by Screen Machine will be rescheduled, the community council was told after a mix-up with a health and safety form to use a council-run car park.

The plan had been to show Mull’s homemade What We Do In The Winter film at the start of each screening and take donations in aid of the island’s foodbank.

With Covid restrictions easing up and CalMac increasing carrying capacity, ideas of how islanders could get fairer and more equal chance of getting ferry tickets were discussed. It was suggested Mull and Iona Ferry Committee come up with a proposal to put to Transport Scotland.

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ELC children to benefit from outdoor learning in Oban and Mull Hobbit houses, campfires and water walls are just some of the fun outdoor learning activities that children will get to experience as a result of Argyll and Bute’s new Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) settings.

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Willowview in Oban, run by Argyll and Bute Council, welcomed its first children this week.

The former day centre and care home has been transformed by landscape architects who were appointed by the council to create spaces for high activity; quiet time; socialising; investigation; creativity and nature.

To meet this brief, the designers developed a ‘traditional’ play space with hard surfacing for ride-ons, marking and ball games, water play, sensory planting and a ‘stage’. This is a standalone area, but a path also leads up through a quiet space and green tunnel to a high level ‘hidden garden’ with playhouse, sandpit, slide and scramble net to the lower level and a sheltered look-out with a view across the roof-tops.

The outdoor setting also has a natural area which offers future use for Forest School activities.

In addition to the extensive external areas, there is a partially covered internal courtyard which forms the parent entrance and a sensory breakout space.

Council-appointed architects also designed an outdoor area at Salen Primary School’s existing ELC unit which maximises the limited external space.

Breakout areas have been developed as social spaces for science/experimental play, gardening, an outdoor classroom and sen-

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sory areas. The new area also has a ride-on ‘circuit’ and a speaking tube which connects the two Early Years gardens, as well as outdoor chalk boards, music, mirrors and a water wall.

The two new English and Gaelic medium spaces will be completed this autumn.

Councillor Yvonne McNeilly, Policy Lead for Education, said: ‘We have brought life to spaces that had been forgotten or neglected and placed them at the heart of learning for our youngest learners.

‘These sustainable spaces provide a wealth of opportunities for intergenerational activities, enhancing community cohesion and helping us build inclusive, resilient communities whilst delivering high quality ELC. ‘I would like to thank everyone involved for the tremendous effort they have put in over the years to get us where we are today.

I truly believe we are leading the way with outdoor education in Argyll and Bute, paving the way for our children and young people to have the best start in life.’

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THIRD TIME LUCKY FOR MULL FIDDLE WEEK Players at Mull Fiddle Week finally celebrated getting back together this month, after the event had been postponed twice due to Covid.

Mull Fiddle Week, funded by the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, aims to immerse young people in the energy and spirit of traditional fiddle music. It was open to players of all abilities from Argyll and Bute and attracted more than 30 participants.

The main fiddle programme was based in venues around Tobermory and was led by some of Scotland’s finest absolutely inspired to keep fiddle players - Patsy Reid, teaching.

Adam Sutherland, Dan‘All of the tutors were iel Thorpe and Vanessa patient, encouraging, helpful Edwards - who travelled up and supportfrom Lancaster ive, as well as to join the team. fantastic musiI had an Also taking part cians. It was so absolutely in Mull Fiddle great to be able fantastic week Week was a to work with all at Mull Fiddle group of young of them and see aspiring musiWeek and I their different cians who all have left feeling teaching styles. gained places I feel that I took absolutely on a mentoring inspired to keep something programme led different from teaching.

by Patsy Reid. each of them.’

Emily Goan, Another one of the traintrainee, Lucy ees from Innelllan, Argyll, Houston from Ardnamursaid: ‘I had an absolutely chan, said: ‘This was one of fantastic week at Mull Fiddle the best weeks of my life.

Week and I have left feeling ‘It was so much fun and

“

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such an incredible learning experience.’

The participants, aged between five and 17, took part in small, focused workshops learning traditional repertoire by ear and bowing techniques, musicianship classes experiencing traditional music through movement as well as creative composition classes.

The youngsters all learned parts to tunes including Jig Runrig, An T-Eilean Muileach and Pinacle Ridge, all specially arranged by Patsy Reid, which they performed en-masse to delighted passers-by on Tobermory Main Street towards the end of the week.

Adam Sutherland, one of

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the event’s leading fiddlers, said: ‘You guys created such a great atmosphere for learning. A very happy bunch of young people indeed, all of whom did so well.

‘So many inquisitive young minds. Bravo.’

Also taking place over the water was Mull Fiddle Week’s sister project, Hear My Music, spreading the joy and accessibility of traditional music to people with learning disabilities.

Emily Carr-Martin and Morag Currie, specialist music educators and fiddler players from the Glasgow-based charity, spent each morning running music sessions at the Lochside Centre, formerly Lochgilphead Resource Centre, as well as working with groups at the Mid Argyll Youth Development Service and groups in Campbeltown.

Mull Fiddle Week organiser Laura Mandleberg said: ‘The pandemic has hit the vulnerable members in our

community the hardest. It was very special to see the amazing work of the Hear My Music team working at the Lochside Centre.

‘Even though we were working apart, we were together through our music-making and working on the same pieces arranged by the wonderful Patsy Reid.’

You can find video clips of Mull Fiddle Week on the Mull

Music Makers Facebook page.

Organisers thanked the The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo for the funding and the Western Isles Hotel for gifting them venue space.

Laura gave a final thanks to ‘all of our participants who played their socks off and made us all so proud’.

Mull Fiddle Week 2022 anyone?’

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