Mull & Iona Life #44 Winter 2021/22

Mull&Iona

WINTER 2021/22

Issue 44

Life

WINTERWATCH RETURNS TO ARGYLL RELIEF FOR MULL COUPLE AFTER SUPER TYPHOON MULL OFFICER UP FOR BRAVERY AWARD 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

White-tailed Sea Eagle www.scotphoto.com

EDITORIAL editor@obantimes.co.uk

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

contents 4 7 8 10 12 14 16 19 21 22 25 26 28

Winterwatch returns to Argyll Mull and Iona step up to plate to promote local seafood Big year ahead for tiny Ulva Coll and Mull healthy living projects receive £90,000 Relief for Mull couple after super typhoon Mullman’s Merry Christmas Mull’s Creel Seafood Bar wins best in the land Poppy lights idea for Mull Mull officer up for bravery award Baby Abigail makes Mull history Mull teen wins badminton bronze Review: Wild Mull David Attenborough praises Mull man’s new children’s book on climate change

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Robert Cruickshanks’ Ootmahoosewindae 2020 calendar in aid of a mental health charity features some of his best wildlife shots.

Winterwatch returns to Argyll Eagles feasting and fighting on Mull and pine martens making regular night visits to a garden in Oban were just some of the gems featured on Winterwatch 2022.

The wildlife discovery returned to BBC Two on Tuesday January 18 for two weeks.

Presenter Iolo Williams was on his home from home on Mull.

He first visited the island more than 30 years ago

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and is still fascinated by its wildlife.

Oban photographer Robert Cruickshanks also had a slot sharing the mental health benefits of nature watching.

Viewers saw Iolo take a privileged peek inside a recently abandoned White Tailed Eagle’s nest to find out how it is built and to gain an insight into their varied diet from the scraps they leave behind. He also

looked at Ptarmigan, otters, hares and short-eared owls.

The live show also had cameras trained on a deer carcass to see the array of wildlife that comes to it in the winter months when food can be hard to come by.

Other winter stories were presented by Chris Packham and Michaela Strachan, live for their third season from Wild Ken Hill in Norfolk, while zoologist and

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A stunning sunset shot of an eagle taken in the Sound of Mull by Amanda Fergusson on a Lochaline Dive Boat

conservationist Megan McCubbin presented from Castle Espie in Northern Ireland.

The series also featured mindful moments filmed by the country’s top wildlife camera operators as well as some pre-filmed tales showcasing people passionate about caring for wildlife.

One of those people is Robert Cruickshanks who regularly has pine martens visit his garden.

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Viewers will see This seaAs a phoIolo taking a son there are tographer, he lots of digital has created privileged peek the perfect inside a recently extras to enjoy on top of the TV set to get abandoned shows. a unique White Tailed You can tune in glimpse into Eagle’s nest on BBC Youthese usually Tube, iPlayer very shy anior at www. mals’ nocturbbc.co.uk/winterwatch to nal habits. During nights of watching and taking photo- see more and the best of graphs, he has built up their viewers’ footage and photos trust and follows their every will also go on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. move on CCTV. MULL & IONA LIFE

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Mull and Iona step up to plate to promote local seafood A community initiative in the north of Mull has been encouraging people to buy and use more local seafood through promotional activities and events.

Seafood Mull & Iona is being led by some volunteer community members from Dervaig Village Hall in collaboration with some local fishermen. The project has been supported by the Regional Food Fund which is delivered by the Scotland Food & Drink Partnership with funding from Scottish Government. sales of seafood, and other Mull is home to a number food products, locally thereof inshore fishermen and by contributing farmers, who to the islands’ catch lobster, economy. langoustines, The purpose The weekcrab, and scalof this project long celebration lops along with was to stimulate showcased the farmed musawareness and excellent quality sels, oysters increase sales and variety of and salmon.

Mull seafood The impact of of seafood, and other locoronavirus and and other food cally-produced the disruption products. food, providing and uncertainty an opportunity at the end of for the promotion of the the Brexit transition period island produce and real and has taken its toll, with sigmemorable food tourism nificant loss to international experiences. markets. The purpose of The week of events this project was to stimulate included an Oyster Farm awareness and increase

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Tour and Tasting at Am Birlinn, near Croig, A Perfect Seafood Picnic at a secret location near Tobermory and a Seafood Extravaganza dinner at Dervaig Village Hall showcasing the wonderful seafood landed on Mull.

In addition, the social media coverage had a ‘feed’ of seafood recipes from local restaurants, information on the health benefits of seafood and some film clips with local fishermen giving an insight into handling seafood.

More information can be found on the Seafood Mull & Iona Facebook and Instagram pages.

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BIG YEAR AHEAD FOR TINY ULVA Tiny Ulva has a big year ahead of it renovating homes as part of a plan to repopulate the island.

Last year 7,000 people made the ferry journey over from Mull to visit the island that was once populated by as many as 800 people now there are just eight who would consider it as home.

The island’s development manager Wendy Reid says 2022 is going to be an exciting year.

Work has just been

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completed on renovating one of six properties as part of the repopulation project.

The first one to be renovated was The Manse, a Grade B Thomas Telford designed building dating back to the early 19th century, originally for the Ulva church minister to live in.

For the next while, it will be used to house people living in the next properties to undergo renovation, says Wendy.

There are tenants already

for three of the properties, with opportunities for others coming later.

Applications are not being taken at the moment.

Spread over just 2,000 hectares, there was once 16 townships on the island; it is only the east end that is inhabited today.

Funding for the North West Mull Community Woodland Company project to carry out renovation work has come from the Scottish Government’s Rural and

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the former laird’s house Island Housing Fund and Ulva House - into a mix of Island Community Fund, new holiday accommodation Argyll and Bute Council and the Ecology Building Society. and a heritage centre telling the story of Ulva through its Logistics of working on people.

Ulva have not And work proved easy, but has started We are looking the end results on building up are justifying all to build an an archive of the effort, says archive of stories as a Wendy. stories as an historical record The next two historical record stored in the houses are house and to be kept in scheduled for to shape up completion by Ulva House information that late spring, with goes on display the rest due to be finished early summer this there.

‘We are looking to build year. an archive of stories as an Permission has also historical record to be kept in been given by Historic Environment Scotland to put Ulva House and to inform the material we put on display. out to tender work to turn

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‘With all this activity, plus work continuing on our other projects, 2022 is gearing up to be an exciting year,’ said Wendy.

January will also see the start of work to renovate the stone pier on Ulva Ferry.

Mull and Iona Community Trust has just announced that the Scottish Government Regeneration Capital Grant Fund has awarded £602,950 for its shore services building there.

Working in support of Ulva School Community Association, the building will provide services for the community and visitors, as well as support other developments including the regeneration work on Ulva.

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COLL AND MULL HEALTHY LIVING PROJECTS BOOSTED BY £90,000 People living on Mull and Coll will benefit from communityled wellness initiatives designed to support them to live healthier lifestyles.

The Healthy Islands Fund will help to deliver these initiatives with just over £1.3 million of Scottish Government funding from the wider £30 million Islands Programme.

On the Isle of Coll, the Project Trust is to receive £30,000 for its ‘BicyCOLL’ green travel policy. On Mull, Pennyghael Community Hall receives £44,680.80 for phase one of its renovations, while Mull and Iona Community Trust has been awarded £9,800 for its Our Islands’ Community Wellbeing Project and Tobermory Harbour

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participation and equality in Association has been physical activity, as we’ve given £4,052 for the Aros outlined in our National Waterfront Development.

Islands Plan. We need to The fund is managed by ensure these are locally-led Inspiring Scotland, with 56 and community groups are projects spanning across 35 often best placed to provide islands. Projects focus on these services building local on our islands. capacity to ‘The projects increase wellThe projects we we are funding being, foster are funding will will help connections and help encourage encourage promote healthy people to people to and resilient live healthier islanders and live healthier lifestyles and communities lifestyles and improve their helping them to improve their resilience. I’m recover from the resilience so grateful to impact of the the groups pandemic. for applying Islands to help improve the lives Secretary Mairi Gougeon of the people living across said: ‘It’s important Scotland’s islands and I can’t communities have wait to see them in action.’ initiatives that can promote

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Relief for Mull couple after super typhoon

A Mull couple aiding an island community hit by Typhoon Odette before Christmas have described the ongoing devastation and appealed for help.

Andrew Fuller, senior associate at Oban estate agent Bell Ingram, flew to the Philippines with his wife Gerlie to join the aid effort in her home island called Sibanac in the Dinagat

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region. Gerlie’s village, alongside 10,000 others, lay in the direct path of the 600km wide super typhoon, the strongest storm in 2021, when it made landfall on December 16, battering coastal communities with 240 km/h winds, wrecking houses, shops, banks and hospitals.

The fate of Gerlie’s family was unknown as the couple

waited in quarantine in the Philippines’ capital city of Manila after the category five storm tore down communication lines and landslides, fallen trees and debris left most roads impassable.

They feared the worst, but ‘thankfully Gerlie’s family is safe and well and focused on helping the effort to help the less fortunate in her village,’

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Typhoon Odette was the third Category 5 storm to hit the Philippines in the past two years; the second in 2021. More than 300,000 people were evacuated ahead of landfall and millions were affected. he continued. ‘Our modest Andrew told Mull and Iona target will help around 30 Life. families in Gerlie’s village.’

Many have not been so In another update, Andrew lucky: the nationwide death toll climbed to more than 400 said: ‘Tatang’s modest house is yet another property at New Year. devastated by ‘There is the typhoon. a dwindling There are so ‘She described supply of food the moment and water many people when the and not much needing typhoon struck, shelter left the basics saying she was across the materials to put scared one of region,’ Andrew a roof over their the coconut wrote on their trees would fall Justgiving heads for one on the house crowdfunding and hurt her website, family. When we met her, Help Dinagat. ‘This is why she’d just constructed a I urgently and humbly ask makeshift shelter from bits of for everyone’s help. Dinagat damaged tin sheet and some needs staple food, drinking tarpaulin. She will have to live water, temporary shelters, fuel, hygiene kits and medical like this until she has enough money to reroof her house.’ supplies.

A second photograph ‘There are so many shows the Rogillo family people needing the basics on December 29, trying to - materials to put a roof escape the rain in their hastily over their heads for one,’

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made shelter, using materials salvaged from their house.

‘The whole family stays in there and it contains everything precious to them,’ he said.

‘There is a constant sound of metal sheets scraping and banging, with many shards of sharp metal still being blown around.

‘The village jetty, a lifeline, was washed away.

‘At night, the sound of generators fills the air. People are desperate to charge mobile phones and power a few lightbulbs.

‘I especially and humbly request that those people back at our home on the Isle of Mull, a close island community which welcomed us both with open arms, can find a way to join and support our efforts to provide direct help to another small island community in desperate need.’

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MULLMAN’S MERRY CHRISTMAS Our older children, Oliver, 14, and Hazel, nine, expressed an interest in buying presents for friends and family for Christmas. So, in true Brooks family tradition, we took them to earn some cash picking winkles. I grew up doing the same and saved up money to buy my own pool table when I was 10.

Picking winkles is not for everyone, especially if the weather is blowing a gale and hail stoning but, luckily, the children had a nice spell of weather over the weekend and we had an enjoyable family time scrabbling around on the shore.

We came to an agreement with our youngest daughter Blue that she could get an item of her choice at the shop in Salen if she looked after little Oak for us.

Oak didn’t really need a lot of looking after though, as he was knee deep in rock pools pointing out all the sea life.

The picking was regularly interrupted with squeaks of excitement every time they found something hiding among the seaweed.

The flapping butterfish were most common, but there were lots of other small fish that live among the rocks on the shore and are stranded when the tide goes out; fish

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Thank you to everyone that Mull otters love to feed involved for making it a on. school our children look These included young forward to going to - most sea scorpions, five bearded mornings. rockling, gobies, pipefish, We are in full winter little flatfish and 15 spine now, but already nature is sticklebacks. showing signs of the spring We also found squat lobsters, something I do not to come.

Our sea eagle pair are hard remember seeing before on at work building a new nest my winkling excursions. for the 2022 season already.

We all had to be careful One might for the often not expect half buried So, in true common small spiny sea Brooks family dolphins to urchins. hang around They are tradition, we over the winter, beautiful, but took them to but we have get a spine earn some seen small under your nail cash picking groups of them and you know winkles. from our home about it for at Ulva Ferry. days.

We are so lucky I found a to have been granted this delicate saddle oyster home. It’s a dream come wrapped around a small true to be able to sit at my stone and a large common whelk attaching its bundle of window and watch all the wildlife. bubble eggs that you often And the rays of light! find washed up on the shore The lovely late Eleanor to a rock.

Our two girls have one day Cameron from Bunessan at week at Ulva Ferry Primary used to pick me up to take me to school.

School doing shore school.

Thanks to her, those All 15 pupils in the school go out with their teachers - yes, rays of light coming down they even have two teachers through the clouds will always be known to me as now at that school, for the first time in a long time - and ‘God Speaks’ and it seems learn all they can about what appropriate.

It’s a regular reminder they find.

They are loving that school. here on Mull that we are so

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lucky to be witness to all of nature’s/God’s creations.

For those interested, the common dolphin I wrote about last month is still

swimming round and round a fishing float in Craignure Bay.  Daniel Brooks is a wildlife guide, adventure seeker,

conservation campaigner, forager, bushcrafter, rewilder and father of four.

His website mullman.co.uk is coming soon.

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Mull’s Creel Seafood Bar wins best in the land Commons congratulating A seafood bar on Mull has Siobhan Cameron and been named the country’s Best Seafood Establishment commending ‘the hard work of manager Niamh Cowan at The Food Awards Scotand all the staff of the Creel land 2021.

Seafood Bar in contributing The Creel Seafood Bar on to this outstanding success’.

Fionnphort Pier has been The text, sponsored by feeding locals and visitors eight other MPs, also noted: to Mull and Iona with fresh ‘The Creel was originally West Coast seafood since opened in 2014 2014.

by Siobhan’s ‘This award I am so proud of mum Alex and means the her dad Andrew absolute world,’ all of our team and had it not said the Creel and can’t thank been for their Seafood Bar’s them enough hard work and owner Siobhan for all their hard determination Cameron: ‘I work. to build the am so proud of business in all of our team those early and can’t thank years, none of this success them enough for all their would have been possible. hard work.

‘Therefore thanks everyone ‘My mum and dad passed involved with Creel Seafood over the business to me in 2016 and I can’t thank them Bar, past and present, for enough for all of the support what they have done to put this small corner of the Isle they have given me. of Mull on the culinary map ‘Without their trust and of Scotland and [the House] belief in me at the very wishes them all the very best beginning we would have for the future.’ never come this far.’

‘The Food Awards ScotArgyll and Bute MP land 2021 recognises the Brendan O’Hara tabled success of local professiona motion in the House of

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als and establishments that continue delivering great flavours and experiences to their customers,’ its organisers say.

‘The winners are a true re-

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flection of high standard and customer service as they are chosen by members of the general public who often have eclectic gastronomic tastes.’

Staff and supporters of The Creel Seafood Bar receive the award. Left to right: staff member Kate Young, manager Niamh Cowan, owner Siobhan Cameron and friend Lauren Buchanan.

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Poppy lights idea for Mull Poppy lights as part of Mull’s Remembrance Day celebrations would be supported by the island’s community council.

Sarah Pedley took the idea to the last community council Zoom meeting after seeing communities along the North Coast 500 route light up this way with special filters on street lights in towns and vil-

lages. Tobermory, Craignure and Salen could get involved and Tobermory’s town clock could be illuminated and decorated.

‘I’m more than happy to pursue it,’ she told the community council.

Community council convener Tom Nelson said: ‘We could be supportive of that.’

Councillor Mary-Jean Devon

suggested the project could be carried out in conjunction with the Christmas lights committee.

There is also the possibility the community council could help with some fundraising for it.

Councillor Devon also suggested Caledonian MacBrayne could be approached for financial help.

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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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OFFICER NOMINATED FOR BRAVERY AWARD A Bunessan police officer who tackled a knife-wielding man without back-up, has been nominated for a bravery award.

Clare Chalmers is one of two officers from across Scotland who has been put forward for recognition from the Scottish Police Federation for courageously carrying out their duty single-handedly to keep the public safe in the most demanding of circumstances.

Even though the nearest help was an hour-and-a-half away, PC Chalmers faced down the violent man and got his female victim to safety.

The drama began with a

call to a home in the south and one of the remotest parts of the island.

When PC Chalmers arrived at the house, she found a woman covered in blood who said she had been assaulted by a man in the property.

PC Chalmers found the man hiding under a duvet in another room and he brandished two knives at her.

Despite knowing back-up was so far away, she used her skills to get the weapons off him. With no tasers on the island, PC Chalmers had to use pepper spray on him.

Other officers arrived by helicopter later to arrest the man, who pleaded guilty and

received an eight-month jail sentence.

Scottish Police Federation representative Karen Cameron said: ‘Despite the very clear dangers and threats of harm, PC Chalmers used her tactical skills to neutralise the threat enough to recover the weapons and the female from within the house.

‘If she had not been so courageous the female could have been taken hostage, harmed further, perhaps seriously injured or worse.

‘PC Chalmers was aware of the danger the suspect posed and went alone to ensure the safety of the victim knowing any assistance was hours away.’

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BABY ABIGAIL MAKES MULL HISTORY Lochbuie baby Abigail Holland has made hospital history on Mull.

A photograph of the tot, who is on record as the first baby to be born at Craignure Hospital since it was built eight years ago, is now framed and up on its walls to mark the special occasion.

Staff who helped have had another delivery since – this time of cupcakes, sent as a thank you by Abigail’s family.

Abigail’s debut four weeks early into the big wide world was dramatic to say the least – it involved a stormy night, paramedics negotiating 50 miles of bumpy single track, a James Bond style RIB dash from Oban, two medi-helicopters, a neo-natal critical care team and a Sea King coastguard rescue to Prestwick Airport.

After all of that and a week of special care miles away from Mull in Ayrshire at Crosshouse Hospital, Abigail is now back home in Lochbuie with her family.

Grateful mum Alison, proud dad Grant and big sisters Lucille, seven, and Jessica aged two all doing well.

Abigail was born the day after doctors at an Oban scan agreed to induce her in a fortnight’s time at 38 weeks because she was already so big.

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them to Paisley.

But Abigail ‘Neither of the was not going It was James two nurses or to wait that long Bond style,’ said the doctor at – back home dad Grant who Craignure had that night Alison ever delivered took herself off works for the a baby before to bed without NHS but they were eating, feeling ‘a brilliant. Only bit off’, only to one of the paramedics had wake in the early hours with some experience – but that contractions ‘coming thick was only the basics. and fast’, she said.

‘They were all amazing ‘I told Grant to ring an looking after me but they ambulance quick. My last were like deer in headlights. two labours were fast, over ‘I was on gas and air and in three hours from start to turned to ask them to rub finish, so I knew this would my back when I felt I needed be the same. to push. Three pushes and It took paramedics about she was out. Everyone was 35 minutes to reach them gobsmacked. It all happened down a single-track road in wild weather – chucking rain so fast,’ said Alison.

Medics were worried about and a howling wind. With Abigail’s breathing and no midwife on the island, instructions from Oban came plans were made for two over the phone to get Alison helicopters – one each for into the ambulance and off to Alison and Abigail – to get them off the island.

Craignure Hospital where a A special neo-natal waiting helicopter would take

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transport team (SCOTstar) was also going to be picked up and flown in but the treacherous weather forced both helicopters back.

A Coastal Connections RIB boat was launched on a mission to bring a midwife over from Oban to check mum and baby.

‘It was James Bond style,’ said dad Grant who works for the NHS. Because of the weather, a Plan B was needed to lift them off Mull and a Sea King helicopter was called to the rescue.

Luckily Alison was well enough to fly with Abigail who travelled in a special incubator and was flown to a neo-natal unit at Crosshouse Hospital where she was closely monitored for a week, needing four days under UV rays for jaundice.

Grant had to get the first ferry off Mull before dropping Jessica and Lucille off at their aunty’s in Oban and driving

to Crosshouse to be reunited with Alison and their new baby girl.

After a week, Abigail got the all clear and the family headed home.

‘It was so emotional. It had been hard not being with Jessica and Lucy, but we were in the right place for Abigail.

‘I just cried when we got them all together,’ said Alison.

‘Abigail is going to have such fun telling people about when she was born. We are thankful for all the wonderful care we received from everyone involved – there were so many of them!

‘We’ve had a photograph framed of Abigail with her birth date and weight on it so it can go up at the hospital to mark the occasion of her being the first baby born there!’ added Alison.

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MULL TEEN WINS BADMINTON BRONZE A Mull teenager won a bronze medal at the UK’s junior badminton championships.

Malik Clowes, a 14-year-old Tobermory High School pupil from Calgary, picked up a bronze medal in the doubles with his partner Ewan Stewart at the U15 Home Nations Quadrangular.

This was Malik’s first international competition, played between Scotland, England, Wales, and Ireland at the National Badminton Academy in Scotstoun, Glasgow, from October 1 to 3.

Malik’s proud father David Clowes, a professional tennis coach who started a club in the village, said: ‘That was the best players in the UK that came together. It was wonderful to watch that level for three days.

‘From March 2020 until August 2021, all competitions were off. Malik has been training all summer. He is just on a mission.

‘It’s the success of a community supporting a youngster to be the best he can be and play for his country.

‘Without the fantastic

efforts of all the people who help and support Dervaig Village Hall, Malik would never have achieved this. Special

thanks to all the badminton players young and old who are all part of a great community sports hub.’

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REVIEW:

Wild Mull: A Natural History of the Isle of Mull and its People

Kirsteen Bell If you are the sort of person who normally shies away from guidebooks, I would go as far as guaranteeing you should reconsider for Wild Mull: A Natural History of the Isle of Mull and its People.

Written by Stephen Littlewood, with photography by Martin Jones, this book is a celebration of the ‘wildness, diversity and wonder’ of Mull and a rallying cry to think more deeply about the relationship humans have with the natural world.

The authors have sought to give ‘an honest appraisal’ of Mull’s ecosystem.

Subjects range from the geological origins of the

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The breadth of the range island and the understory is impressive in what is a of the Celtic rainforest, to relatively short book; each the alpine flora of mountain detail combines to make scree and the now-famous a compelling white-tailed whole. eagles – and The authors That said, everything in if you found between. Wild have sought to you were less Mull does not give ‘an honest interested in buy into the appraisal’ fungi you could narrative of of Mull’s skim past a ‘untouched ecosystem. section without wilderness’ detracting from that still tends the overall to sneak into enjoyment and discussion of perspectives on Highthe book. land landscapes. The wild Woven throughout is Mull’s elements of Mull’s ecosyshuman story and its links to tem do not exist alone: the the island’s biodiversity. This authors include mention of cattle and sheep, the flowers is a nature book that does in our gardens and even the not pretend that humans are separate. domestic cat.

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The authors choose largely to neither condemn nor praise those interactions, simply presenting the facts of human interaction with the landscape and its resulting effect on biodiversity. In the case study of conifer plantations, they note the negative impact on peat bogs, alongside the positive impact on goldcrest and siskins. Similarly, pine martens present a paradox: a protected species that is having a negative impact on a number of bird species on the island.

The reader is given the facts and the space to make up their own mind.

Every element is given the same attention and balanced approach that clearly stems from a deep love of Mull and its surrounding environment.

The images from the island are special.

Some are breathtaking, such as the aerial courtship dance of a whitetailed eagle pair. Others are humorous or just lovely, like the upside-down common tern divebombing the water

nity groups to develop ways of creating better places for people and greener, more sustainable, communities.

In the course of this, he gained a particular interest in promoting the natural environment and green infrastructure for the benefit of nature and people together.

He said: ‘After retirement nearly 10 years ago, my wife Linda and I moved to Mull, since when I have been drawn increasingly towards the wild places of the island and its wildlife.

‘The island, of course, has almost mythical status as a haven for nature.

‘I came expecting to find outstanding wildlife, but I wasn’t prepared for the extraordinary depth and breadth of biodiversity that I found.

‘Nor had I understood the Stephen part played in the legendary Littlewood natural history of Mull by Author the fascinating geology and Stephen remarkable people of the Littlewood island over time. who wrote ‘It makes for a fantasWild Mull: tic story and one which I A Natural History of the Isle of Mull and thought was worth telling. its People was an academic That is why I wrote Wild Mull and asked my friend Martin who worked variously with Jones to help design it and the EC, UK Government, local authorities and commu- provide many of the images.’

at Croig, or the pebbles in St Columba’s Bay on Iona, bright as the window of a sweetshop.

You get a sense of the joy the authors had in capturing the life and detail in the landscape.

Ultimately though, Wild Mull conveys the importance of understanding ecosystems such as Mull’s and that nothing in nature exists alone. Just as it shows the midge connected to the mountain, so too it highlights that Mull is connected to the global ecosystem.

As the authors put it, ‘no island is an island’.

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DAVID ATTENBOROUGH PRAISES MULL MAN’S NEW CHILDREN’S BOOK ON CLIMATE CHANGE island called A Tobermory hotel owner Scotty. His launched a new book at website COP26 teaching children explains: ‘Cliabout climate change, mate change through the adventures of can somea Scotty dog from Mull and times be a his best friend Owl. little frightenThe new owner of Mull’s ing. This is a Western Isles Hotel, James story about Wright, who grew up in the small Tobermory where his father changes was a grocer and baker, we can all commissioned the book as make to help his contribution to alerting protect the young children about the planet. No-one is too small climate crisis. to make a difIt was issued ference, and no to 400 deleScotty and his difference is too gates attendadventures are small to make.’ ing the UN’s the medium Come with COP26 climate Scotty - to the summit in Glasby which I felt island of Mull, gow, including we could teach then India, BraPrime Minister young nursery zil, Africa and Boris Johnson, and primary right around the who called it a school children world. ‘valuable conWill he find all about the tribution’, and his way home? the legendary varying issues broadcaster facing us today. Will his friend owl lose all his David Attenborfeathers flying ough, who told James it was a ‘stupendous after him? Will they learn something extraordinary idea’. about trees on the way?

Scotty Plants a Seed, the Hold tight...’ first book in a series, stars The book, written by a small black dog from the

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author Conn Iggulden and illustrated

by Lizzy Duncan, is based on James Wright’s original idea.

James explained: ‘I was invited to join the Scotia group, a not-for-profit environmental group, with a view to producing a blueprint recommendation on how to tackle carbon emissions to reduce rising global temperatures.

‘The recommendations were due to be presented to the Secretary General of the United Nations at the Cop 26 Climate Change Conference in November 2021.

‘Not being a scientist, I took the following view.

Conferences come and conferences go.

‘Politicians come and politicians go, but children are constant.

‘I felt it was essential to find a medium by which young children could be

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educated about climate change and how our planet is currently being destroyed by modern living practices.

‘Today’s children will be the very people that will have to deal with the consequences of what my generation and the generation before us has created.

‘These children when grown will need to continue what we have now started, albeit with greater urgency, to make the necessary changes to reverse global warming.

‘Scotty and his adventures are the medium by which I felt we could teach young nursery and primary school children

all about the varying issues facing us today.

Meet Scotty in his new book, Scotty Plants a Seed, where we find out that no one is too small to make a difference and no difference is too small to make.

‘Keep in mind that today we have an opportunity to do good for ourselves, the planet and others.

‘We do still have time and

this first book is our small contribution towards that end.’

The book is based on an original idea by James Wright, the owner of the Western Isles Hotel, who grew up in Tobermory, though now lives in London.

Scotty’s website also features colouring in pages, a Scotty wall and Scotty’s collaboration with the Millennium Seed Bank in Kew’s wild botanic gardens in Sussex, which stores more than 2.4 billion seeds to save the plants from becoming extinct.

The team was hoping to find a publisher so the Scotty books could be available at Christmas.

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