The Oban Times Week 40 2022

season

by Kathie Gri ths kgri ths@obantimes.co.uk

Oban’s population could soon smash the town’s festive lights appeal if everyone donated just £2.

Donations from the public are starting to pick up, with £10s to £20s and even £50s dropping into the co ers, but every penny counts from the biggest to smallest amounts, says town ambassador Kay MacDonald.

A crowdfunding page to make this year’s Christmas light show better and brighter than ever before has reached seven per cent of its £20,000 target thanks to 55 online supporters.

It is hoped money will also come from other sources says Kay, who is part of a group specially set up to help bring in the funds.

Oban Community Council has agreed to ask the Oban Common Good Fund for £15,000 to pay for wall mounts and street wires to support the lights.

Outcomes of bids to Hollow Mountain hydro company Drax and to Scottish Sea Farms are also awaited and

BID4Oban will be making a donation.

Saturday November 26 is the date set for the reindeer parade and lights switch-on so time is ticking to hit the target.

One of the crowdfunding supporters said: ‘Would love to see Oban with amazing Christmas lights. A walk round town on a Christmas night with a hot chocolate would be the perfect cheer everyone needs. Hope everyone gets behind this.’

Kay fully agrees, saying: ‘People need cheering up this year more than ever so it’s even more important our lights are brighter and better than before. We need everyone’s help to make it happen. If everyone who is part of Oban’s 8,500 population put £2 in the pot we would almost have all the money we need for this year. Together we can make it happen.’

e town’s Christmas lights badly need replacing to help

Oban look its sparkling best.

A mix of new, damaged and old lighting, most of which was inherited and gi ed to BID4Oban a er Argyll and Bute Council gave up the responsibility, is what the town has currently to o er.

Appeal organisers are asking everyone to share these crowdfunding page details, saying ‘the more the merrier’

You can nd it here: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ obanfestivelights.

town

Kay MacDonald.

e last of funding for Christmas lights from Argyll and Bute Council was used up in 2020.

Donations from Oban Common Good Fund, Oban Community Council, West Highland Housing Association and BID4Oban managed to secure lighting at the last minute for last year but more twinkles are a must for 2022.

Key areas for lights were identi ed as George Street, Station Square, the clock tower, Albany Street, Combie Streets and the town’s traditional three trees.

e Oban Times agreed early on to sponsor netting lights around the clock tower.

Keep an eye out for the redwrapped collecting tins out and about in shops and pubs in Oban for the lights fund. Fundraisers will also be out collecting in town at this year’s reworks display on bon re night.

Family of missing walker, Neil, search for peace

by Kathie Gri ths kgri ths@obantimes.co.uk

A missing man’s daughter has appealed to walkers and wildcampers to help solve the ‘massive mystery’ still puzzling family and search experts.

Experienced hiker and remote camper Neil Skinner vanished earlier this year while holidaying with friends in the Bridge of Orchy area.

His tent was discovered with his overnight oats still soaking in the pot and walking poles stabbed into the ground. All his kit, including his wallet, drinking water, phone and waterproofs, were still inside it.

e dad-of-four, who would have been 72 last month, was just one day into a planned ve-day circular 40-mile route with some younger pals when he decided he was not up to it and turned back alone to where

the group spent the rst night at Loch Dochard.

Kate Armitage said it is ‘unfathomable’ there has been no sign of her dad since his friends reported him missing to Police Scotland on Monday May 9 when atrocious weather forced them to return to their starting point early.

‘Our best case scenario now is that a walker or wildcamper nds his body. We just want to give him a funeral,’ said Kate, who has a six-year-old son.

Well-wishers have already raised £1,000 to fund a tree and memory garden for Neil at Kate’s church in Chester eld.

‘It massively surprised me

Neil Skinner, pictured with his daughter Kate in May, just before he went o on his walking trip.

dad went on this holiday. He had already told us he would not be going on any more big trips like that even though he loved Scotland. He had even talked about giving his tent away. He 100 per cent should have told his friends he was not going,’ said Kate.

Her dad was still t for his age, despite being on medication for a bleed on the brain, and was an early riser who would go for walks from home before breakfast and again in the afternoons, ‘but he wouldn’t even leave home without his walking poles or without a sandwich and water in his rucksack, so it’s strange he’d le these kind of things at the tent,’ said Kate.

e last CCTV footage at Tyndrum’s Green Welly shows him buying goods for his trip, including whisky and a drinking water backpack.

Before quitting the walk one and a half hours in the direction of Loch Etive, Kate said her dad told his friends he would go back to Loch Dochard and

‘sit it out’ until they returned. ‘I didn’t know he’d gone on this trip until he went missing. Usually he would have told us if he was going to Scotland. It was insane he accepted his friends’ invite to go. He had known them for years and been on many wild camping and walking trips with them, but he wasn’t getting any younger.

‘His body must be somewhere bizarre. Police and search teams were con dent they would nd him on the rst day. eir searches have been extensive – mountain rescue, divers in the loch using sonar equipment and one of only four dogs trained in the UK to locate bodies in water. About day 16 police phoned us to say there was no possible way dad could have survived that long now.

e weather had been so bad, there were days the helicopter and search dogs couldn’t go out to look.

‘It is a massive mystery to them and to us. It is hard to imagine such a wild place, but the area where he was camping was quite contained. His tent was on a peninsula out to the loch and then there was a high deer fence.

‘Did he get up early that day to go for a walk? Did the weather turn? Has he got completely disorientated and carried on walking in the wrong direction? Why would he have le his poles behind? None of it makes any sense,’ said Kate.

‘I just hope someone might be out walking or wild camping in that area having read this story and nd something that might give us some peace at last,’ added Kate.

Mr Skinner, who is 5 8in tall, was wearing a green jacket and grey walking trousers when he disappeared, with short white hair, a white goatee-type beard and wearing glasses.

Police Inspector Ian Hutchison of Oban’s Albany Street Police Station said: ‘Our inquiry to trace Neil Skinner is and remains an ongoing missing person investigation. e priority since we received the report about Neil’s disappearance has been, and continues to be, tracing him.

‘It’s extremely frustrating to us and his family not knowing what happened to him.’

Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101.

Tarzan coming to Dunollie Wood

Tarzan the timber-lugging horse will soon be helping out with a woodland regeneration project at Dunollie, writes Kathie Gri ths e four-legged eco-worker will be travelling from Beauly near Inverness to help e Woodland Trust thin out 35 non-native conifers on the north side of Barra Mor later this month.

e plan for Dunollie Wood is to remove the Sitka spruce and Douglas r so more light can get through to ancient woodland plants living under them.

Felling is due to start around the last week of October and during that time the path at the north end of the site will need to be closed for safety.

Gentle giant Tarzan will have the job of moving out the fallen timber to the eld edge, says Dunollie site manager Ross Watson.

He added that the whole operation from starting the felling to nishing logging could take about three weeks.

e Woodland Trust will organise an open day for people to come and nd out more about the felling work and see Tarzan in action.

And there will be other dates announced where people can book a slot to come and pick up free rewood in return for donations to Hope Kitchen.

e trees that are being removed were planted a er the Second World War as part of the wider recovery of woodland in Scotland but they are now seeding into the natural

woodland and risk threatening the rainforest habitat.

In ve or six years’ time, e Woodland Trust might have to remove a few more trees.

Mr Watson said: ‘It’s quite tricky to try and sell wood of di erent diameters so we would like to make it available to the community.

‘We’ll organise some dates and slots for people to come with their cars and trailers and they can have it for free but we will be asking for a donation to Hope Kitchen.’

Gentle giant Tarzan, the logging horse, will be visiting Dunollie Wood soon.

Photograph: John MacPherson/WTML

No suspicious circumstances after body found at Clachan Seil

Police say there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of a man found on the Isle of Seil at the weekend, writes Kathie Gri ths.

O cers and ambulances were called to Clachan Seil just a er 11am on Sunday where a 59-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene. e road was completely closed for several hours while police investigated, carrying out door-to-door inquiries to help establish the circumstances surrounding the death, which was being treated as unexplained at the time.

But a Police Scotland spokesperson announced on Monday there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death and that a report will be submitted to the procurator scal.

CONTACT US

email us at editor@obantimes.co.uk telephone 01631 568000

A ordable homes are approved

Plans to deliver almost 1,000 new a ordable homes for Argyll and Bute over the next ve years received full council support.

e decision to approve the plan means there is potential to deliver 247 a ordable homes this year and more than 750 units in the coming years.

e proposals are set out in the latest update to the

Let us into our school, demand Luing residents

by Kathie Gri ths kgri ths@obantimes.co.uk

Luing has marked down council o cials for putting hurdles in the way of a parents and tots group wanting to use the island’s mothballed school.

Campaigners already ghting to save the school from full closure, say Argyll and Bute Council’s behaviour is ludicrous. Annoyed islanders say council o cials are putting ‘everything they can in the way’ to stop them by ‘sticking up hurdles le , right and centre’.

When the school was temporarily closed in December 2020, Argyll and Bute’s community services committee agreed the building could still be used by the islanders – but the message was never passed on. Islanders are cross that despite what they describe as the council’s original communication blunder, obstacles are still cropping

council’s Strategic Housing Investment plan (SHIP) which outlines housing development priorities for the region for 2023/24 - 2027/28.

e plan includes investment priorities for a ordable housing, the resources required and details collaboration with key partner organisations.

Councillor Robin Currie, policy lead for economy and rural growth, said: ‘Investing in and delivering quality a ordable housing is a key element in creating vibrant,

up to make it di cult for the community to use the school for activities and events.

Hire fees for the playgroup, made up of just three families, would be £28 for two hours. A request for discount – taking the miscommunication into consideration – was refused say campaigners, who have set up a Save Our School group.

Jaws dropped when the island was also told that getting access to the school ultimately depends on whether the council can identify one of its own employees to be sent out on opening and closing duties at relevant times.

It was only earlier this year, when the council organised a drop-in session about the school’s possible full-time closure, that the community discovered they could have been using the building for the past two years.

At last week’s community

prosperous and thriving local communities across Argyll and Bute. We are committed to working with our partners to further strengthen our affordable housing sector which, in turn, will boost the area’s attraction as a place to live and work, encourage further investment and strengthen our local economy.’

e Local Housing Strategy 2022/23 – 2026/27, and a summary document, are available on the council website at argyll-bute.gov.uk.

Public inquiry into powerline plan

A public inquiry into a plan by SSEN for eight miles of overhead lines and 48 pylons near Dalmally could be triggered following a meeting of Argyll and Bute Council’s planning committee, writes Kathie Gri ths.

Members of the committee overruled o cials’ advice at a meeting on Wednesday September 28 when they formally opposed SSE’s Electricity Act Section 37 application for a new 275kV power line from a new substation at Creagh Dubh towards the south of Dalmally. at decision means the council now has to notify the Scottish Government who will then determine the requirement for a public local inquiry. A council spokesperson said:

‘ e committee agreed, on behalf of the council, as the planning authority, to object to this proposal as it will have adverse landscape and visual impacts in an area of panoramic quality, and in particular from the Duncan Ban Monument.’

A spokesperson for SSEN Transmission said: ‘We are disappointed by Argyll and Bute Council’s planning, protective services and licensing committee’s decision to object to our Section 37 application for the Creag Dhubh-Dalmally overhead line.

‘We remain committed to working constructively with all stakeholders to minimise the impact of this decision on new renewable generation connections across Argyll and

Kintyre, which are key to enable the country’s transition to net zero emissions and support our future energy security.’

Agencies including NatureScot, RSPB, SEPA and Transport Scotland had no objections but representations from the public included a petition signed by 215 people.

e petition claimed SSEN, has failed to adequately consider alternatives and that it had ‘failed to engage in any meaningful way with the local community’. Petitioners also warned there would be significant environmental impacts and that the cumulative impact of this alongside other developments would seriously impact on the community’s future sustainability.

council meeting, Argyll and Bute Council’s behaviour over the school was described as ‘a joke’ and ‘shocking’. And there were calls for the o cial responsible for not communicating with the community to be held to account.

community felt dissatis ed they could put in a formal complaint.

e meeting asked Councillor Green if he could put pressure on o cials to be more helpful and expedite getting the community access to the school.

As soon as the islands’ parent and toddler group found out they could use the school, they asked for access. But months later they are still not able to use the building, inner locks have been changed which would also deny access to certain parts of the school, and its grounds need clearing.

and Luing is no exception. is was made clear in the original report that went to the community services in December 2020.

‘We charge for all school lets as we have to pay someone to open/close the building and clean it a erwards. e keyholder must be an employee of Argyll and Bute Council. We have not received a completed let request form from the playgroup but, if we do, we would be happy to consider it.’

‘Surely they should be held to account if it has disadvantaged this community for two years,’ said Save Our School campaigner Norrie Bissell.

Oban North and Lorn councillor Kieron Green said if the

e rallying community itself has now pledged to fundraise to pay the playgroup’s fees. Forms to hire the school for the playgroup and for a fundraising Holly Tea on Sunday December 11 are being submitted.

A council spokesperson said: ‘Schools throughout Argyll and Bute are available for let

As part of the campaign, Luing is also looking at other uses for the school, including adult education.

Even if the council moves to full closure consultation next year, it still has to go to Scottish ministers before a nal decision is made.

e Island Act also has to be taken into consideration and includes a presumption against the closure of rural schools.

Annoyed islanders say council o cials are putting ‘everything they can in the way’ to stop them by ‘sticking up hurdles left, right and centre.’

Sabotage suspected as TSL carry out site checks at Lonan Drive

by Kathie Gri ths kgri ths@obantimes.co.uk

Sabotage is suspected on land in Oban where developers hope to build 44 new homes.

TSL contractors were in Lonan Drive last week carrying out ground investigations to see if the site is viable before putting in for full planning permission.

But those investigations, which should have happened earlier in the year, have been hampered by the spread of Japanese knotweed, said TSL’s managing director Iain Lumsden, saying ‘someone has tried to sabotage the development’ by cutting away at the highly invasive plant.

TSL’s application to build the homes has already been approved in principle at a public hearing but nothing is certain until the results from the investigations are known.

Nearby residents, who have been campaigning against losing the green space, say the sabotage claim is ‘absolute nonsense’. Willie McKillop, a resident and objector, said: ‘ ere’s been Japanese knotweed on that site for 20 years or more. It spreads all the time. It’s absolute nonsense to suggest someone has been spreading it on purpose.

‘It’s a travesty they want to

build there anyway. ere’s deer, red squirrels – it’s a peaceful place. If people want to say its nimbyism then, yes, I’m a nimby. We moved here because of the peace and quiet. Anything that comes up Lonan Drive turns the sound in to an echo chamber.’

Tra c congestion, impacting wildlife and protected plants, sewage and ooding are part of residents’ concerns. Oban

Community Council has also objected in the past, arguing the south side of Oban is already overdeveloped.

Mr Lumsden said it could still be a couple of months away, if not the end of the year, before the company decides whether or not to apply for full planning permission. e spread of Japanese knotweed on the site has not helped.

‘Someone has been a little mischievous in what they have endeavoured to do which is disappointing. It has hampered our site investigations but we have taken specialist guidance on how we could continue to carry out the site investigations without spreading it any further,’ said Mr Lumsden.

TSL, which put tarpaulin down on the ground as a precaution while workers were in the area using a mini-excavator and chainsaws to clear vegetation, also have an expert ecologist working with them.

Mr Lumsden said no trees were removed, despite claims from some residents.

‘If we decide the site is viable we will apply for full planning permission, but if our investigations show the site is not suitable then that’s it from a TSL perspective. However, the land owner may still decide to do something with it.

‘We appreciate the issues the community have, but prime sites are hard to nd and Oban does need more housing.’

Results of the site investigation will include soil samples; it is understood the area was once used as a dump so there is a risk there could be chemicals there.

Ian Hamilton dies, aged 97

e First Minister has paid tribute to Ian Hamilton QC who has died aged 97 – the last survivor of four Scots who removed the Stone of Destiny from Westminster Abbey to Scotland in 1950.

e Paisley-born law student, who masterminded the heist, avoided prosecution and went on to become one of the country’s most well-respected advocates. He retired to North Connel with his wife Jeanette.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon MSP said on Tuesday: ‘I am extremely sad to hear of Ian Hamilton’s death. He was a lawyer of exceptional quality and a legend of the independence movement.

‘He will long be remembered as one of the Christmas 1950 liberators of the Stone of Destiny.

‘He is one of the many giants on whose shoulders the modern SNP stands. My condolences go to his loved ones.’

In 2017, reporter Sandy Neil recorded a never before seen interview with Ian Hamilton for e Oban Times.

To view it, visit www.obantimes.co.uk

Coll of the wild as stowaway cat Tia takes ferry trip to

An Openreach engineer had an unexpected passenger on a 100-mile trip to Coll to x a broadband connection for the island’s re station.

Tia the cat sneaked into Doug Craig’s van as he loaded up in Oban at 4am, and hid in the back for the three-hour ferry crossing to Arinagour.

It was only several hours later, a er 31-year-old Doug had xed a fault in the station’s broadband wiring, when he spotted his uninvited guest.

Doug said: ‘It was a last minute trip due to an urgent data fault at the voluntary re station on Coll. I was working for a few hours before I realised Tia was there.

‘I’d noticed my tool bag was all hairy and thought it was really odd. I got the fright of my life when I saw two eyes shining out from the back of the van.

‘At rst I thought a Coll cat had sneaked in but then I got a closer look and recognised her

from home. I thought: “Oh no, I’ve cat-napped my neighbours’ pet!” I’ve heard of other curious cats climbing into colleagues’ vans on occasion – but I’ve never heard of one that went to sea on a 100-mile round trip.’

Doug got a message to his mum back in Oban to let his neighbours Elyse and Martin Hamilton know where Tia was, so they and kids Stanley,

seven, and ve-year-old Beatrix would not worry. He then dashed to the island’s general store to stock up on tuna and biscuits before it shut for the a ernoon.

While Doug slept in a tent under the stars for the night, Tia bedded down in the back of the van. e next ferry was not until the following day, when she was reunited with her owners.

Doug Craig with Beatrix and Stanley, and right, Tia the stowaway cat.

Vegetation being cleared by TSL contractors as part of site investigation work at Lonan Drive

Care crisis deepens as staff quit to pull pints

by Kathie Gri ths kgri ths@obantimes.co.uk

Carers in Oban are quitting the vocation for better pay pulling pints, says heartbroken care business owner Heather MacKinnon.

Mrs MacKinnon who co-runs Oban Community Carers says recruiting and keeping sta willing to work for not much more than minimum wage rate has reached crisis level and her business will close if just one

stowaway to island

Home economics teacher

Elyse said: ‘Tia can be quite shy and independent, and it wasn’t until Doug’s mum knocked on the door we actually realised she was missing.

‘She’s snuck o for wee excursions in other cars before – and even gone to work with Martin – but taking a holiday to Coll is wildly adventurous, even for her! ankfully she was too timid to come out of the van and go exploring. Needless to say we were delighted to get her back safe and sound.

‘We’re beyond grateful to Doug for taking such good care of her.

‘We’re hoping she’s had quite enough adventures for a while, although she seems to have really warmed to Doug and we could see her trying it again to get spoiled!’

Doug, a former postie who joined digital network provider Openreach as an apprentice, keeps people connected across a rural patch that also includes the Inner Hebridean islands of Tiree, Mull and Colonsay.

more sta member leaves for a better paid job.

‘Our hands are tied. We pay our carers as high as we can go to carry out this professional and vital service for the elderly in Oban, trying our best to keep them out of hospital and bed blocking, but Argyll and Bute’s Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) will not budge. We can only a ord to pay £10.50 an hour because of what the council pays us for care packages, but you can get £13 an hour pulling pints or £12 for cleaning with no responsibilities. It’s no wonder that sta walk, £10.50 is only £1 more than minimum wage.

‘Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership’s attitude is that they don’t think we’re worth even 5op more an hour.’

unmet care package hours. It’s heartbreaking.

‘We’ve had meeting a er meeting with the HSCP, we are told they will take it to a higher level in the authority but they keep coming back saying the answer is no to more money. If anyone else leaves our company, we’ll fold.’

Mrs MacKinnon, who pays herself less than her sta , says her company does it best to look a er its workers, providing two cars to visit clients and paying them for proper shi s.

‘ ey need money to live and look a er their families. If the HSCP doesn’t budge on wages there will be no one le to run a care service.’

She said in 1995 there were 13 community care companies in Argyll and Bute, now there are just two in Argyll and hers is the only one in Oban.

‘Why can’t they transfer some of the money they are paying this £23-an-hour agency to local agencies so we can pay our sta better and keep our workforce? If they don’t take action soon, it’s all going to go down the tube.

Quarry Road drugs reputation sickens Oban residents

Drug-related activities in Oban’s Quarry Road have triggered a number of complaints from fed-up residents, writes Kathie Gri ths.

e town’s community council heard how the road is known as being as a drug-dealing hot spot and people living there have had enough.

One man had his door smashed in by police by mistake during a drugs raid, community councillors were told at their last meeting.

No one from Police Scotland was at the meeting to make a comment but a later statement from Oban’s Inspector Ian Hutchison said an apology had been issued to the resident whose door was damaged in error.

‘We sincerely regret any distress caused as a result of this incident.

‘A full inquiry into how this happened has been undertaken. e inquiry has led to a review of our systems to seek to ensure that there is no repeat,’ he said.

One Quarry Road resident told e Oban Times how he was embarrassed to live in the street because people might think he is involved with drugs.

‘You see people so stoned that they stumble on the streets, they’re like zombies. I’m sick of it,’ he said.

Police Scotland says ve people were recently arrested in Argyll as part of Operation Bullfrog targeting county lines where young and vulnerable people are exploited to sell drugs and carry cash – bringing violence, coercion and abuse. Drug dealers may also take over a vulnerable person’s home, known as cuckooing.

Detective Sergeant Peter MacMillan said: ‘We are aware of county lines activity in the Oban area and the damaging e ect that cuckooing has on local communities.

‘We are working hard to ensure Argyll is a hostile environment for those who want to engage in criminal activity.

‘ e public has a key role

to play and we rely on their co-operation and support. It helps us when we know what is happening in your area. Have you noticed anything unusual, do you think a vulnerable person is being exploited?

‘When these criminals are operating, there are certain indicators which suggest premises are being used for this purpose and there are a number of signs to look out for. Are lots of di erent people visiting the property at odd times of day and night? Has there been an increase in cars pulling up to that property for short periods of time, are the curtains or blinds closed all the time? Any small piece of information could prove to be signi cant.’

Police have been distributing lea ets and posters in and around Oban to let the public know how they can help and ensure that Oban is a place where criminals are not welcome.

If you have concerns call Police Scotland via 101.

Replacing teeth, Changing lives

Mrs MacKinnon said only last month another well-established care business in the town was forced to close because of poor pay. She also alleged the HSCP is working with a Bute-based care agency to bring in sta for £23 an hour to ll care need gaps, putting them up in hotels if they have to travel and even paying them £10 extra if they need to take their pets with them.

‘When we rang the HSCP for help they o ered us a couple of these agency workers so we could muddle through, but we said no. Our girls would not want to work with others who are getting more than double their wage, that would be like a slap in the face.

‘I know of another care company elsewhere in the region that is also on its knees. No wonder the HSCP is running up hundreds and hundreds of

‘We are professionals, o ering a vital and desperately needed service. What will they do without us?’

e HSCP told e Oban Times it is arranging meetings next week with care providers to discuss in detail proposals it hopes will ‘help address some of the challenges they are experiencing and help them sustain and develop their business’.

‘We have been actively looking into how additional support can be given to care at home services and we have identi ed and approved a number of proposals. ese include an hourly rate increase in the pay for sta , changes to the way of working to develop a more inclusive partnership approach and we are looking at the frequency of how we pay providers, to help them,’ said the HSCP spokesperson, adding the organisation’s thanks to providers and carers for the work they do.

‘Why can’t they transfer some of the £23-an-hour they pay agencies so we can pay our sta better?’

OT Autumn is very de nitely here and although we haven’t had much of a summer, I’m quite happy about it.

Around Oban this month, with Alan on Saturday October 29 and Mark on Sunday October 30.

I love the colours and the occasional blue skied, fresh day that we get. It’s also the season for local charity events to start happening, which is fantastic – quizzes, beetle drives, bingo and whist.

If you have an event coming up, don’t forget to let me know and we’ll help to advertise it in all the usual places, including this column.

My rst event in autumn is a tea dance in the Argyllshire Gathering Halls on Sunday October 23, with at Swing Sensation and e Catalina Sisters providing the music.

I’ve been to a tea dance before and it is a lovely way to spend a Sunday a ernoon – good music, good company and a ernoon tea, it doesn’t get much better than that in my book.

For the football fans amongst you, e View has evenings with both Mark Hateley and Alan ompson

Both will discuss all the amazing tales from their incredible careers before answering questions from the audience. Details can be on e View’s website and Oban What’s On.

Scottish country dancing has also restarted in Glencruitten Church Hall on a Monday evening at 7.45pm. It’s fun and surprisingly energetic.

e Corran Halls will be the venue for a Trail West gig at the end of the month, and something very di erent with BGCP Comic Con on Saturday October 29, which should be great for all the kids, big and little, out there.

Markie Dans, as always, has a great line-up of fantastic entertainment at the weekends which you can nd on their Facebook page and also on Oban What’s On. So we have lots to look forward to already and we’re just at the start of the season.

Contact me on 01631 569915 or email kay@bid4oban.co.uk if you would like me to highlight anything for you.

Pilot for rural visas proposed

A proposal for a bespoke rural visa pilot scheme for Scotland has been published by the Scottish Government.

e community-driven and employer-based migration plan has been jointly developed by the Scottish Government, local authorities and key representatives from employers and partners based within remote and rural communities.

e proposal, which requires to be implemented by the UK Government, is modelled on the successful Canadian Atlantic Immigration Program.

Rural a airs secretary Mairi Gougeon has written to the UK Government, setting out the proposal alongside a wider call for a tailored migration policy which meets the needs of Scotland’s economy, public services and communities.

Ms Gougeon said: ‘ e proposal sets out exactly how a

Rural a airs secretary Mairi Gougeon.

bespoke immigration solution could be delivered at a local level in Scotland, now. ese are interventions that can work in Scotland, just as they have worked in Canada.

‘We believe that an independent Scotland would be best placed to deliver an immigration system which would meet Scotland’s needs. But employers, businesses, and communities are all telling us that actions are needed now.

‘ at is why we are calling upon the UK Government to make the required reforms to its “one size ts all” immigration system with immediate e ect, to avoid ongoing and further damage being done to Scotland.’

eona Morrison, chairperson for Scottish Rural Action, said: ‘Scottish Rural Action has been pleased to contribute to the design of the Scottish Rural

Community Immigration Pilot (SRCIP) proposal.

‘Rural and island communities across Scotland have demanded speci c responses, and so we have been encouraged to see that the SRCIP has been designed to re ect the needs of individual communities.

‘We hope that the UK Government considers this proposal and acts upon it in ways that support the ourishing of rural and island communities in Scotland.’

NFU Scotland president Martin Kennedy said: ‘Chronic labour shortages continue to have a profound e ect on Scottish farms and the wider food production system so any steps to address this long-running labour crisis are welcome. is proposal presents a community-driven, employer-based migration route targeting areas of remote, rural Scotland where population has been falling. Farming and cro ing are critical “resilience” industries for rural Scotland and NFU Scotland want its members to be able to recruit the right people with the right skills, otherwise they will be unable to sustain their businesses because of sta shortages

‘We also want the UK Government to engage with industry to review, improve, and expand the Seasonal Workers Pilot (SWP) scheme and make signi cant changes

to the Shortage Occupation List criteria to alleviate sta ng shortages across the whole food sector. NFU Scotland will discuss this and other key issues facing the sector when attending the forthcoming Conservative Party Conference.’

Ariane Burgess MSP said about the pilot scheme: ‘ e Highlands and Islands have continued to show an openness to folks wanting to come and live in this wonderful landscape, as shown by the welcome to Ukrainian displaced people.

‘We have long seen the decline of our rural populations, shown by workplace shortages as well as our declining school rolls. With rural Scotland anticipated to bene t from the Green jobs generated by nature restoration and the just transition to a net zero economy, I am encouraged to see that the Scottish Government is moving to address the failures of the Tory Government in Westminster and their hostile environment policies.

‘ ere will be challenges in integration along the way but I’m con dent that, with Greens in Government, the Highlands and Islands can provide a supportive community that welcomes everyone who wishes to call Scotland their home.’

For more more information visit www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-rural-visa-pilot-proposal-september-2022/.

Ballot on extending Oban’s

BID status kicks o this month

Oban could bene t from more than £842,000 a er a council decision to approve business proposals from BID4Oban for another ve years.

A postal ballot to approve a third term for the business improvement group will take place from ursday October 27 to ursday December 8.

BID is about encouraging businesses to invest and work together to make a better local trading environment and

Councillor Robin Currie.

boost customer and visitor numbers but it can only exist if there is support from a clear majority of local businesses in a vote.

Oban BID played a key role in supporting local businesses during the pandemic and continues to work for the town of Oban to boost its economy in the most challenging of times.

For the BID to progress, a minimum 25 per cent turnout

is needed. Councillor Robin Currie, policy lead for economy and rural growth, said: ‘Collaboration between businesses has been instrumental in the success which Oban’s status as a BID has generated over the past 10 years.

‘We’re committed to supporting growth across our local economy and we’ve listened closely to our communities in formulating proposals to extend the BID for another ve years.

‘We would urge local businesses to continue to work together to help agree the best way forward for Oban in the years ahead.’

KAY MCDONALD editor@obantimes.co.uk

Concern as rats run amok in Oban

by Kathie Gri ths kgri ths@obantimes.co.uk

Rats are running riot in Oban raising worries about public safety.

More rodents than ever before are being spotted in broad daylight, scuttling across roads in the town centre and scampering along Oban’s beaches.

e Black Lynn, where youngsters feed the ducks, is particularly worrying, says community councillor Dougie Graham.

‘ ey [the rats] are not shy and they are big,’ he said. ‘One woman even stopped her car in George Street to let one cross,’ he added.

‘It’s an epidemic. e problem has got very bad. I don’t think it’s just a coincidence.

ey are swarming and scary. e community council is

worried and wants to know what the council’s environmental health department is doing about it.

‘ ese things spread diseases. What happens if a child drops

a toy where one has urinated or if children who run their hands on the rails by the Black Lynn catch something terrible?

‘We are looking for answers to what can be done,’ said Mr

Graham.

Argyll and Bute Council has not had an increase in complaints about rats.

A council spokesperson said: ‘Our teams work hard to keep our communities free of waste, but everyone needs to play a part.

‘We encourage everyone to follow some basic steps to control pests, including rats, by denying them access to food. Bag up waste properly, keep lids on bins and keep them clean, and don’t drop food on the ground.

‘If you feed wild birds, consider stopping for a while or at least move the feeders about regularly.’

Former Dalmally man jailed for sexual assault

A man who carried out a predatory attack on an underage girl while she was dri ing in and out of consciousness a er drinking was jailed for two years on Monday October 3.

omas Watts, 37, formerly of South Lochaweside, Dalmally, assaulted the child at an address in Fort William a er she became intoxicated through alcohol.

A judge told Watts at the High Court in Edinburgh that he had taken advantage of a vulnerable child to commit the sexual assault on her.

Judge Simon Collins KC said that it was clear from a victim impact statement that the impact of the sex crime on her was ‘considerable and ongoing’.

e judge pointed out that at the time of the o ence Watts was aged 34 and his victim was only 14.

He told Watts that he was conscious that he was a rst offender, but added: ‘Ultimately I am satis ed that given the nature and circumstances of the o ence there is no alternative to a custodial sentence.’

Watts had earlier denied sexually assaulting and raping the girl on January 22, 2020.

He was acquitted of the rape by a jury at the High Court in Paisley but convicted of carrying out a penetrative sexual attack on the girl when she was incapable of giving or withholding consent whilst she was intoxicated.

Defence solicitor advocate Derek Pettigrew said the o ence has already had an impact on Watts.

He said: ‘He has never been in trouble and is assessed as a low risk of reo ending.’

Watts was told that he will be on the sex o enders’ register for 10 years following his sentencing.

Graduation for Oban students

More than 70 Oban students have graduated at a special UHI Argyll prizegiving ceremony, writes Kathie Gri ths.

Almost 400 students and guests from across Argyll and Bute and Arran gathered in the Queen’s Hall in Dunoon on Friday September 23.

To celebrate the success of those who missed out on their graduation due to Covid, the 2020 and 2021 students were also invited to the ceremony which was held for the rst time in three years.

Ben Collins, who was unable to attend the ceremony, but

was awarded the Further Education Student of the Year award was one of 72 Oban students to graduate. He was nominated by both of his course lecturers, and has this year completed the SWAP Access to Nursing programme with UHI Argyll. He has been described as an ‘exemplar student.’

Guest speaker Ryan McCuaig, a dispute resolution and criminal defence lawyer,

was at the ceremony to give an inspirational speech about how he battled through times of hardship to achieve his goals.

UHI Argyll principal, Martin Jones said: ‘Studying during the past three academic years has been characterised by change and uncertainty. I congratulate our graduates on rising to that challenge. is event is extra special for us as rarely so many of our students get the opportunity to come together in one place, with many studying at a distance from their peers and lecturers. I wish them all the very best of luck for the future.’

A full list of those graduating from UHI Argyll in 2022 can be found at www.argyll.uhi. ac.uk/graduation.

Ryan McCuaig gave an inspirational speech about his battle through hard times to achieve his goals.

Edinburgh High Court.

The Black Lynn is a spot where rats are often spotted.

Argyll and Islands nalists in food and drink awards

e nalists of the Highlands & Islands Food & Drink

Awards 2022 have been announced following a two-year break.

From the best products and food and drink experiences, to outstanding retailers and businesses demonstrating sustainability, nalists in the 10 award categories include a number from the region, showcasing quality and diversity.

Category nominees include:

Best Drink Award: Highland Liquor Company, Ullapool - Seven Cro s; Isle of Barra Distillers Ltd

Best Eatery : Lorna’s Larder, Isle of Harris

Best Food & Drink Tourism

Experience – New : Beinn an Tuirc Distillers, Kintyre

Best Food: Islay Cocoa – Milk Chocolate Salted Caramels; Salar Smokehouse Ltd – Salar Flaky Smoked Salmon, South Uist

Independent Retailer of the Year: Bùth Bharraigh, Barra; Highland Liquor Company bottle shop, Ullapool

Primary producer: e

Scottish Salmon Company Restaurant of the Year: Etive Restaurant, Oban; e Dipping Lugger, Ullapool; Harbour Kitchen, Stornoway Sustainability Award: Beinn an Tuirc Distillers, Kintyre; e Scottish Salmon Company; ree Chimneys, Skye

Chairperson of the judging panel Elaine Jamieson, head of food and drink and life sciences at Highlands and Islands Enterprise, said: ‘We were hugely impressed by the calibre of the entries and selecting the nalists was a di cult task.

‘ ese nalists demonstrate the quality, innovation and ambition within the food and drink industry in the Highlands and Islands.

‘We can’t wait to recognise this success at the awards ceremony in October, which is a great opportunity for the industry to reconnect and celebrate the diversity of the food and drink sector and its supply chain in our region.’

Winners will be revealed at a ceremony in Inverness on Friday October 28.

Street lighting on 24/7 to run CCTV

by Kathie Gri ths kgri ths@obantimes.co.uk

BEAR Scotland has nally shed light on why streetlamps on Oban’s Bealach An Righ have been le on around the clock for a year and a half.

Kathryn Fenmore Spence says despite complaining four times to road maintenance and management rm BEAR Scotland, it le her in the dark about why the street lights never go o .

Mrs Spence, who can see the lights on the northbound side of the road up from the former King’s Knoll hotel all the way to the residential home, says the lights have been on permanently since repairs were carried out in May 2021 – wasting energy and money.

‘A er making inquires on Facebook, I was advised it was

a BEAR Scotland issue and, as a result, I have emailed BEAR Scotland twice and messaged them twice on their Facebook page. I have had no response and the lights are still on,’ she said.

‘I can’t be the only person

‘To

‘I’ve not heard a peep from BEAR Scotland. e nearest I ever got to a response was a stock reply once, saying they would get back to me – of course, they never did.

‘When most people are worrying about electricity bills

central

operating company representative executive, said:

‘ e lighting at this location has been on 24/7 to facilitate supply to a CCTV camera situated on one of the road lighting columns.

CCTV can stay

24/7,

the lighting will return to

previous dusk

bothered. It’s so unnecessary and a waste of money. e lights shine the same brightness day and night, they never dim.

‘It makes me wonder who is paying for it all. e bills must be mounting, unless they have a special discount rate.

dawn setting.’

and trying to avoid putting lights on, it makes the 24/7 lights situation even worse. Surely it must be a fault and it should be a priority for them to put it right?

‘At the very least, they should respond to my messages.’

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland

‘To address the community’s concerns, this November we will be upgrading with a central control system so that the CCTV camera can stay on 24/7, while the street lighting will return to its previous dusk to dawn setting.’

Say ‘ahh’ as new dentist sets up clinic in Killin

A new £300,000 dental practice has opened in Killin, saving some patients a 100mile round trip to get their teeth seen to, writes Kathie Gri ths.

Before the clinic opened, some patients were having to see dentists as far away as Oban and Fort William.

e opening of In nityblu Dental Care and Implant Clinic’s new practice has been welcomed, says founder Chris Barrowman, with new patients lining up along

the Main Street to sign up.

Mr Barrowman said: ‘ e community has been amazing.

e fact we are opening as an NHS practice in the current NHS crisis has ticked a lot of boxes too.

‘It’s great to see people supporting us and we can give something back,’ he added.

Some Scottish dental rms are refusing to take on new NHS patients, with Government payments expected to be cut back considerably in April 2023.

New school campus plan for Mull moves closer

by Kathie Gri ths kgri ths@obantimes.co.uk

Plans for a new school campus on Mull have taken one more step forward.

Members of Argyll and Bute Council have agreed to submit a business case and funding application to the Scottish Government’s Learning Estate Investment Programme (LEIP).

is decision, taken last week, follows a series of public engagement sessions on Mull over the last few weeks to gather people’s views on what type of campus would work for the island.

e sessions were well attended and overwhelming support was expressed.

e council’s policy lead for education Councillor Yvonne McNeilly said: ‘It is clear from the feedback we received at

the public engagement events that people are keen for a new campus on the island and we want to work with them to make that happen.

‘Submitting a bid to the LEIP doesn’t mean that it’s a done

deal. We will be competing for funding against local authorities across the country and the nal decision will rest with Scottish Government ministers. Even then, the LEIP does not fully fund projects; if

the bid is successful the council will have to make a major nancial commitment to the project.

‘We are fortunate, however, that we have the backing of the local community and this will hopefully strengthen our submission.’

e LEIP is designed to improve the condition of the school estate by creating high quality environments for young people that support sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

e Scottish Government will announce successful applications in December, a er which feedback will be reported back to the full council in early 2023.

email us at editor@obantimes.co.uk

In nityblu founder Chris Barrowman.

Tobermory High School, the present day campus on Mull.

Oban Centenary War Memorial project

The names of those lost in battle on a yearly basis. This month, 1914

1st Battalion Cameron Highlanders

When war broke out in August 1914, the 1st Battalion Cameron Highlanders was in Maryhill Barracks in Glasgow.

e regiment was mobilised as part of the 19th Infantry Brigade and sent to France on the Anchor Line vessel, SS Caledonia, arriving at the port of Rouen on 14 August.

e initial role assigned was that of establishing and guarding lines of communi cation from the coast to the front echelons of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF).

On the August 24 the battalion was ordered to retire at once due to the out anking move ments of the German forces, nding themselves having to force march across the enemy’s direction of movement for one and a half miles before halting

at the village of Jenlan. e German rst and sec ond armies were executing a sweeping advance over open country in southern Belgium towards Paris. e following day, the Cameron Highlanders came under sustained German artillery re and pulled back to Le Cateau, where billets

were established in the railway goods yard. Strategically, the BEF were in retreat a er the Battle of Mons where the French 5th Army had with drawn in the face of a German onslaught, exposing the right ank of the British force.

e German armies were better equipped for such

warfare, with superior artil lery and higher numbers of machine guns and mortars.

e seemingly inexorable German advance was eventu ally halted in the Battle of the Marne between September 5 and 12, and the German rst and second armies withdrew to a line on high ground

overlooking the Aisne River and forti ed their positions.

e 1st Battalion Cameron Highlanders was moved to reinforce the British positions on the south side of the Aisne.

e Battle of the Aisne com menced on September 12 and lasted until the 15th.

Neither could advance against the other and heavy losses mounted on both sides.

is was the e ective ending of tactical manoeuvring by the opposing armies and the beginning of the trench war fare which would predominate until 1918.

It was during this battle that the rst casualties from Oban would be incurred.

Casualties in 1914

z Each month we will feature a list of names from a war year. If you have information you would like to share, email mhairi@therockfieldcentre. org.uk

Joseph Gi en Joseph was born in 1889 to Robert and Jessie Gi en. His father had come from Strathaven in Lanarkshire to take up a job as a printer’s compositor and his mother was from Lismore. e family lived in Combie Street and Joseph had at least two sisters and a brother. He le school at 13 and took up an apprenticeship with Mr L MacIntyre, Craigard Road, as a tailor. Sport played a huge part in his early life and he excelled in athletics – as a sprinter and also assisting harriers in hunting hares and rabbits. His athletic build and keen sportsmanship also made him a ‘prime football favourite’. He died at the Battle of the Aisne on 14

project – remembering our fallen

1914 – the start of trench warfare on the Western Front

was a badge porter. By 1911 he had returned to Morvern where he was a postman in Kinlochaline. He was killed on November 11, 1914 at the rst Battle of Ypres. He was 31.

Farrier Sergeant- Major Peter Craig

2nd Scottish Horse at the outset of war. Unfortunately, while at Widdlington, Northumberland, he fell from his horse on November 22, 1914 and was killed.

His funeral attracted a large gathering of mourners, including pupils from his school.

his wife, Eliza. ey had come to Oban from Perthshire for his father to take up work as a foreman at the saw mill.

September 1914. He was 25.

Donald Alexander Cumming Donald was born in 1883 to John Cumming, a cro er, and his wife Jessie in the parish of Snizort, Skye. By the age of 17 he was a ploughman living in Buchan with his mother’s sister. He le rural life and completed his service with the colours before coming

to Oban in 1906 to work as a signalman on the railway. He lived with his sister and her family in Combie Street. It was said that ‘his alertness and intelligence made him an e cient member of sta and he was valued for his frank, amiable and obliging disposition.’ He died at the Battle of the Aisne on 14 September 1914. He was 31.

Piper Finlay MacPherson

Finlay John MacPherson was born on September 23, 1884, to John MacPherson, a ploughman, and his wife Catherine. ey lived at Drimnin Lodge, Morvern, at that time but both his parents were from the Western Isles – his father from Benbecula and his mother from South Uist – where the in uence of piping would have played a huge in uence on young Finlay’s life. Sadly, by 1901 his mother had died and his father, Finlay and his six siblings lived in High Street.

Finlay was at that time an apprentice tailor while his father

Peter Craig was born in Combie Street in Oban in 1883, the youngest of four sons and one daughter to James Craig, a blacksmith, and his wife, Mary MacDougall. James came from Barrhead and met and married Oban-born Mary when he moved here for work. e family moved rstly to Craigielea on Rock eld Road then Auchnasaul near Ardmaddy, where the sons all became blacksmiths. He and his three brothers, James, John and Neil, and his sister, Agnes, attended Portincaple School at Clachan Seil. It was perhaps inevitable that he would join

Many more joined the cortege at Oban, including members of e Scottish Horse and Oban Boy Scouts. As the funeral passed through the town, some pupils at the High School were outside and stood to attention by the edge of the pavement and saluted. All blinds were drawn as the funeral passed and shops were shut. e ring party came from Connel and discharged their farewell volleys a er the committal at Pennyfuir. He was 31.

Alexander Boyd Alexander was born in Oban in 1882 to Alexander Boyd and

Young Alexander became an apprentice plumber with Messrs A MacArthur & Son and the family, which included twin sons and two daughters as well as Alexander. ey lived on High Street, then 4 Lochavuillin Terrace.

He was said to have been an ‘enthusiastic member of the Old Volunteers and Argyll and Bute Royal Garrison Artillery and was among the Oban company who had volunteered for service in the South African War.’

He joined the Cameronians (Scottish Ri es) at the outbreak of war. He died on December 31, 1914, west of Lille. He was 32. Within a week of receiving news of her son’s death, his mother, too, passed away suddenly.

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The memorial at La Ferte sous Jouarre, where Private Donald Cumming’s name is recorded amongst 3,739 others who have no known graves. The memorial is 66 miles east of Paris.

LOCHABER IDEAS WEEK PROGRAMME REVEALED

Lochaber Ideas Week is the annual agship event delivered by Lochaber Chamber of Commerce that looks to inspire, explore, challenge, and motivate businesses and the wider Lochaber community each year.

Supported by Developing the Young Workforce West Highland and the Outdoor Capital of the UK, this year Lochaber Ideas Week will be running in-person events from Monday 14 to Friday 18 November at e Nevis Centre, Fort William. 2022 Ideas Week events will be exploring the theme of ‘Sustainability’ – how sustainability impacts us now and at future trends or predictions.

Lochaber Chamber of Commerce invites you to come together, join the conversation and challenge yourself this November.

e week begins with a dive into ‘place’ and how to plan for a sustainable future – with insights from business leaders and industry data. Events then progress throughout the week to spotlight key sectors, including energy, transport, food & drink, tourism, aquaculture, and construction. With sessions exploring the topic and meaning of sustainability, how it a ects these sectors and our community.

Community nights return with our popular Monday night event presenting Stu ompson

and Lisa Annette from global sports content studio, Cut Media. Tuesday sees the return of the prestigious Charles Kennedy Lecture delivered this year by special guest Brian Taylor.

e week-long focus for business and community provides an opportunity to learn, challenge, re ect and to be entertained by a huge number of events and sessions starting on Monday 14 November.

Frazer Coupland, Lochaber Chamber of Commerce CEO, says: “Lochaber Ideas Week is all about inspiration and challenging the now in business. It’s a week to think about the big picture, make connections and explore the abundance of success and sector diversity in Lochaber.

“All the events are open to the entire community, you don’t need to be a member of our Chamber to attend, and we’re delighted that so many people come along and get involved. We’re proud to be able to bring such a unique and inspiring range of events and speakers to e Nevis Centre this year.

“I’m excited to see how the week has grown and evolved over the years to become a cornerstone of the Chamber’s work which is deeply engaged and owned by our community.

“ e theme of sustainability is very ‘now’. Tackling discussions around housing and the future are extremely important for us all. We believe that events like this are a catalyst for positive economic and social change, we’re very much looking forward to presenting Lochaber Ideas Week this year.”

Hundreds of guests have joined Lochaber Ideas Week each year and early ticket demand is showing that 2022 is no exception.

Be part of our agship business week, challenge yourself, your teams, and your business to think di erently. Join us and collaborate across a selection of conversations and networking opportunities throughout the week.

HIGHLIGHTS THROUGH THE WEEK INCLUDE:

MONDAY 14 NOVEMBER

Monday launches into tackling the ‘here and now’ issues for businesses and community in Lochaber, exploring how collaboration can make solutions, hearing from MOWI Scotland, The Highland Council and 56 Degrees North. In the afternoon you can jump into food & drink with speakers from Highlands & Islands Enterprise, Food Waste Scotland and more, tackling sustainable options for the future.

TUESDAY 15 NOVEMBER

The morning sees the return of ‘Around Lochaber in 80 Tables’, supported by Lochaber Times. This event always leads to some new collaborative business ventures as well as an e ective way to make direct business to business connections. Always a sell-out, this event is great fun for all involved.

Join our afternoon of construction focus, exploring green methods, the use of technology and innovations in design and construction, tackling how Lochaber can collaborate to deliver its own innovations. This will be an interesting look at the sector and opportunities.

Tuesday evening presents our Charles Kennedy Lecture delivered by guest speaker Brian Taylor. Brian is well known as a columnist, writer, broadcaster, and former Political Editor for BBC Scotland. The evening is sponsored by Ferguson Transport & Shipping.

WEDNESDAY 16 NOVEMBER

Our ever-popular Tourism Day is back, supported by VisitScotland, and bringing top speakers, industry leaders and special guest – world record holding mountaineer and adventurer, Mollie Hughes. We’ll be tackling sustainability topics and challenging where Lochaber is in its sustainability journey, future trends, what does it mean in practice and more…

THURSDAY 17 NOVEMBER

BackgroundLochaber Chamber of Commerce has presented Lochaber Ideas Week since 2013 and it goes from strength to strength each year, gaining more and more support and recognition.

Ideas Week brings together business and community for a week of events to celebrate ideas and opportunities each November. This is the Chamber’s annual call to action that celebrates local business and community as well as focusing on key trends impacting Lochaber now and in the future.

Lochaber Ideas Week 2022 plans to host a selection of industry-focussed days around the theme of ‘Sustainability’, including Energy, Aquaculture, Construction, Transport, and Tourism with DYW West Highland Careers focussed events. The week will be augmented by informative workshops, exceptional talks by renowned speakers and provides networking and idea sharing opportunities.

Running in parallel this year with Global

Entrepreneurship Week 2022 and COP27, the week-long topical programme of high-quality events and talks across many subjects including business, performance, community, and tourism, bringing local, national and international discussion.

Theme overview

What is ‘Sustainability’? This wide term is an extremely important and global topic that opens a wealth of opportunities to explore sector-based barriers, future plans, and use of natural, local assets for the betterment of Lochaber.

Speed-networking returns this November

Tuesday morning is your chance to meet other like-minded businesses, attract interest in your product and to grow your network in a fun and e ective way at ‘Around Lochaber in 80 Tables’ supported by Lochaber Times

Businesses will have the exceptional oppor-

tunity to showcase whilst receiving an overview of their ‘guest’ business who will join them for only a few minutes at their table, on rotation

Charles Kennedy Lecture

After a three-year break, this annual lecture held in memory of the former Liberal Democrat leader and long-serving Lochaber MP will make its return this year to be delivered by Brian Taylor. Brian will be known to many of you as the former Political Editor for BBC Scotland he is also a popular columnist, writer, broadcaster, speaker. Brian will be delivering his Lecture on Tuesday evening, sponsored by Ferguson Transport & Shipping.

Salmon Scotland, Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC), supply-chain businesses and more present an insight into the sustainability topics for aquaculture and how the sector is responding, how technology is playing a huge part, looking at the social impact and opportunities to grow the supply chain. Topics and discussion from across the sector in and out of Scotland will be on show.

FRIDAY 18 NOVEMBER

Mental health, wellbeing and resilience is the focus for Friday morning as we welcome event collaborators Support in Mind Scotland to present an informative workshop with local partners. Local professional climber Kev Shields will also be presenting his unique look at resilience and strategies in this not-to-miss wellbeing morning.

Our annual business Gala Dinner returns in the evening from 6.30pm with a luxurious and fun 4-course menu – created using tasty locally sourced and produced ingredients.

We’re looking forward to welcoming you to The Nevis Centre from 14 November. Check out and book our full event listing online at www.lochaberchamber.co.uk/events or email membership@lochaberchamber.co.uk for more information and tickets.

This year’s Charles Kennedy Lecture will be delivered by special guest, Brian Taylor.

Photo © Colin Mearns, The Herald.

Primary One classes are snap happy

Clockwise from above far left, a trio of smiles from these youngsters who started at Bunessan primary in the Gaelic Medium class; this young lady from Dervaig Primary School on Mull is one of a kind; above and left, there were so many boys and girls starting at Rock eld primary in Oban there are two classes; and far left, this trio are also attending Rock eld, but in the Gaelic medium class.

LUING

Ferry survey wait continues

Luing is still waiting for a user survey to nd out needs and wants for its ferry service.

e island’s current ferry is 50 years old and Argyll and Bute Council promised to issue a questionnaire to help shape how the service operates.

ree months ago, the community was told the survey should appear before the next community council meeting - but that has been and gone.

Community council convener Mike Barlow said despite chasing up the council, nothing has happened.

Oban North & Lorn councillor Kieron Green, who was at last week’s community council meeting, has been asked to put pressure on council o cials to speed up the survey.

Issues over people on Luing not receiving text alerts when the ferry has to be called o due to bad weather were also raised.

And the council is being asked to re-instate an agreed 9am ferry run, especially to get youngsters over to school on Seil, so children are not late and do not miss out on the important rst ten minutes of the day.

volunteer, health visitor or anyone who uses Bookbug in their work.

Run in association with Walker Books, the award honours someone who has made a di erence to the lives of young children, families and communities they work with.

Marc Lambert, chief executive o cer of Scottish Book Trust, said: ‘Bookbug touches the lives of so many young families all over Scotland, in libraries, early years and nursery settings and through the health service.

Nominations open for annual Bookbug Hero Award

Scottish Book Trust has opened nominations for its Bookbug Hero Award 2023.

e national charity, which runs the Scotlandwide Bookbug programme for young children and families, is asking people across the country to nominate a librarian, early years worker,

‘We are excited to open nominations for our fourth Bookbug Hero Award, which celebrates the brilliant work of our Bookbug practitioners. Without this work, many families and children would not discover the fun and lifelong bene ts of sharing stories, songs and rhymes. We are grateful to Walker Books for its support in helping us recognise these heroes.’

Ian Keane, librarian and Bookbug co-ordinator, Clackmannanshire Council, and winner of the Bookbug Hero Award 2022, said: ‘I was very surprised to win the Bookbug Hero Award. e idea expressed by the people who nominated me was that somehow during Covid times, I had o ered an anchor that helped bring a bit of stability to the week. However, the truth is they o ered me an anchor, a light to cling to in dark-

er times. I’ll forever be grateful to the attendees for recalling me to life. I think without Bookbug we have all been a lot poorer – it is a panacea for our times.’

Ed Ripley, Walker UK sales and marketing director, said: ‘At Walker, we appreciate the huge impact individuals can have on supporting communities to grow their reading culture and we are delighted to get behind any initiative that celebrates and applauds these individuals. Scottish Book Trust’s programmes have a huge impact on families and young people and the vast array of practitioners who help implement

John MacEachen Memorial Golf Day raises £12,000

This year’s John MacEachen Memorial Golf Day in Oban raised £12,000 for cancer charities.

The amount brings the total raised to almost £40,000 since it started ve years ago.

Funds have been shared between local cancer charities for the past three years.

The John MacEachen Memorial Golf Day, held in September this year, is now the largest golf event of its kind held in Argyll and Bute.

The MacEachen family is grateful to everyone who supports the event in so many ways, year on year, said Maggie Dougall, John MacEachen’s sister.

them do stellar work, so we are thrilled to support the Bookbug Hero Award.’

Nominations for the Bookbug Hero Award can be made online via Scottish Book Trust’s website www.scottishbooktrust.com/bookbug-hero-award/2023. e closing date for nominations is Friday November 4. e winner will receive a trophy and picture books worth £500 from Walker Books.

ARGYLL

Sight loss help over phone

Anyone in Argyll experiencing sight loss is invited to take part in a free telephone course starting this month.

Organised by national sight loss charity RNIB Scotland, the four-week Living Well With Sight Loss course includes information and advice on a range of topics and can also be accessed by family members and friends.

Topics include understanding bene ts, staying independent, tips and gadgets for everyday living, eye health, hobbies and interests and signposting to other organisations and support services.

‘ rough our sessions, you will receive

MacEachen family members and charity representatives at the cheque presentation. From left: Maggie Dougall, Sally Orr and Lilian Kermode for Marie Curie; Marianne MacEachen; Nicky Murphy of The Pink Ladies; Anne May and Peter Darling from Oban Hospice; Morine MacCall and Gillian Bisp from the Macmillan ward.

The Luing ferry which is 50

old.

Barcaldine Primary School pupils pose for a photograph with ’Bookbug’ in May 2019.

practical advice, information and guidance on organisations, products and services available to help you. You’ll also have the chance to learn from each other’s experiences and share tips,’ said organiser Richard Craig.

Anyone interested needs to book a place. To sign up, call 0303 123 9999 or email LWWSLEnquiries@rnib.org.uk.

e telephone course runs on ursdays from October 13 to November 3, from 10.30am till noon. e course is part of the Need to Talk project, run by RNIB in western areas of Scotland.

PORTSONACHAN

Macmillan co ee morning

Portsonachan Village Hall was a hive of chat and happy faces on Friday September 23 when residents came out in force to support a Macmillan co ee morning, raising £623.40 for the cancer charity.

Organisers thank everyone who supplied homebaking and those who organised and helped in the kitchen. e event was a highly enjoyable social occasion for everyone.

St Conan’s call to get kirk sparkling

It’s not just the Strictly stars who are putting on the glitz.

St Conan’s Kirk is getting ready to sparkle at its annual Christmas Tree Festival, which this year runs from Friday December 2 to Sunday December 4.

Will the community once more design and contribute more than 50 imaginative, amazing trees?

Will St Conan’s again showcase the best and most beautiful Christmas Tree Festival in Scotland?

The Friends of St Conan’s hope so and are busy putting plans in place. Invitations are going out to previous participants, along with a call to individuals, families, organisations, businesses and groups who might like to take part this year.

Trees should be at least 5 feet, but the bigger the better, traditional - real or arti cial - or made of any material in a tree shape decorated to represent your group/ business, an interest or theme lit with battery lights set to static - no ashing lights

Festival organiser Liz Mackay said: 'We were delighted last year that the community supported the festival so well as we emerged from the pandemic.

‘This year we are already booking in trees from all sorts of sectors: education, entertainment, retail, hospitality, faith, health, welfare and charities. With input from such a cross-section of the community, we are looking forward to a glittering, fascinating, fun festival.’

There is no charge for entering a tree.

MULL

Mishnish Hotel for sale

Tobermory’s Mishnish Hotel is up for sale with a price tag inviting o ers of more than £1.95m. e yellow and blue painted landmark hotel, fondly known by islanders as ‘ e Mish’, is ready for a new era in new hands.

In its 160-year-history it has only be owned by two families and now present owners Les and Meg Macleod are retiring. e couple have appointed Drysdale & Company to sell the hotel, which they bought in 2014. e 12-bedroom seafront hotel has been in multiple advertising campaigns, as well as lm and TV programmes,

with the best-known probably BBC children’s TV show Balamory. As well as having a separate seafood restaurant, e Mish is also known as a traditional pub and is one of the lively venues for the popular Mull Music Festival as well as hosting other live bands.

e Mishnish is known all over the world by visitors to the island of Mull, sailors, musicians and rally drivers.

A collection of old memorabilia from shipwrecks and the town grace the walls of the hotel.

As long as the new owner has a passion for this part of Scotland, the Macleods will be happyeven if it is not another Macleod.

St Conan’s Kirk will light up for this year’s Christmas Tree Festival.

However, visitors to the festival are invited to donate towards St Conan's Restoration and can vote for their favourite tree. Last year’s favourite tree was the Twelve Knits of Christmas.

While the trees are the main focus, there will also be a ra e, hot drinks, homebaking and puzzles to solve along the tree trail. The pesky elves are sure to be hiding all over the kirk as usual - apparently they will be arriving early to avoid any sleigh strikes in the run-up to Christmas.

Anyone interested in entering a tree for this year's festival should email Liz on enquiries@stonanskirk.org.uk

At random

MARTIN LAING editor@obantimes.co.uk

Matters of interest

I’m not a political animal, as some of you will know, and rarely voice any strong opinions on national issues.

However, I want to o er a couple of comments on the hot topics of interest rates and the soaring cost of energy to heat our homes.

I’ve heard numerous people articulating genuine fears for how they will survive the imminent winter without central heating, and also very serious worries about interest rates perhaps rising to as much as six per cent.

Now, I don’t want to trivialise these issues but I grew up as a child in houses that had no central heating at all. We had coal res in the living rooms but the homes were freezing in winter. So we wrapped up in warm out ts and took hot water bottles into our baltic beds. And we thought nothing more of it.

Similarly, when I was fairly new into my rst mortgage and with a young family, I still recall the political events which became known, I think, as Black Wednesday –September 16, 1992. at was when the UK crashed out of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (anyone remember that? ) and, mortgaged to the hilt, as I was, interest rates rocketed. Indeed, the BBC archives report: ‘Chancellor Norman Lamont raised interest rates from 10 per cent to 12 per cent, then to 15 per cent, and authorised the spending of billions of pounds to buy up the sterling being frantically sold on the currency markets.’

I recall clearly the gut-twisting terror of a 15 per cent interest rate for a young-ish newspaper hack with a wife and two toddlers, and no spare cash. However, the crisis passed – as they always do – and everything settled back.

I absolutely get people’s worry about these subjects again but let us, please, have a little perspective. Interest rates of four or six per cent are not historically signi cant at all. And ‘struggling’ through a winter with reduced central heating should not, for most people, be much of a talking point in the rst place.

Does it not speak volumes about how we as people – and our expectations – have changed over the past 50 or 60 years?

There was a good turnout for the Macmillan co ee morning in Portsonachan.

Music at The Mishnish.

LETTERS

Care crisis

Like most businesses Oban Community Carers is struggling for sta , having lost many because they have found a better paid job. We’re glad to hear the HSCP has now approved an hourly rate increase for sta , but we hope it is not too little too late for the carers who are practically on their knees due to being overstretched and underpaid.

Festive cheer

It’s not a word to be used lightly... but here goes. Christmas.

We know it’s only October, but time is of the essence if Oban is to really sparkle this year. Because, although people have started to donate to the town’s Christmas lights fund, it is nowhere near where it needs to be if Oban is to buy the extra lighting it desperately need before December.

It is going to be hard nancially for many families this year, so it would be lovely if they could look forward to a spectacular light show to guide Santa on his travels.

For those able to donate, please give what you can to help. And businesses, we know times have been tough for you too, but again, anything you can give will be gratefully received.

The editor welcomes letters of approximately 300 words in length for publication on this page.

However we reserve the right to shorten, to amend or to refuse to print them. Names and postal addresses must be supplied, including on emails, to indicate good faith. A daytime phone number is also required for veri cation. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Please email: editor@obantimes.co.uk or write to: Letters page, The Oban Times, PO Box 1, Oban, Argyll, PA34 4HB.

The views expressed on our letters page are those of the contributors and do not necessarily re ect the views or policies of The Oban Times.

At the Oban Times we endeavour to ensure that all our reports are fair and accurate and comply with the Editors’ Code of Practice set by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). We realise, however, that mistakes happen from time to time. If we have published anything that is factually incorrect, please email: editor@obantimes.co.uk; telephone on 01631 568000; or email editor@obantimes.co.uk

We will attempt to resolve your issue in a timeous, reasonable and amicable manner. However, if you are unsatis ed with our response, you can contact IPSO by email: inquiries@ipso.co.uk. We will abide by the decision of IPSO.

Thank you

I would like to thank every single person who voted for me in this by-election and I would also like to thank the many volunteers who supported my campaign.

I wish to pay tribute to Councillor John McAlpine who served the area as a councillor over a number of years. He wanted the best for Argyll and Bute and we will remember him fondly for his commitment to the area.

I would also like to give my sincere condolences to the other candidates who were not elected in this by-election.

To the people of the Kintyre and the Islands ward, I give you this promise, that as your local councillor I will campaign relentlessly for better roads and a long-term solution to the A83, newer ferries with more sailings, make sure local views are heard and do all that I can to help alleviate the growing cost of living by lobbying for more support for our ward from central government and our council.

As I did in my previous time as councillor, I will respond to every call and email I receive and have regular constituency surgeries.

It is time for a younger voice to shake things up at Kilmory and bring some much-needed energy and enthusiasm to Argyll and Bute Council.

Alastair Redman, Kintyre and the Islands ward.

Sight-impaired hit hard

Blind and partially sighted people are being harder hit by the mounting cost of the living crisis because living with sight loss can hike everyday costs even further.

A RNIB survey found that even before prices began to rise one in ve people with sight loss said they had some or great di culty in making ends meet. ose of working age are twice as likely to be in low-income households.

With only one in four blind and partially sighted people of working age currently in employment, many are more dependent on bene ts or pensions. In April, however, the key bene ts they are entitled to increased by only 3.1 per cent, far short of in ation rates predicted to soar to 10 per cent or more this year.

Although everyone is now facing higher costs, many everyday expenditures are exacerbated by sight loss.

Some sight conditions require additional or constant lighting to allow su erers to get around safely indoors. People with sight loss also tend to rely heavily on assistive technology

YOUR PICTURES

This week reader Mark MacGregor sent in this photograph he took of a glorious sunset while looking onto Glencoe Boat Club. The photograph was taken a couple of weeks ago.

If you have a photograph you would like to share with us, please email a jpeg (1MB) to editor@ obantimes.co.uk

such as screen readers or video magni ers and electrical domestic appliances, like talking microwaves and kitchen scales, to maximise their independence. Without this, many will be more isolated and less likely to nd the best money‐saving deals or choose the cheapest options.

More generally, because many outside leisure activities remain inaccessible, they may spend more time at home, incurring greater heating and lighting costs. And as most cannot drive, they must o en use taxis as a necessity because they can’t see an approaching bus, know when to get o at a stop, or how to navigate from there to their destination.

RNIB, itself, is increasing the practical assistance it o ers to help deal with the nancial

pressures. Call our helpline on 0303 123 9999, or if you have an Alexa device just say ‘Alexa, call RNIB Helpline’. Alternatively, you can visit rnib.org.uk/advice or email helpline@rnib.org. uk.

Ian Brown, RNIB Scotland.

Time for a wellbeing check

Life can be challenging. With so much going on, it’s easy to get caught up in the everyday tasks and have little time to self-check our emotional wellbeing.

World Mental Health Day on October 10 reminds us to pause and think about our mental health, and what we can do to protect it.

Poor mental health can be prevented if we are supported to live well.

Beachd Ailein

ALLAN CAMPBELL ailean@obantimes.co.uk

’S cinnteach gum faca sibh, neo gun cuala sibh, gun robh mòd ann am Moscow! Cruinneachadh mòr a ghairm an Ceannsuidhe Putin a chomharrachadh gun robh caoban de thalamh na Ucràine a-nise gu bhith na phàirt mhaireannach den Ruis. Mar a bhiodh dùil chualas òraid ada bhuaithe, agus bha ceòl agus seinn ann an dèidh làimhe, ach aon rud nach robh ann b’ e sin eas-aonta le beachdan cheannsalach Phutin. Chan eil a’ mhòr-chuid de dhùthchannan an t-saoghail a’ toirt aithne dha na tha Putin air a dhèanamh le reifreann cealgach, le luchdtaice a tha dìleas dhan Ruis anns na sgìrean Ucràineach sin, gus amasan mèirle-fearainn a leigeil air adhart. Gu mòr ri linn na taice eadar-nàiseanta armachd a tha an Ucràin a’ faotainn, tha sruth a’ chogaidh a chaidh èigheach leis an Ruis an aghaidh na dùthcha sin a-nise air tòiseachadh ri dhol nan aghaidh is luchd-catha na Ruis air tarraing air ais ann an caochladh sgìrean. eagamh nach eil sin na annas leis gum bheil amharas nach robh cridhe mhòr-shluagh na Ruis riamh san t-sabaid a thug Putin gu bith, agus tha sin air a dhearbhadh le mar a tha r na dùthcha air gabhail ris a’ ghluasad dleastanas-airm ùr a churadh orra. a e duilich dha dùthaich sam bith a bhith a’ faicinn a cuid dhaoine òga ga trèigsinn, agus tha anais gum bheil mìltean a’ fàgail na Ruis an-dràsta seach a bhith air an togail dhan arm, suas ri deich mìle san latha a’ teicheadh gu ruige Georgia a-mhàin!

Ach de nì an saoghal ma dheidhinn Putin? Ged a bha meadhanan eadar-nàiseanta ag aithris bho chionn mhìosan gun robh e tinn agus ri uchd bàis, ’s beag a bha dhe choltas sin air a’ cur às a chorp mu pheacaidhean an t-saoghail an iar aig a’ chruinneachadh san do ghabh e còir gu mì-laghail air naochad cilemeatair ceàrnagach den Ucràin.

Eadar a bhith a lùghdachadh stòras gas dhan iar agus a’ cur ri cosgais bith-beò agus atmhorachd na h-eaconamaidh, agus an Ruis mar bhall a’ bacadh rùintean Chomhairle eàrainteachd nan Dùthchannan Aonaichte a chuireadh smachd air na tha Putin a’ dèanamh, tha e a-nise a’ maoidheadh an dùthaich a dhìon le arm niùclasach.

’S e fìor chùis eagail a th’ ann gum bheil duine a tha cho mì-rianail, ach aig am bheil uimhir de chumhachd, air a dhìon bho cheannsal sam bith air sgàth an eagail a th’ aig an còrr den t-saoghal bho a chuid armachd niùclasach. Ma bha riamh dearbhadh a dhìth air cumhachd agus cunnart an armachd seo tha sinn ga aicinn an-dràsta!

Aig an aon àm chunnaic mi aithris a’ sealltainn cuid de mhuinntir Kyiv a’ dol chun na h-opara, far an “cuidicheadh an ceòl dhaibh ceangal a ghleidheadh le sìobhaltachd”! Cumaidh ceòl is òrain Ghàidhlig sunnd agus spiorad sìobhaltachd rinne cuideachd, agus bidh gu leòr dheth a’ feitheamh oirnn aig a’ Mhòd Nàiseanta a bhios a’ fosgladh ann am Peairt seachdain bho màireach!

While we need government action to x many of the root causes of mental health problems, such as poverty, poor housing and job insecurity, there are things we can do individually to help ourselves and the people we care about to have good mental health.

e Mental Health Foundation has produced a new guide, Our Best Mental Health Tips, giving information on the things we can do to help protect our mental health. It’s available for free on our website mentalhealth.org.uk.

is World Mental Health Day people can show their support by wearing the green ribbon #PinItForMentalHealth. To nd out more, visit mentalhealth.org.uk/ribbon.

Claire Fleming, communications manager, Mental Health Foundation.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

ere is plenty to be fearful of, plenty to be anxious about.

Lots of folk are turning to mindfulness, meditation, and other ways of calming the mind and body in a stressful world. at’s a good thing.

For many, prayer has ful lled this need and still does. Sometimes quietly sometimes loudly.

Sometimes written prayers centuries old, other times spontaneous. Sometimes with sighs too deep for words.

Jesus said: ‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give

you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will nd rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’

It’s humans who make the yoke hard and the burden heavy.

Regular habit makes prayer come more naturally but not necessarily more easily. It can be especially hard when prayer seems to be unanswered, or not answered how we want it to be.

Miracles do happen but more o en prayer helps us to cope and guides us towards the

best action possible. We need energy to handle life, whether our problems are mundane or monumental.

Etty Hillesum was Dutch and Jewish, killed aged 29 in a Nazi concentration camp.

Her diary included this prayer: ‘Lord, help me not to waste a drop of my energy on fear and anxiety, but grant me all the resilience I need to bear this day…’

A prayer for extreme situations but also for daily life.

Reverend Liz Gibson, North Mull Parish.

Mullman

DANIEL BROOKS editor@obantimes.co.uk

Excuse me for yet another whaley article, but I just couldn’t not!

It is not every day a er all, that I see a new species of mammal from Mull, and this one has been eluding me around the world for decades!

I had been sitting outside my home at Ulva Ferry watching several minke whales and countless common dolphins on and o all day. Large numbers of sea birds had moved back into the area a er a few days of lull in the feeding action. Flocks of manx shearwater had also returned to the area a er I had not seen any for a week or two. Gannets were gathering together and diving like little white darts in the distance, doosh...doosh....doosh doosh doosh! I saw the Turus Mara boat that runs Sta a and Treshnish Isles trips coming back in, so I decided to drive down to the pontoons at Ulva Ferry to have a chat and see what they had seen out there today.

‘ e humpy is still there,’ said crewman Fergus a er he had nished helping folk o the boat. It was obvious their customers had had an amazing day out there amongst the cetacean soup.

‘What humpy?’ I asked.

‘Have you not heard? We saw a humpback yesterday and it’s still out there. My uncle is with it right now a couple of miles west of Sta a,’ Fergus replied.

I quickly said my goodbyes to Colin and Fergus and set o for Tostary, north-west Mull with my telescope, from where I could look out to sea between Sta a and the Treshnish Isles to see if I could spot it. I had never seen a humpback, anywhere, on any of my adventures, so to see one here, o Mull, would be yet another cetacean dream come true. I scanned the calmish seas in excellent visibility and could see small groups of common dolphins everywhere I looked. I spotted a few minke whales surfacing and feeding amongst small groups of feeding seabirds, too. en another dark shape breaking the surface caught my eye further out towards the horizon. It surfaced again and blew a bushy low blow typical of a humpback whale. It surfaced a third time and this time I could see its back and typical dorsal n as it went into a dive and li ed its huge tail out of the water as it went down. YAY!!!! My rst humpback!

Viewed from land, too, in stunning conditions. It was distant, but there was certainly no mistaking what I was looking at.

It stayed under for only a minute or so before I saw another big bushy blow alerting me to it reaching the surface again. en I saw it lunge feed, mouth wide open as it broke the surface again up through, what I presume, was a shoal of small sh. Amazing!

Again it went into a dive, li ing its tail into the air so I could see the full classic pro le as it went back down below the surface.

I was so excited. Here I was watching a humpback whale feeding near the Treshnish Isles o Mull. I was only a little sad there was no one there with me to share my joy with.

I love to share my passion for nature, which is one of the many reasons I love my new job – being a wildlife and adventure tour guide for my own business Mullman – and also why I like writing this monthly column so much.

But this one was just for me, my special sighting. So I sat there soaking it all up as the humpback continued to lunge feed, blow and li its tail ukes out of the water as it dived for approximately 45 minutes before I lost it into the setting sun.

Get squirrel spotting Great Scottish Squirrel

Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels is calling on members of the public to take part in the nationwide Great Scottish Squirrel Survey taking place between October 10-16 (National Red Squirrel Week).

Now in its fourth year, the squirrel spotting campaign is hoping to build on the previous successes of this important e ort.

Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS) is a partnership project led by the Scottish Wildlife Trust, which is working in priority areas across Scotland to protect red squirrels from the spread of the non-native grey squirrel.

Autumn is a fantastic time of year for squirrel spotting – they are o en more visible than usual as they busily gather food, preparing themselves for the colder months ahead.

By taking part you’ll be doing a small act to help protect one of Scotland’s most iconic yet threatened species, while joining in a mass citizen science event. All you have to do is add your sightings to the online map at scottishsquirrels. org.uk.

Victoria Chanin, project o cer in South Scotland, said: ‘Red Squirrel Week is great time to get outside for an autumnal walk. Engaging with nature in this way is very bene cial for people’s wellbeing and adding sightings of red and grey squirrels to our online map helps us to keep track of squirrel movements in Scotland.’

During times of transition and uncertainty, like those facing the nation in recent weeks, many nd peace by connecting with their local wildlife and greenspaces. As we return to our normal routines and take time to re ect, the Great Scottish Squirrel Survey encourages members of the public to further explore those nature connections and get involved directly with conservation e orts happening on the ground.

Following up on a record-breaking turnout in 2020, last year’s 2021 Great Scottish Squirrel Survey saw 1,549 squirrel sightings reported in just one week by nearly 1,100 people across Scotland. Sightings help project sta to create a picture of the situation on the ground, and directly contribute to red squirrel conservation action. Since the end of the project’s spring surveys in 2020, the annual Great Scottish

Squirrel Survey has become the most important event for getting a snapshot of the distributions of both red and grey squirrels for comparisons year to year.

Programme manager Nicole Still said: ‘ e public play an essential role in our work and red squirrel conservation across Scotland.

‘ e sightings data collected gives us valuable insights on how the situation with both red and grey squirrels is changing. e Great Scottish Squirrel Survey allows us to compare data between years which is really helpful in understanding the impact our e orts are having over time and where more help is needed.

‘Acting as a squirrel spotter while you are out and about and reporting a squirrel sighting is

 Daniel Brooks is a wildlife guide, adventure seeker, conservation campaigner, forager, bushcrafter, rewilder and father of four. His website is mullman.co.uk

Daniel was delighted to catch a glimpse of the humpback whale lifting its huge tail out of the water as it went down to feed.

Photograph: Stuart Gibson.

spotting with the Squirrel Survey

Activities for young red squirrel lovers

To bring a piece of nature indoors with some fun- lled squirrel-themed activities you can head over to scottishsquirrels. org.uk/get-involved/ activities.

Activities include getting crafty with everyday materials from around your home – why not make your own squirrels?

All you need is two toilet roll tubes, a pair of scissors and some paints, colouring crayons, pencils or pens for decorating.

Or how many squirrel-themed items can you nd around your house or garden?

Take part in our red squirrel scavenger hunt!

Also on the website are various colouring printouts to download including dot-to-dot pictures, colouring in, and there is also a play with pattern sheet that adults as well as children can enjoy colouring in.

simple and means that everyone can have a part to play in conserving our iconic red squirrel.’

Eileen Stuart, deputy director of nature and climate change at NatureScot, said: ‘With invasive non-native species posing one of the biggest threats to our biodiversity, NatureScot is pleased to support the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrel project, which is successfully working to help protect the much-loved red squirrel.

‘National Red Squirrel Week o ers everyone an opportunity to get involved in this vital work while connecting with nature, and we’d encour age people to get recording their sightings and help this important project.’

Grey squirrels were introduced to Scotland in Victorian times and have since replaced our

native red squirrel in many parts of the country. ey out-compete reds for food and living space, and can also carry squirrelpox, a virus that does not harm them but is fatal to reds.

Squirrel sightings, which are collected yearround, help the National Lottery-funded SSRS project to understand how the distribution of each species is changing over time, and can also alert sta to situations where grey squirrels are posing an immediate threat to the local red population.

e Great Scottish Squirrel Survey week will feature a programme of outdoor events across the country, as well as self-guided outdoor opportu nities. For more information visit scottishsquir rels.org.uk/ great-scottish-squirrel-survey.

Sounds amazing – a year in the life of Scottish cetaceans

e vast soundscape of dolphins and whales o Scotland’s West Coast has been captured for the rst time by marine scientists, over an entire year, writes Megan Day.

A research team led by the Oban-based Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) used underwater microphones between the Hebrides and the edge of the continental shelf, the shallow part of the ocean surrounding the land. ey picked up sounds from many marine animals, includ ing dolphins and n, minke, humpback and sei whales.

e data collection, funded by the European Marine Fisheries Fund (EMFF) via Marine Scotland, will help to explain when migrating species arrive in Scottish waters, where they spend their time and how long they stay.

is information is crucial to regulators and advisors, such as Marine Scotland, as it will feed into placement and mitigation strategies for renewable energy developments and other human activity at sea. It will also allow an assessment of how well populations are recov ering since the end of whaling in the 1950s.

As sentinel species, cetacean movements can also show how climate change is a ecting the ocean ecosystem.

Dr Nienke van Geel, a marine mammal expert at SAMS and lead author on the pub lication, said: ‘Visual surveys typically take place inshore and during daylight hours in the summer months, so can’t provide the full picture. We therefore have large seasonal and night-time data gaps for marine mammals in Scottish waters, particularly in that o shore area from the Hebrides out to the continental shelf edge.

‘ is year-round acoustic data collection of what’s happening, and when, is extremely exciting and gives the best indication yet of which species we have in our own waters.

‘For example, we detected a lot of dolphin activity – their sounds were detected almost daily throughout the year at some sites. ere were also more sei and humpback whale songs than we had expected.’

e research team included scientists from Marine Scotland and the University of Plymouth, and was carried out with assistance from SAMS Enterprise and boat operator Seatrek Marine Ltd.

To gather the more-than-12-terrabytes of data, the team used 10 underwater micro phones at depths of between 60-175 metres, covering an area that stretched from Lewis and Barra to the west of St Kilda. Researchers then used a combination of manual analysis of sound les and automated detection so ware to detect species of interest. ey also analysed and compared overall sound levels of the recordings and identi ed sources of natural sound from wind, rain and tides, as well as human-made noise from ships, echo-sounders and military sonar.

e sounds collection will provide key baseline data for developments at sea, such as windfarms but will also feed into longer term marine mammal distribution models, under various climate change scenarios.

SAMS marine mammal ecologist and publi cation author Dr Denise Risch said continued funding for such acoustic monitoring would be needed to provide crucial long-term data to help measure changes in the environment.

‘As the ocean warms, more species that are adapted to warmer water come north,’ Dr Risch said. ‘For example, in recent years we’ve seen more common dolphins follow their prey as they migrate northwards. It will only take a couple more decades for there to be a di erent species composition in Scottish waters.

‘ is kind of data is valuable in explaining how a warming ocean is a ecting the move ment of cetaceans and their prey, but it is also the best way to nd out whether certain species are recovering from the devastating e ects of whaling and how we can protect them from current threats, such as entangle ment in shing gear and ocean noise.’

Common dolphins swimming o western Scotland. Photograph: Nienke van Geel/HWDT

Photograph: Norbord

ENTERTAINMENT LEISURE &

Taynuilt ceilidh

Saturday sees the return of the rst live Taynuilt ceilidh since lockdown, which will take place in Connel Hall, starting at 7pm.

e focus will be on pre-Mòd performances giving adults, children and choirs a last chance to run through their competition entries before the Royal National Mòd week begins in Perth from Friday October 14.

Refreshments will be available. Tickets on the door are £4 for adults and free for children.

Covid memorial

A Scotland-wide project to develop a Covid ‘memorial ’ is looking for views to help shape the piece. Working with artists and designers, the project aims to re ect on what a memorial could be and how it can be continually added to in order to re ect the nature of the pandemic, which is still a ecting our lives. e designer for Argyll and Bute memorial is Lateral North.

If you are interested in contributing, there will be co ee, cake and a chat at Rock eld Centre, tomorrow (Friday), 10am to 3pm.

RYAN

YOUR GUIDE TO WHAT‘S ON IN ARGYLL AND

Pumped up for Big Bike Weekend

by Kathie Gri ths kgri ths@obantimes.co.uk

Adventure Oban and the Isle of Kerrera Development Trust are delighted to announce the Big Bike Weekend is back.

Building on last year’s success of the RideOban Weekender and Kerrera Kids Bike Event, this year’s event on Saturday October 15 and Sunday October 16 combines both of them in just one weekend for all the community.

With the UCI Cycling World Championships coming to Scotland in 2023, funding to help deliver the event has been secured from EventScotland.

e Kerrera Kids Bike Event is on Saturday October 15 and is bigger than last year, with a variety of courses and arts and cra s. is year also includes social rides for all the family in the a ernoon.

‘If you haven’t ridden the new road to Kerrera Marina or to Gylen Castle yet this is your opportunity,’ said organisers.

Hosting the Oban-based activities are Atlantis Leisure,

where the Big Bike Hub will be based on Sunday October 16.

e hub will host a huge range of activities for you to get stuck into - from x your own bike sessions to e-Cargo bike trials, learn and test your skills with bike games and workshops, get cra y with bike-themed

arts workshops, learn to ride a unicycle and meet for led social rides suitable for all ages and abilities.

e Oban activities are made possible through a fantastic partnership with Oban Cycles and the Rusty Cycle Shed, which will deliver mechanic

sessions alongside the Argyll Countryside Trust (ACT).

Aideen Shields, project co-ordinator at the Isle of Kerrera Development Trust, said: ‘We are so excited to build on the success of last year’s Kerrera Kids Bike Event. We’ll have more courses to build kids’ con dence, arts and cra s workshops, social rides around the island, and even a game of giant in atable skittles for kids on balance bikes to roll into!’

Dave Bleazard, who is chairman at Adventure Oban, said: ‘ e Big Bike Weekend is a brilliant opportunity to showcase Oban as a beautiful place for two-wheeled adventures.

Building on the inspirational professional adventure events that have come through Oban over the summer such as the Oban Sportive, ITERA Race and Craggy Island Triathlon, the Big Bike Weekend aims to provide opportunities for all ages and abilities to enjoy the power of the bike!’

Funded by the EventScotland’s Community Cycling Fund, all the events

and workshops over the weekend will be free to attend but some still have limited numbers. Events lled up quickly last year, so it is recommended to book your place as soon as possible. If cost or access to bikes to attend events is an issue, email: hello@adventureoban.org.

Robbie Clyde, head of EventScotland, said the organisation was delighted to be supporting the weekend through the Community Cycling Fund enabling more people to enjoy the bene ts of cycling, adding: ‘Events play an important role in our communities, enabling us all to connect, enjoy and share memorable experiences - having them in our calendar further strengthens Scotland’s position as the perfect stage for events.’

You can nd out more about what’s happening over the Big Bike Weekend and book your spaces on events at the following links: adventureoban.org/bigbikeweekend and www.isleo errera.org/ kerrera-kids-bike-event.

REGULAR

KIDSPACE

Heather Marshall (she/her), a queer, disabled, working-class artist and writer is on the Made On Mull residency o ering list; and below, Morvern writer Isla Robertson is one of the rst artists on the Made On Mull programme.

Mull inspires new works to come

by Kathie Gri ths kgri ths@obantimes.co.uk

An Tobar and Mull eatre has revealed a list of artists who will be working with it and the island community over the next three years to create new works.

All the artists who have been awarded the rst grants for the inaugural Made On Mull: Associate Artists Programme have been inspired by the island itself.

e artists are being o ered residency time, mentoring and seed commission funding to support work which An Tobar and Mull eatre, as a multi-artform creative hub with an award-winning theatre company and music programme, hopes to be able to showcase in the future.

In exchange, An Tobar and Mull eatre seeks rst refusal to produce or present the premiere of any new works arising from the residency and that any future presentations acknowledge the contribution of An Tobar and Mull eatre and Made on Mull.

e artists are Isla Robertson who is a writer from Morvern and is currently at Mull eatre writing an audio play called How To Swim, playwright Jen McGregor, artist and writer Heather Marshall, and composer Verity Standen who is also a director, performer and choir leader.

On the list as well is Fast Familiar who are experts in narrative design, facilitation

and creative computing and also British-Greek composer, sound artist and writer John Kefala Kerr.

An Tobar and Mull eatre’s artistic director and chief executive Rebecca AtkinsonLord, said: ‘I’m thrilled to be welcoming such a diverse and innovative group of artists to Mull as part of our inaugural Made on Mull associate artists programme. I’m already looking forward to seeing what exciting work they create with and for our community here.’

Fast Familiar said being part of the scheme would give them time to re ect on the company’s direction ‘ in the most incredible place’ and are excited to make new audience-centric experiences with and for the communities they will meet on Mull.

John Kefala Kerr said he could not think of a ‘richer context ’ than this opportunity to evolve an

ambitious piece of creative art. Verity Standen added: ‘I feel very lucky to be working with An Tobar and Mull eatre over the coming months. I can’t wait to chat with people across the island, to listen and record their stories, and to explore and discover. I can’t think of a more inspiring place on earth for creative ideas to bubble.’

And Heather Marshall said: ‘I rst connected with members of the Mull community in 2018 at the National eatre of Scotland Exchange where I met a group of young people who had staged Mull’s rst ever Pride march. eir story has stayed with me over the last few years due to the love and sheer determination of the group to elevate their friends’ voices in their community. I’m excited to nally visit Mull and hope to nd the same creative passion that those young people felt, whilst developing my own writing.’

OCTOBERHOLIDAYSWEEK

FRIDAY 7 OCTOBER

Juniper|15 13:15/19:30

Ticket To Paradise|12A 13:30/17:00

See HowThey Run|12A 16:45 Beast|15 19:15

SATURDAY 8 OCTOBER

Lyle,Lyle, Crocodile|PG12:00/14:30/17:00

See HowThey Run|12A 12:15/17:00

Ticket To Paradise|12A 14:45 Beast|15 19:30 Juniper|15 19:45

SUNDAY 9 OCTOBER

Lyle,Lyle, Crocodile|PG12:00/14:30/17:00

See HowThey Run|12A 12:15/17:00

Ticket To Paradise|12A 14:45 Beast|15 19:30 Juniper|15 19:45

CINEMA & BOX OFFICECLOSEDMONDAY-TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY12OCTOBER

Lyle,Lyle, Crocodile|PG 12:00/14:30/17:00

See HowThey Run|12A 12:15/17:00

Ticket To Paradise|12A 14:45 Beast|15 19:30 Juniper|15 19:45

THURSDAY13OCTOBER

Lyle,Lyle, Crocodile|PG12:00/14:30/17:00

See HowThey Run|12A 12:15/17:00

Ticket To Paradise|12A 14:45 Beast|15 19:30

no Glasgow

Fast Familiar are an award-winning interdisciplinary collaboration taking part in the programme.

New Alba show weaves Scotland's fabric story

by Kathie Gri ths kgri ths@obantimes.co.uk

Scotland is a wonderful tapestry of people and places - and new BBC ALBA series ‘Fillte’ discovers some of its nest fabrics and their creators.

Produced by Mantra Tbh, the six-part series explores the materials interwoven through Scotland’s warp and we and the people behind the beautiful cra s and designs.

Discovering the stories behind wool, linen, lace and tweed, Fillte – which means interwoven – travels through the Highlands and Islands featuring some of the nest woven cra producers.

From Berneray in North Uist to the Applecross peninsula, Fillte also discovers the historic and contemporary hand-cra ed practice behind the artisan producers of woven fabrics including hemp, grasses, leather and more unorthodox materials.

Across the six episodes, viewers meet innovative designers rebelling against fast fashion with their own take on sustainable wear, dubbed ‘slow fashion’.

In the rst episode, Berneray-based weaver and cro er Meg Rodger shared her passion for her ock of Hebridean sheep from which she creates a unique dark wool. is she combines with

the colours inspired by the landscape around her, creating a stunning and dramatic fabric.

Meg also paid tribute to two local Berneray men, Angus Macleod and Donald MacKillop. eir legacy lives on in a sweater produced to celebrate their participation in the 1934 America’s Cup – when they sailed e Endeavour.

Meg’s appreciation for the new also shines through, with self-su ciency and sustainability at the heart of her

approach as she produces rare garments from materials such as wild owers and bog cotton. While she uses wool from her Hebridean sheep, she is a fan of Scandinavian style and takes a lot of inspiration from the Nordic countries for her creations.

Fillte also discovers unique textiles created on the Applecross peninsula, in the north-west Highlands, in the company of Sarah Paramor, who works with the natural habitat around her to create intricate

and magni cent fabrics. Using the likes of hair-moss, which lies directly underfoot, she weaves baskets, bags, and even shoes, which carry t he name ‘heather-steppers’. Sarah and Meg are ne examples of what makes Scotland and its fabrics such a compelling story – artists creating connections between their environment and materials to create unique products.

Fillte airs on Tuesdays 8.30pm on BBC ALBA and is also available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

Lewis prepares for launch of bilingual anthology of Melbost Bàrd works

For the rst time, a bilingual anthology of the poems and songs of the Gaelic poet Murdo MacFarlane from Lewis, the Melbost Bàrd, is available in one volume.

e book, Doras gun Chlàimhean, is edited by Gaelic broadcaster and writer Catriona Murray.

Murdo MacFarlane died in 1982. roughout the 1970s he became a household name for a generation of Gaels who came to know and love his songs through groups like Na h-Òganaich, Na Siaraich and the Lochies. No single volume of all his verse was ever published.

In addition to his verse, which covers war, emigration,

Doras gun Chlàimhean by Murdo MacFarlane is out today. The book is edited by Gaelic broadcaster and writer Catriona Murray.

singing a selection of his Gaelic songs serves as a portal to the unique voice of the bàrd. e collection cements his standing as a celebrated Gaelic tradition bearer and language activist of the 20th century and is a unique and valuable contribution to Gaelic literature.

heritage, language and philosophy, a selection of MacFarlane’s other writings, in Gaelic and in English, is included.

A CD featuring MacFarlane

Doras gun Chlàimhean is to be launched today, October 6, at 7.30pm at Aros an Rubha – Old School, Knock, Isle of Lewis. e event will be livestreamed by the book’s publisher, Acair, on its social media.

e book is hardback and to buy a copy, visit www.acairbooks.com or contact Acair on 01851 703020.

Meg Rodger shares her passion for her ock of Hebridean sheep from which she creates a unique dark wool.

New memoir tells story of inspirational Mull lady

An inspirational memoir written by a Mull lady who was diagnosed with cancer four times over a 25-year period has nally been published – more than 40 years a er her death.

Hebridean Solace – My Quarter-Century Living with Cancer is the story of Mairi MacBride, a dressmaking teacher and Celtic art expert who was born in Paisley in 1900 and died in 1980 at her home at Duntulm, Salen, Mull, where she lived most of her life.

Mairi was diagnosed with cancer on four separate occasions between 1950 and 1975.

She believed God spared her for so long because he had a purpose for her – ‘to put down on paper my experiences of living with cancer that other su erers might have the courage to face what has to be faced.’

At the start of the book, Mairi says: ‘A doctor friend suggested I should write about my life as a cancer su erer, but knowing people’s dread of the word –never mind the disease itself – I asked him who would read such a book, and his reply was: ‘You would be surprised ’ ‘ e cancer consultant, when I told him of my plans, thought the idea an excellent one and told me to get on with it. Both of these medical men agreed that my story would help take the fear out of the word ‘cancer’ for all hale and hearty people, and give hope and courage to cancer su erers.

‘Never having written a book before, I am at a complete loss how to begin. Everything has a beginning, a middle and an end. For me though where does the beginning start – with birth? As I am still alive at the time of writing, I know nothing about the end, so I suppose I should start in the middle – the middle that was the half century of my life.’

Michael McGeary, owner McGeary Media, which has published the book, said: 'Mairi was a woman of inspirational faith and dignity who came from a generation that just got

on with whatever challenges life threw at them.

‘Mairi’s book is full of positivity and zest for life, and we’re delighted to be able to share this short book and hopefully inspire others.’

e book came to light thanks to Mairi’s great-niece Fiona Somerled, who also came up with the title.

It was initially published for family and friends only, but has now been made available in paperback and ebook editions.

Mairi contributed newspaper articles and gave lectures on the subject of Celtic art and became an accidental radio star a er a BBC producer knocked on her door one day in 1953 and asked her to describe Mull to those who had never been.

Mairi writes in the book: ‘Now if there is one thing I like better than anything else it is to describe the beauty that is Mull!

'So I described a view that took in the whole Sound of Mull – the panoramic view from Gualann Dhubh, the highest point on the road from Salen to Tobermory, with

Above, Mairi's home Duntulm, Salen, in 1960; and inset, the book about Mairi's life is available to buy now.

Ardnamurchan in the west and Ben Cruachan in the east.

'Dotted between, there were the Green Islands, the Grey Islands and Lismore. On the Morvern side, there was also a wonderful stretch from Drimnin to Lochaline and beyond.

'My second view, which I loved to remember, was from midway across the Sound of Iona between Fionnphort and Iona, where looking north were the hills of Skye and Rhum, and looking south, the Torrin Rocks, the Paps of Jura and on a good day, a glimpse of Islay.’

e next day a crew of 12 arrived to record the programme.

A year later Mairi met two ladies on a sleeper train from Euston to Oban, who told her they were going to Mull.

Mairi said: ‘I asked them why they had chosen Mull rather than, say, Skye, which was a more widely known island.

‘ eir reply le me speechless for a minute when they said that in Manchester they had listened to a programme on the radio about Mull, and a woman had described how very beautiful it was. When I said I was that woman, I do not know which of us was the most surprised!’

 Hebridean Solace – My Quarter-Century Living with Cancer is on sale from amazon. co.uk or by emailing mcgearymedia@gmail.com.

DIARDAOIN 6 An Dàmhair

Thursday 6 October 17.00 Prògraman Chloinne 19.05 Binneas – Na Trads 19.15 An Là 19.25 FIFA Women’s World Cup Quali erScotland v Austria 21.35 Eòrpa (New) 22.35 Bannan 23.05 Fillte 23.35 An Gobha – The Last Blacksmith 23.55 Fraochy Bay

DIHAOINE 7 An Dàmhair Friday 7 October 16.00 Prògraman Chloinne 19.00 An Là 19.25 Fraochy Bay 19.30 Machair 19.55 Dàn 20.00 Bonn Comhraidh 20.30 Gàrradh Phàdruig S2 21.00 Na Worlds 2022 22.00 Borgen: Them and Us 23.00 Cuirm@Celtic Connections: Co-Sheirm

DISATHAIRNE 8 An Dàmhair Saturday 8 October 16.00 Prògraman Chloinne 17.45 An Là 18.00 Òran na Mara (Song of the Sea) 19.35 The Cutter – Seonaidh Beag Iain 19.50 Women’s Sport 360 (New) 20.25 Binneas – Na Trads 20.30 Vets: Gach Cretuair Beò 21.00 Na Worlds 2022 (NEW) 22.25 Fraochy Bay 22.30 Cuirm@Celtic Connections: The Staves

23.00 Scottish PremiershipDundee Utd v Aberdeen 00.45 ALT

DIDÒMHNAICH 9 An Dàmhair Sunday 9 October 16.00 Prògraman Chloinne 18.15 An Là 18.30 Seachd Là 19.30 Sorchar nan Reul 20.00 Eòrpa 21.00 Teàrlach Ceannadach / Charles Kennedy: A Good Man Speaking 22.00 Bannan 22.30 Bannan 23.00 Borgen: Them and Us DILUAIN 10 An Dàmhair Monday 10 October 17.00 Prògraman Chloinne 19.00 Dealbhan Fraoich 19.30 SpeakGaelic 20.00 An Là 20.30 Gàrradh Phàdruig S2 21.00 Trusadh – Falt? (Hair?) 22.00 Bannan 22.30 Elena Baltacha 23.50 Dealbh is Slighe DIMÀIRT 11 An Dàmhair Tuesday 11 October 17.00 Prògraman Chloinne 19.00 Clann a’ Chogaidh Mhòir ( Small Hands in a Big War) 19.25 Dàn 19.30 SpeakGaelic 20.00 An Là 20.30 Fillte (New) 21.00 Fàilte Gu Alba (New)

22.00 Trusadh – Falt? (Hair?) 23.00 Machair 23.25 Celtic Connections 23.30 Sorchar nan Reul

DICIADAIN 12 An Dàmhair Wednesday 12 October

17.00 Prògraman Chloinne 19.00 Dealbhan Fraoich 19.30 SpeakGaelic 20.00 An Là 20.30 Slighe Naoimh Cuithbeirt/ St Cuthberts Way 21.00 Caileagan a’ Chogaidh Mhòir/ A Great Adventure 22.00 Cuirm@Celtic Connections: Niteworks & The BBC SSO (New) 22.30 Women’s Sport 360 23.05 Dealbh is Slighe 23.10 ALT 23.30 TradFest

DIARDAOIN 13 An Dàmhair Thursday 13 October

17.00 Prògraman Chloinne 19.00 Clann a’ Chogaidh Mhòir (Small Hands in a Big War) 19.25 Dàn 19.30 SpeakGaelic 20.00 An Là 20.30 Eòrpa (New) 21.00 Tormod - Na Bheachd Fhèin (Norman - In His Own Words) 22.00 Bannan 22.30 Mòr-Dhrochaidean/Mega Bridges 23.20 Fraochy Bay 23.25 Cuirm@Celtic Connections: Niteworks & The BBC SSO

Around the markets

United Auctions, Oban, Tuesday September 27: sold 1626 ewes and lambs at their sale at Oban Livestock Centre.

‘A good show of long keeping types met a similar trade on the week. Feeding ewes were a touch less on the week.’

Trade was topped on the day by Cheviot lambs from A Maccoll, 2 Keils Croft at £85.

Lambs – Su X – Frackersaig £78; Killiechronan £77. Texel – Balnagown (Maccoll) £84; Balvicar £72; Balnagown £66; Kilpatrick Croft £63; Creagnich £60. Chev –Achadhbeag £74; Kingairloch £66. Cross – Ardmenish (Jura) £66; Balvicar £65; Ballachulish £62; Kilbride, Achaleven

£60. Mule – Killiechronnan £65. BF – Ardtornish £55; Callachally £52.50; Mid Farm £52; Ardtornish £49; Kengharair £48.

Ewes –Tex – Antuim £76; Kengharair £67; Chev –Cailaich £70; Kingairloch £67; Caddleton £66; Achadhbeag £60; Caddleton, Braefoot £58; Achadhbeag £56; Caddleton £54; Braefoot £53; Caddleton £52; Caddleton £50. Cross – Tullich Croft £70; Ardmenish £69; No 4 Aros £66; Creagnich £60; Kilpatrick Croft £56; Kilbride £55; Lagganulva £53; Plocaig £51; Ockle, Achaleven £50.

Mule – Killiechronan £56; . BF – Ardtornish £64; Ardtornish £53; Kengharair £50.

United Auctions, Stirling, Saturday October 1: sold

1004 rams and ram lambs at their annual rendezvous sale.

Top price in the Texel section was £2800 for a shearling consigned by J & T Parkin, Daviesdykes, selling to J Orr, Wester Walston.

Top price in the Beltex section was £2100 consigned J Guthrie, Cuiltburn, selling to P McIntosh, Strageath Hall, Muthill.

Top price in the BeltexX section was £3000 for a shearling from Dalchirla Ltd, selling to Balllechin Farms.

Top price in the Su olk section was £2200 for a shearling consigned by A Shepherd, Stoneyford, selling to W & C Ingram, Logie Durno.

Top price in the Llyen section was £750 for a shearling from R Johnson & Sons,

TO PLACE YOUR ADVERT IN THE OBAN TIMES:

TELEPHONE: 01631 568000

TELEPHONE: 01631 568000

Lines open: Mon to Fri 9am- 5pm E-MAIL: adverts@obantimes.co.uk

Please remember to give your name, address, postcode and phone number.

Lines open: Mon to Thu 9am- 5pm, 4pm E-MAIL: adverts@obantimes.co.uk to your name, postcode phone number.

Roughlands, selling to D & M MacAully, Braendam.

Top price in BFL section was £1600 for a shearling from A Smellie, Posso, selling to D Nicol, Auchtenny.

Top price Cheviot was £600 for a shearling from R & T Dun, Gilston, selling to Abercairny Estates Ltd.

Average Shearlings

Texel £768.29 (+£86.98 on the year); Beltex £541.92 (-£85.22 on the year)

Cross £619.72 (-£7.37 on the year); Su olk £557.48 (-£0.54 on the year); BFL £607.33 (+£64.69 on the year); Cheviot £342.55 (-£72.45 on the year)

Ram Lambs Su olk £330.77 (+£103.40 on the year); Texel £447.03 (+£93.36 on the year); BFL £398.46 (-£49.43 on the year)

Lobbying success for NFUS as small woodlands to qualify as ecological focus areas in future

NFU Scotland has welcomed the announcement from Scottish Government that some small areas of woodland created on farms and cro s will soon be eligible for inclusion in support claims following planned changes to legislation.

From November, small woodlands approved under the Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP) since 2015 can be utilised as ecological focus areas (EFA) to support farmers’ Greening payments. Claims can be made from the 2023 claim year.

In meetings with cabinet secretaries Mairi Gougeon MSP and Mairi McAllan MSP at the end of 2022, NFU Scotland had asked for this change to be considered, recognising

the valuable contribution that woodlands can make to farms and cro s. e union has since worked with Scottish Government and Scottish Forestry o cials on how changes to legislation could be introduced.

NFU Scotland director of policy Jonnie Hall said: ‘NFU Scotland has always encouraged responsible planting, potentially adding biodiversity, livestock shelter, amenity value and an alternative income to a farm or cro . Having woodland planting carried out under the SRDP since 2015 eligible as EFA under their Greening options for support is a signicant lobbying success by NFUS and will be welcomed by many members.’

For more informa�on or to place an order please send Farm Gates (UK) Ltd a message or call: Ronnie Finney 07789 276354

Email: farm.gates@yahoo.com

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Beatson’s Mull Rally 2022

There’s lots to look forward to at the 50th Mull Rally this year, sponsored by Beatson’s Building Supplies. There is a host of celebrations being planned to make this year’s event an extra special one. Then there’s the rally itself, with many battles expected throughout the field.

Mull has always been a motorsport festival. Some have said it’s just a huge party with some special stages in the middle! This year will add to the festivities with the celebration of the 50th anniversary.

There will be special events and craic before the rally begins in earnest, then the focus will change to the battles taking place on the stages. Battles for seconds throughout the

field continue through Friday night and Saturday with the party spirit returning on Sunday.

We see new faces joining the organising team behind this famous event. Among them is new clerk of the course Richard Crozier who brings with him organisational experience including the Ulster Rally, Rally North Wales and a varied motorsport background as a competitor and marshal/organiser. Under no illusions as to the task ahead, Richard said: ‘I’m looking forward immensely to October. With so many happy memories of the event, as a competitor and volunteer, it will be great to play a small part in continuing the story of this historic rally. I’m looking forward to working with our existing team of vastly experienced and enthusiastic volunteers on an event that inspires so much passion in the rallying community and on the island.’

Richard and his team led the route consultation earlier in the year, with a successful outcome involving notable additions to the well-established stages.

M aps of the stages are available on the website. Starting with the fi rst stage, which will take in Tobermory harbour then a second run through into Mishnish Lochs, the event promises to be another test of skill and endurance. Other notable stages include the ‘long one’ getting even longer.

For spectators, on the island and online, the organisers will be doing everything to get the magic of Mull to everyone.

There are more plans to make this comeback as memorable as possible. For information and route maps, visit www.mullrally.org

History of rallying on the Isle of Mull – where it all began…

In 1968, while on a family holiday at Glengorm Castle near Tobermory, the late Brian Molyneux had the idea of holding a road rally on the Island. Organising a rally has been described as holding a football match in

someone else’s back garden, but it was an extremely ambitious idea when the large garden that is Mull is more than 300 miles north of Brian’s base in Lancashire. And this was long before the M6 and M74 existed to assist travel from England across the border.

At this time, Brian was chairman of Mullard Motor Cycle and Car Club in Blackburn, which decided to change its name to the more manageable 2300 Club. The change of title came from taking the initial club name letters, MMCCC, and translating them into Roman numerals, hence 2300. He sold the idea of the Tour of Mull to his fellow committee members, partly because rallying in the North of England was beset with public relations issues at that time. It was a brave

move, as there were not many people on Mull at that time with any interest in the sport, but Brian and his team put a huge effort into convincing islanders this was a

good idea and the first Tour of Mull was planned for October 18 1969. It’s come a long way since.

Enjoy our 50 th event celebrations.

PEUGEOT reveals new e-308 and e-308 SW

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of the new models sees PEUGEOT become one of the rst European manufacturer to o er a fully electric estate vehicle. Drivers are provided with a choice of three driving modes – Eco, Normal or Sport - to choose a way of driving that suits the road they’re on, whilst “Brake” mode allows drivers to gain more miles when the accelerator pedal is released to optimise energy recovery. With an on-board three-phase 11 kW charger provided with the car as standard, drivers can also bene t from 100kW rapid

charging, which will power the battery from 20-80% in less than 25 minutes.

Technologically, the new PEUGEOT e-308 and e-308 SW feature the latest generation of driving aids to promote safe driving, including Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop and Go function, long-range blind spot monitoring (75 metres) and Rear Tra c Alert, which warns of danger when reversing. For more information, please contact Campbeltown Motor Company on 01586 553 200

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RECRUITMENT

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Reporter – Oban Times

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a bright, passionate and selfmotivated reporter to join The Oban Times’ busy team.

The person we are looking for will have an NCTJ or similar qualification, including shorthand, be multi-media literate, and have excellent reporting and writing skills.

We are passionate about good local journalism and like our reporters to get out into the community, meeting people face-to-face, and uncovering the best stories.

You should be bursting with ideas and have a track record of delivering engaging news, as well as understand the importance of fostering great contacts, knowing your patch, and be capable of working on your own initiative as well as part of a team. You should also be able to demonstrate sound journalistic practice, such as balance, careful sourcing and a solid, practical understanding of Scots Law.

As the position will be based in Oban, knowledge of the area would be an advantage.

You should also hold a full driving licence.

As well as writing for the newspaper and website, you will be expected to take photographs on the job, as well as contribute to our social media channels and podcasts.

In return for all this we offer a competitive salary, great experience and training, as well as an enhanced pension.

Please apply by email, sending your CV, plus a covering letter and some examples of your work to: personnel@wyvexmedia.co.uk

Kilmartin Museum

This

Kilmartin Museum are seeking a full-time Collections Assistant to assist the Head of Collections with general day-to-day curatorial work and additional work required to develop the collections, prepare and install

For

Closing

The Pierhouse Hotel in Port Appin is a small hotel and seafood restaurant on the shores of Loch Linnhe. We are currently recruiting for

FOOD & BEVERAGE SUPERVISOR

FOOD AND BEVERAGE ASSISTANTS

Living wage employer, flexible working patterns, additional monthly utility contribution through our Argyll Living Allowance & excellent company benefits. Staff accommodation available.

Please send your CV to manager@pierhousehotel.co.uk or call 01631 730302 Part of The Wee Hotel Company

Office Administrator

We are looking for an office administrator to join our team who will provide a high quality clerical and administrative support service to PDK Shellfish Ltd. This will include completing procedures in accordance with customs export legislation and preparing paperwork required by governing bodies in a manner which will ensure that the needs of the company are met.

Position/Hours:

• Permanent

• Full Time

Essential Criteria/Attributes:

• General administrative and office experience

• Computer literate

• Competent in usage of Microsoft packages

• Ability to work under pressure in a fast paced office environment

• Flexibility within working hours to complete outstanding tasks for deadlines.

Please send all enquires to office@pdkshellfish.com or call on 01631 570021.

GENERAL OPERATIVES

Corrie Construction Ltd seek applicants for General Operative Positions. CSCS cards and a full Driving License are essential. Apply in writing to:sales@corrieconstruction.com Corrie Construction Ltd Carn Mor House, Glen Nevis Business Park, PH33 6RX

IN ASSOCIATION WITHRECRUITMENT

WEST HIGHLAND HOUSING ASSOCIATION

ASSET PROJECT MANAGER

EVH Grade 7£35,022 to £38,456 per annum

SERVICE TECHNICIAN

EVH Grade 6£29,946 to £32,737 per annum

REPAIRS LEAD

EVH Grade 6£29,946 to £32,737 per annum

REPAIRS TECHNICIAN

EVH Grade 5£26,071 to £28,974 per annum

West Highland Housing Association provides housing and support services to over 1,000 tenants and owners within Oban, Lorn and the Isles.

We also have an ambitious new build development program along with plans to refurbish and improve our existing stock.

We have gone through a significant period of growth during 2021/22 and will be working towards developing a new business plan towards the end of 2022.

We have four fantastic opportunities within our newly formed Assets Team. All four roles will support the Assets Manager with the delivery of our Asset Management Service. The vacancies are:

Asset Project Manager (APM)

The APM role involves the planning and delivery of WHHA’s investment and cyclical maintenance programs in addition to ensuring all regulatory and statutory requirements are met. The APM will work closely with the Asset Manager and lead on the Project Management of programs to improve quality standards in the maintenance, retrofit and improvement to our housing stock.

Repairs Lead

The purpose of this customer focused role is to lead a small team delivering the customer facing and administration aspects of our reactive repairs service. The team will be responsible for repair diagnostics, customer support and advice, logging, issuing and tracking repairs and representing the customer’s best interest. You will monitor and report on service performance, customer satisfaction, liaising with contractors and colleagues to promote positive outcomes for customers

Service Technician

The Service Technician will deliver important preventative maintenance services to domestic hot water and central heating installations across WHHA’s housing stock. The post will also assist the Service Engineer to carry out reactive and planned maintenance duties in the district heating plant rooms and in assisting with general plumbing repairs when necessary

Repairs Technician

The role of Repairs Technician is to be a multi-skilled team member who will assist with the daily repairs to our assets. You will work closely with the Repairs and Assets team to carry out small, varied repairs, and to assist with scheduling your day and appointments with tenants, as well as planning and booking travel needs. Travel to Scottish islands and mainland properties is required.

Benefits package

WHHA has gold Investors in People accreditation and offers a great package including:

• Fully paid induction and personal development opportunities

• 40 days’ holiday per annum, pro rata for part-time hours

• Company pension scheme and Death in Service Benefit

• Flexible and family-friendly policy and procedures

Guidance for applicants

Further information about this post is available from our website where you can download the application form. Only completed application forms will be considered

Closing date for applications is 12th October 2022

Interviews are anticipated to take place week of 17th October 2022

SCOTTISH CHARITY IN SCOTLAND NO. SCO17357. REGISTERED SOCIETY UNDER THE CO-OPERATIVE AND COMMUNITY BENEFIT SOCIETY ACT 2014, NO.1691R(S) AND SECTION 4 OF THE HOUSING (SCOTLAND) ACT 1988 REGISTERED NO. HEP163.

REGISTRATION

PUBLIC NOTICES

Argyll and Bute Council

PLANNING

The applications listed below together with the plans and other documents submitted with them may be viewed electronically through Argyll and Bute Council website at www.argyll-bute.gov.uk.

TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING (SCOTLAND) ACT 1997

TRANSPORT SCOTLAND

NOTICE OF DETERMINATION A83 REST AND BE THANKFUL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT DETERMINATION UNDER SECTION 55A OF THE ROADS (SCOTLAND) ACT 1984

The Scottish Ministers give notice that they have determined that the project to undertake works on the upper slopes at channels 3a and 3b to address landslide risk at the A83 Rest and Be Thankful is a relevant project within the meaning of section 55A of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 (“the 1984 Act”) and falls within Annex II of Directive 2011/92/EU on the assessment of certain public and private projects on the environment, but that having regard to –(a) the selection criteria contained in Annex III of that Directive, namely –(i) the size and design of the whole project; (ii) the use of natural resources, in particular land, soil, water and biodiversity; (iii) the production of waste; (iv) pollution and nuisances; (v) the risks to human health (for example due to water contamination or air pollution);

(vi) areas classified or protected under national legislation; Natura 2000 areas designated by Member States pursuant to Directive 92/43/EEC and Directive 2009/147/EC,

(b) the results of the Environmental Screening Assessment under section 55A(2) of the 1984 Act and site ecological surveys undertaken in May 2022 which determined that with mitigation measures in place, there will be no significant effects on the environment, and in particular, the Glen Etive and Glen Fyne Special Protection Area and Beinn an Lochain Site of Special Scientific Interest and Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, (c) the information set out in the Record of Determination dated 30 June 2022, available at https://www.transport.gov.scot/transport-network/ roads/road-orders-and-records-ofdetermination/#63527, the project does not require an Environmental Impact Assessment.

The main reasons for the conclusion that no Environmental Impact Assessment is required are:

(a) While located within Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, the works do not involve any significant changes to the land form or vegetation, and they are predicted to have a negligible effect on its special landscape qualities;

(b) The scheme does not lie within a densely populated area, sites of historical, archaeological or cultural significance or sites designated for their geology or soils;

(c) No impacts on biodiversity are expected due to lack of protected species in proximity of the works; and

(d) There will be a minor loss of some habitats which are ubiquitous in the wider area.

The features of the project which are envisaged to avoid or prevent significant adverse effects on the environment are:

(a) Potential construction effects on local air quality, ecology, water quality, land use and landscape, and noise and vibration will be minimised through best practice working procedures and implementation of appropriate mitigation;

(b) Works will be completed out with the key tourist period; and (c) Works will be completed out with the bird breeding season

S R LEES

A member of the staff of the Scottish Ministers Transport Scotland, Roads, Buchanan House, 58 Port Dundas Road, Glasgow G4 0HF

Having regard to Schedule 6, Part 3, s10 of the Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020, documents are only available to inspect electronically at this time. Customers requiring assistance can contact us by e-mail: planning.hq@argyll-bute.gov.uk or tel. 01546 605518.

TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT PROCEDURE (SCOTLAND) REGULATIONS 2013 REGULATION 20(1) ADVERT STATEMENT TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING (SCOTLAND) ACT 1997 (AS AMENDED), RELATED PLANNING (LISTED BUILDINGS AND CONSERVATION AREAS) (SCOTLAND) ACT 1997

Ref. No.Proposal Site Address 22/01606/PPErection of dwellinghouseLand North East Of Cuan House, Cuan Ferry, Isle Of Seil, Oban, Argyll And Bute 22/01632/PPErection of dwellinghouse and detached garage, installation of septic tank formation of vehicular access

Land North East Of Craigentaggart (Plot 2), Kilmore, Oban, Argyll And Bute 22/01631/PPErection of dwellinghouse and detached garage, installation of septic tank and formation of vehicular access

Land North East Of Craigentaggart (Plot 1), Kilmore, Oban, Argyll And Bute 22/01878/PPAlterations and change of use of former church hall to form dwellinghouse and formation of vehicular access

PLANNING (LISTED BUILDING AND CONSERVATION AREAS) (SCOTLAND) ACT 1997

The applications listed below, along with plans and other documents submitted with them, may be examined online at http://wam.highland.gov.uk

Written comments should be made to the EPC at the contact details below within the time period indicated from the date of this notice. Anyone making a representation about this proposal should note that their letter or email will be disclosed to any individual or body who requests sight

Reference Number

Development

Alterations and erection of

Home Farm, Kingairloch, Ardgour, Fort William, PH33 7AE

The Old Forge, Inverie, Knoydart, Mallaig, PH41 4PL

to workshop/stables building to form meeting area and deer larder and installation of windows to office building

Alterations and erection of extension

Church Hall, Connel, Argyll And Bute 22/01869/PPRenewal of planning permission 19/01495/PP (Erection of dwellinghouse, installation of septic tank and formation of vehicular access)

22/01849/PPErection of dwellinghouse, installation of septic tank and air source heat pump, formation of vehicular access and upgrade of existing access

Lodge Farm, Kirkapol, Isle Of Tiree, Argyll And Bute, PA77 6TW

Land West Of Water Board, Lotts, Isle Of Islay, Argyll And Bute, PA42 7DD

Written comments can be submitted online http://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/ planning-and-environment/find-and-comment-planning-applications or to Argyll and Bute Council, Development Management, Kilmory Castle, Lochgilphead, Argyll, PA31 8RT within 21 days of this advert.

Please quote the reference number in any correspondence. Any letter of representation the Council receives is considered a public document and will be published on our website. Anonymous or marked confidential correspondence will not be considered. A weekly list of all applications can be viewed on the Councils website. Customers are requested to use electronic communication where possible during the coronavirus pandemic as our ability to process postal mail is restricted.

To find out more about living and working in Argyll & Bute visit us at: www.argyll-bute.gov.uk

Comhairle Earra – Ghàidheal agus Bhòid

22/03709/LBC 22/04197/FUL 22/04044/FUL 22/03633/FUL 22/04032/FUL 22/04129/FUL 22/03987/PIP 22/04022/FUL 22/04050/PIP

Land South West Of Inchree Chalets, Righ Crescent, Onich 38 Ben Nevis Drive, Ben Nevis Industrial Estate, Fort William Land NW Of Tigh Darach, Drimnin, Oban Torlinnhe Guest House, Achintore Road, Fort William PH33 6RW

Land 100M East Of Bay Cottage, North Ballachulish, Onich 58 Glenkingie Street, Caol, Fort William, PH33 7DU

Land 30M North Of Sycamore Cottages, Sycamore Cottages, Righ Crescent, Onich

Erection of 3 houses and 3 annexes for ancillary use

Erection of storage building

Erection of woodland observatory - selfcontained letting unit Erection of extensions to create 3 apartments and guest dining area

Erection of house

Erection of garage with upper floor self contained unit Erection of house and garage

FIRST REGISTRATION OF A CROFT

Ishbel Campbell has registered their croft 5 Bohuntin, Kilmonivaig on the Crofting Register held by the Registers of Scotland.

Any person who wishes to challenge the registration may apply to the Scottish Land Court by 20th June 2023.

Details of the registration can be found at www.crofts. ros.gov.uk/register/home. The croft registration number is C8684.

FIRST REGISTRATION OF A CROFT

Phil Jones has registered their croft 2 Uragaig, Colonsay on the Crofting Register held by the Registers of Scotland.

Any person who wishes to challenge the registration may apply to the Scottish Land Court by June 15th 2023.

Details of the registration can be found at www. crofts.ros.gov.uk/ register/home. The croft registration number is C8673.

PROPOSED ASSIGNATION OF A CROFT (SHARE IN COMMON GRAZINGS)

Mrs Irene Piggot is applying to assign the tenancy of her grazings share at Airds Bay Common Grazings to Nicholas Charlton, 35 Soroba Road, Oban, Argyll, PA34 4HQ. Written comments from those with a relevant interest (which may be made public) to Crofting Commission, Leachkin Road, Inverness, IV3 8NW, info@crofting. gov.scot by 3rd November 2022.

CROFTING COMMISSION COIMISEAN NA CROITEARACHD DECROFTING APPLICATION

1. A.MacGillivray, 6 & 7 Muirshearlich, 0.190 ha, Site for a dwelling house (117494)

Comments from any member of the crofting community within the locality of the croft and any expressions of demand for the croft (which may be made public), may be sent to the Crofting Commission by 03/11/22 at info@crofting. gov.scot / Crofting Commission, Great Glen House, Leachkin Road, Inverness IV3 8NW.

DECROFTING DIRECTION ISSUED

1. E MacLennan, 11 Unachan, 0.177 ha, croft house site and garden ground, with fencing conditions (106172).

Full details at www. crofting.scotland.gov.uk

DEATHS

CARDEN - Agnes (Nancy) Carden. Nancy Carden (née Sommerville) passed away peacefully, aged 92, on Sunday, September 25, 2022 at North Argyll House, Oban. A dear mother to Lorna and Hew and grandmother to Clarrie, Timothy and Samuel. Nancy was laid to rest at Pennyfuir Cemetery in a private ceremony on Tuesday, October 4, 2022.

HAMILTON – Ian Robertson Hamilton QC. Peacefully at home at Lochnabeithe, North Connel on October 3, 2022 aged 97. Much loved husband, father and grandfather. Service to be arranged, family owers only.

JONES - Ann Kramer Jones, who lived for many years on Mull and the Isle of Ulva, died Sunday, October 2 at the age of 97, in Ithaca, New York. She and her husband, Dr. eodore Jones, moved to Scotland in 1973. He had a medical practice in Salen on Mull until late ‘80s. ey moved to the Isle of Ulva when he retired. In 2012, a er the death of her husband, Ann moved to Ithaca, New York to be close to her children. She is survived by her ve children and four grandchildren.

TRAFFORD – Doris Ethel, died peacefully at home on September 25, 2022, aged 94. Much loved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend. Funeral will be held at St Columba’s, Poltalloch, Kilmartin, on Friday, October 14, 2022 at noon. Family flowers only. Donations, if desired, to North Argyll Carers Centre.

MACLELLAN – In loving memory of my dear brother Donald MacLellan, who passed away peacefully on August 31, 2022, aged 82 years. Till we meet again.

R.I.P.

MEMORIAMS

MACINTYRE – Precious memories of my dear fiance Iain, who died October 1, 2014.

Loved and remembered every day.

- Jessie xxx

MACKECHNIE – Elizabeth.

In loving memory of my dear mum and grandmother, who sadly passed away on October 9, 2020.

Remembered with love and missed every day.

Always in our thoughts.

- David, Agnes and family.

MACLEAN – Fondest memories of our dear mum Bella, who passed away October 3, 2007 and also our dear dad Lachlan, who passed away June 14, 1992.

Loved and remembered every day.

Always in our thoughts.

- Teen, Angela and Alexander.

STEWART – In loving memory of our dear mum Ann, granny and great-granny, who died October 5, 2006.

You always had a smile to share Time to give and time to care Your memories are our greatest treasure

To have, to love and keep forever.

Sadly missed.

- Ronald, Kate, Neil, Rhoda, Isobel and families.

WALKER – In loving memory of Marybell, our mother and grandmother, who passed away October 4, 1990.

Always in our thoughts.

- Allan and family.

WALKER – In loving memory of our dear mother Marybell, who died October 4, 1990.

Always remembered.

- Inserted by Donald and Morag, Airport Cottage, Islay.

FUNERAL DIRECTORS

FUNERAL DIRECTORS

MEMORIALS

By Oban Hospice

LORN HEALTHY OPTIONS HEALTH TIP

Running on empty

e pressures of work, home life, relationships and nancial worries can elevate our stress levels and, just like a used battery, our energy levels can run out.

is can lead to illness or leave you irritable and no fun to be around. Insigni cant things like not having your favourite co ee available can derail your entire morning- it has been known in the Healthy Options o ce! Productivity can su er, despite feeling that all we do is work. In short, you are running on empty.

One sign you may be burning the candle at both ends is impaired concentration levels. When you are spinning too many plates, we struggle to focus on anything for a prolonged period. You might nd you forget things, make irrational decisions or have complete memory loss.

We o en look for solutions in the wrong places. Alcohol is a commonly used remedy for a tough day but this can further compound the issue leading to fragmented sleep and a hangover. We all know the feeling of the morning a er the night before, even if we were not partying until the early hours. e lingering e ects of alcohol blunts focus and reduces attention span.

Another option may be comfort eating. When the brain is bombarded with negative emotions we o en look to food which will make us feel better in the short term. Cakes, chocolate, sweets, puddings, crisps and takeaway foods can all produce a temporary feeling of satisfaction and contentment, but we all know the long-term

outcome of this strategy which leads to weight gain and low self-esteem.

If any of these coping mechanisms sound familiar, it may be time to hit the reset button?

e best way to de-stress is to eradicate the source of the stress itself but we know that in today’s challenging world this can be easier said than done. So what about alternative coping mechanisms to quell the impact on our overworked grey matter? Here are ve of the best.

Physical activity: It might sound counter-intuitive, but one of the best ways to boost your energy levels is to expend some, either with a formal workout or through an active hobby such as gardening. Regular activity is a great distraction technique allowing you to focus on movement patterns and breathing which can clear your mind and minimise the stressful e ects of the daily grind.

Discover nature: Try to spend more time in natural surroundings. Green spaces have a therapeutic e ect on humans, boosting our mood and lowering stress hormones. We also know the chemical compounds released by trees

can have a bene cial e ect on our immune system. Breathe in fresh air and discover the amazing walks and locations Argyll has to o er.

Take a break from technology: e constant presence and pressure of technology in today’s world is compounding our stress levels. It may be impossible to completely avoid technology but try stepping away from it periodically. Prolonged periods away from the mobile phone or TV can help to reset and rediscover the joy of reading a book or reconnecting with friends and family face-to-face.

Meditation: is is the practice of allowing thoughts to come and go as you learn to recognise and release them without judgement. Studies show meditation can help shi your nervous system away from a ght or ight response to a more relaxed and contented state.

Nutrition: A balanced diet can support a healthy immune system and the repair of damaged cells. It provides the nutrients needed to cope with stressful events with research pointing to the intake of polyunsaturated fats, including omega-3 fatty acids, and vegetables as an e ective way to regulate cortisol levels. It can become easy to rely on fast foods when we are running on empty, so a little planning can go a long way to providing a healthy option when time is limited.

For more guidance and advice on a healthier lifestyle, self-refer to Healthy Options rive at www.lornhealthyoptions.co.uk.

e September winners of Oban Camanachd Shinty Club’s monthly Superball competition were Beatrice Keenan, £500, and Morag Brown, £100.

e draw was made during the club’s home game against Newtonmore on Saturday September 24. Legendary Newtonmore player David (Tarzan) Ritchie, a winner of 13 Camanachd Cup medals, picked the winning numbers. Money raised from the draw goes to club funds. Participants pay £10 a month for a chance to win the top prize of £500 and a runners-up prize of £100.

Craignure Golf Club held its nal competition of the season on Sunday September 25. Contested by winners of the season’s six monthly medals, the results of the medal nal were: 1 Allan Paterson 62; 2 Graham Tague 68; 3 Dariusz Myzsak 69; 4 Colin Newton 71; 5 Brian MacRae 74; 6 James Campbell, DNF.

Ian Milarvie, exercise professional, Healthy Options.

Ian Milarvie.

David Ritchie made the September Oban Camanachd Superball draw.

Mowi Premiership

Caberfeidh 5

Oban Camanachd 2 Caberfeidh staged a sensational comeback from two goals down to beat Oban Camanachd 5-2 in their noon throw-up at Castle Leod.

Caberfeidh boss Jodi Gorski went into the game without defenders Ryan Symonds, Liam Symonds and Finlay Coleman. Connor MacGregor was deployed in defence.

Oban Camanachd manager Gareth Evans welcomed Daniel Cameron back from suspension and he started in attack, with Scott Robertson in defence. Evan MacLellan returned to take a place on the bench alongside Jordan Kerr. Daniel MacVicar served the second match of his twogame ban, Malcolm Clark was ruled out a er needing stitches in a knee gash picked up in the previous week’s win over Newtonmore and David Cameron was unavailable. Both teams went into the match on a good run of form.

Oban Camanachd had not lost a game over 90 minutes, other than to Kingussie, since Kinlochshiel beat the team 3-0 in the league on Saturday May 7, whilst Caberfeidh had come out on top in their previous ve matches, stretching their winning run back to July. However, they hadn’t played since the end of August and Oban Camanachd took advantage, with Louie MacFarlane putting them ahead on 13 minutes from close range.

e Oban side went on to dominate but, with Connor MacGregor excellent at the back for Caberfeidh, they didn’t overly trouble Iain McCall in the home goal. However, they doubled their lead three minutes into the second half when Daniel Cameron struck the ball low into the net from 25 yards.

e Caberfeidh comeback started on 53 minutes when Kyle Grant produced a ne nish from around 20 yards out on the le of the ‘D’ with his waist-high shot swerving past Cammy Sutherland in the Oban goal.

e goal boosted Caberfeidh

and they drew level on the hour when Colin MacLennan knocked home a rebound a er Oban keeper Cammy Sutherland had saved.

A couple of minutes later, Caberfeidh’s Craig Morrison, who had been well-shadowed throughout by Oban Camanachd defender Daniel Sloss, with Scott McKillop doing likewise on Kevin Bartlett, found enough space on the le to hammer an unsavable shot into the Camanachd net.

Oban Camanachd searched for an equaliser and Jordan Kerr, who came on at the break, saw a shot well saved with his chest by Iain McCall.

e home side went 4-2 ahead from the penalty spot on 81 minutes. A break into the ‘D’ ended when Colin MacLennan was impeded by Cammy Sutherland with the ball going wide. e goal judge agged and referee Deek Cameron pointed to the spot and Kevin Bartlett cracked the resultant penalty low and hard into the net.

It got better for Caberfeidh a couple of minutes later when a similar infringement inside the ‘D’ resulted in a second spot-hit and this time Craig Morrison smashed the ball home to make it 5-2, giving Cammy Sutherland no chance.

Oban Camanachd manager Gareth Evans said: ‘We deserved the two-goal lead but then we folded. We managed them well in the rst half, but I didn’t expect us to fall out of the game so much a er being two goals up.’

Oban Camanachd now prepare for relegation threatened Kilmallie’s visit to Moss eld on Saturday.

Gareth Evans added: ‘We’ll have Daniel MacVicar back for Kilmallie. We missed him against Caberfeidh. He would have occupied Blair Morrison who was excellent for Caberfeidh at buckshee back. He mopped up everything and was head and shoulders above everyone else. e ball was like a magnet to him.

‘Kilmallie are battling for survival so will be up for it.

David Cameron and David La erty should be available for us too and hopefully Malcolm

Clark has recovered from his knee injury.’

Newtonmore 3 Kyles Athletic 2 Newtonmore edged out Kyles Athletic 3-2 at the Eilan.

Newtonmore took the lead on seven minutes through Fraser MacKintosh, but Luke ornton on 22 minutes and Ross MacRae on 40 minutes had Kyles 2-1 ahead at the interval.

Newtonmore pushed Steven Macdonald into an attacking role and he equalised a minute into the second half. en, with 20 minutes to go, youngster Brodie MacBean scored to earn Newtonmore a 3-2 win.

Kyles Athletic welcome relegation-threatened Glasgow Mid Argyll on Saturday. Newtonmore don’t have a xture as their second team play in the HIS Sutherland Cup nal against their Lovat counterparts at Blairbeg.

Mowi National Division

Skye Camanachd 5 Inveraray 1

Skye Camanachd pulled level on points with league leaders Beauly a er beating thirdplaced Inveraray 5-1 in their 3pm throw-up at Pairc nan Laoch, Portree.

Skye’s Will Cowie recovered from an arm injury sustained in the previous week’s win over Glenurquhart. Somhairle MacDonald returned, but Iain MacLellan was unavailable. A hamstring problem restricted Martin Pringle to the bench.

Inveraray travelled with a strong squad, elding Ross MacMillan in attack, but the ve-hour journey north had them arriving in Portree within an hour of throw-up.

A torrential rain shower ahead of throw-up, and another as the match was starting, le pockets of water on the pitch but there was no doubt the game would go ahead.

Skye had the early pressure, with Fraser Watt’s shot over the top coming from a rare Inveraray attack.

Skye took the lead on 20 minutes. Ross Gordon’s cross- eld pass found Jordan Murchison and although Inveraray de-

fender Robert Wood blocked his rst e ort, Murchison sent the rebound low into the corner of the net.

Ross Gordon made it 2-0 with a well-worked goal on 22 minutes. John Gillies won possession and, as he was falling, slipped the ball to Jordan Murchison on the right. Murchison could have shot goalwards but instead cut an unsel sh ball to Ross Gordon in central position and, despite the muddied goal area, Gordon steered the ball into the net.

Inveraray’s Ruaraidh Graham was yellow-carded for a challenge which caught Skye’s Chris Rose above the knee with Rose later limping o to be replaced by Somhairle MacDonald.

Skye had their tails up and Jordan Murchison got his second and Skye’s third on 34 minutes. Ross Gordon’s shot from the le was palmed away by Inveraray keeper Scott MacLachlan, but Jordan Murchison reacted before marker Robert Wood to turn the rebound home.

Lewis Montgomery and young Ruaraidh Graham came o in favour of John Kennedy and Allan Cameron, although Graham returned soon a er in favour of Robert Wood.

Skye rounded o an excellent rst half performance when Jordan Murchison completed his hat-trick on 44 minutes.

Jamie Gillies delivered a hitin from the le which found Somhairle MacDonald. He picked out Jordan Murchison who stroked the ball home.

James Pringle, who had replaced an injured Ross Gordon late in the rst half, added a h Skye goal on 57 minutes. Good play from Ross MacKinnon inside his own half saw the Skye full centre send the ball forward from the le . Will Cowie controlled the ball just outside the penalty spot before sending a wonderfully measured pass forward to James Pringle who ran in to beat the keeper and make it 5-0. Pringle had a similar opportunity soon a er but this time Scott MacLachlan was quickly o his line to save well with his feet at the expense of a corner.

Goalfest sees Lochnell 08s push ahead in league

Inveraray, with Campbell Watt excellent when on the ball, went close on a couple of occasions before Fraser Watt won possession in a central position before passing to Allan MacDonald, wide on the le of the ‘D’. MacDonald sent a blistering shot high over Skye keeper Murphy Henderson’s le shoulder to make it 5-1 on 79 minutes. It was the rst goal Skye had conceded in open play since mid-July.

e contest was tousy at times and Skye’s James Morrison and Inveraray’s Ross MacMillan were both booked by referee Calum Girvan following a skirmish in the middle of the park.

Minutes later, MacMillan tripped Morrison following a corner from the Inveraray le and a second booking, followed by a red card, le Inveraray a man short for the closing stages.

Mowi South Division 1

Bute P Ballachulish P e 3pm throw-up between Bute and Ballachulish at the Meadows was postponed due to an unplayable eld.

Cruachanside P Glasgow Mid Argyll P e clash between Cruachanside and the Glasgow Mid Argyll juniors was called o on Saturday morning because of an unplayable pitch.

Mowi South Division 2

Ardnamurchan 8 Uddingston 1

Herbie Patterson continued his good recent scoring run with a hat-trick as Ardnamurchan consolidated their second place nish in Mowi South Division 2 by defeating bottom side Uddingston 8-1 at Ardnamurchan High School, Strontian.

Uddingston proved hard to break down during the opening half-hour but a ve-goal spree in the nal 13 minutes of the half le Ardnamurchan in control. Stuart Carmichael put the hosts ahead on 32 minutes with Herbie Patterson adding a second three minutes later,

turning his man and drilling the ball low into the net.

Calum Ritchie made it 3-0 on 37 minutes and Herbie Patterson got his second 60 seconds later. is time the ball came towards Patterson near the penalty spot. He icked it to the side with his rst touch before lasering the ball past the keeper with a sweet strike.

Herbie Patterson completed his hat-trick on the stroke of half-time. Patterson again turned his marker outside the box and although he scu ed his initial shot, he reacted quickest to tap the ball into the bottom corner of the net for his ninth goal over the last four league matches.

Freddie Patterson followed in his brother’s footsteps a minute a er the re-start to add a sixth. Neil Sutherland pulled a goal back on 66 minutes but Calum Ritchie a couple of minutes later and Stuart Carmichael’s second on 72 minutes made the nal score 8-1.

Strachur-Dunoon 3 Aberdour 1

Strachur-Dunoon came from a goal down to beat the Aberdour second team 3-1 at Dunoon Stadium.

Aberdour took the lead on 21 minutes with what was the only goal of the rst half.

Strachur-Dunoon gained control in the second half though as Sam Bulloch levelled three minutes a er the re-start.

Steven ompson put the hosts in front on 55 minutes and a second from Sam Bulloch on 76 minutes completed the 3-1 win. e day’s games completed the Mowi South Division 2 programme. Bute w/o Inveraray

e Bute second team completed a championship winning season with a walk-over when the Inveraray second team were unable to raise a side for their noon throw-up at the Meadows.

Bute have been awarded the points whilst Inveraray have been deducted a point.

e islanders were presented w ith the Mowi South Division 2 trophy and medals.

All throw ups were at 2.30pm unless the match report states di erently.

Lochnell faced Cambuslang at home at the weekend in their nal league game ahead of the October break.

e game owed from end to end in the rst few minutes, with both teams creating chances.

Lochnell were rst to score 10 minutes into the game through Kyle Gibson and nine minutes later right winger Tikhon Vorobyov pounced on a badly cleared ball through on goal with just the keeper to beat. Lewis Rae was next to nd the net for the home team however Cambuslang responded and in under a minute had clawed one back.

A goal from Matty McFatridge soon a er meant

saw the score 4-1 in Lochnell’s favour at half time.

e second half started well for the home side with Kyle netting goals ve and six barely a minute apart before Angus Dundas scored direct from a corner.

e home side were cruising now and Tikhon added to his tally taking the score to 8-1 15 minutes into the second half.

However a spirited Cambuslang fought back and

with Lochnell perhaps getting a little too con dent and losing control in mid eld, which they had to this point dominated, Cambuslang netted three goals within ve minutes.

is rattled the home side who had to shore up their defence, seeing out the game without conceding further.

With only a few free kicks awarded and no cards this was another ne example of youth football from both teams.

Glasgow and District Youth Football League

Lochnell

Action from Lochnell’s game against Cambuslang FA 08s.

Dowd at the double

Oban Saints continued their Scottish Amateur Cup campaign last Saturday a ernoon with a trip to the village of Gourdon for a second round encounter with Aberdeenshire Amateur Football Association Division One North league leaders Bervie Caledonian.

A er a goal-less rst half, Saints got their noses in front two minutes a er the re-start from a Cammy Hill header but couldn’t nish o the determined home side who came back into contention with an excellent strike from Owen Ferguson. A replay in Oban remained a distinct possibility until two late strikes from Rory Dowd secured Saints a place in the third round draw.

Despite having the majority of possession, Saints were unable to test Finlay Strachan in the Bervie goal and had to remain alert at the back as the hosts looked to hit on the counter-attack. In the dying stages of the rst half, Bervie keeper Finlay Strachan made a brave save at the feet of Kyle Cooper picking up a leg injury which would prove to have a signi cant bearing on the eventual outcome.

Less than two of the second 45 minutes had expired when Kyle Cooper forced a corner kick on the Saints’ le . Calum Slavin got his head to Gavin Forgrieve’s delivery but only succeeded in sending the ball in Cammy Hill’s direction whose downward header found the back of the net.

Saints had the ball in the net when Matty Kelly found the unmarked Cammy Hill for a

well taken nish past Finlay Strachan. However the referee ruled the e ort out for o side. Strachan’s e ort trying to reach the shot from Hill ended his involvement with his place between the posts taken by substitute Cameron Spink.

e Saints defence failed to deal with a throw-in from the le which allowed Owen Ferguson to re past Graham Douglas.

Saints manager Ross Maitland rang the changes with Cammy Hill and Ben Forbes making way for Connor Moore and Fraser MacFarlane, however, the tie remained in the balance with Saints unable to apply the killer touch in front of goal.

With just nine of the regulation 90 minutes remaining, Spink, who until then hadn't put a glove wrong, spilled a Gavin Forgrieve corner kick at the feet of Rory Dowd who gleefully tucked the ball away from three yards.

In the second of six additional minutes allowed by the referee, substitutes Campbell and MacFarlane combined well to gain vital ground on the right with MacFarlane drawing a foul from David Glass. MacFarlane elected to test Cameron Spink with a bouncing e ort which the unfortunate Spink failed to hold leaving the on-rushing Rory Dowd with another simple tapin to complete his brace and make the tie safe for Saints.

Youth results and xtures

Results: Scottish Cup, third round: Barrhead 2 Oban Saints Under 16s 3. Scoring for Saints were James Muir, 2, and Cody McCulloch. Under 14s league: Oban Saints 0 Ballieston 8

Fixtures: Under 16s - Clyde v Oban Saints; Under 13s - Oban Saints v Glasgow United.

OBAN LORNE RUGBY ROUND-UP

Paisley RFC 0

Oban Lorne RFC 27

West League Division Two Oban Lorne 1st XV were looking for another good win on Saturday to cement their title challenge ahead of a tough month.

A big physical battle ensued early on with the Paisley pack asserting dominance over the men in green.

Much like the weather, the game came and went in waves until the 20th minute when Oban really started putting Paisley under pressure, leading to a try for Fin Charlton.

is was followed up not long a er by a try for Calum Maclachlan, giving a half time score of 10-0.

e men in green came out

red up for the second half and it wasn’t long until a big carry by Calum Maclachlan led to Lorne Maclachlan scoring Oban’s third try.

Another big period of sustained pressure saw George Gilbert steal a pivotal line out on the Paisley 22. A quickly recycled ball saw the ever present Jamie Bate beat three men to score and seal the bonus point for the Glencruitten out t.

is killed the game o for Paisley and they didn't enter the Oban half again.

Two crisp passes from Callum Hamilton and Craig Wright put George Ritchie in over the corner to nish the game.

A bonus point win sees them go second in the table, even on

Dalriada series heats up in Oban

Saturday morning saw Oban Lorne Rugby club host round four of the Dalriada autumn series.

e pitch was in fantastic condition considering the amount of rain that had fallen on Friday and overnight into Saturday.

Mini rugby teams from Oban, Mid Argyll, Mull, Lochaber and Taynuilt looked to come away with the victory with more than 80 young players involved.

e micro sessions for P1-3

Young footballers blaze a trail to Lochnell Festival

Great goals, superb saves, goalmouth scrambles and near misses - the sixth Lochnell Football Festival had it all at North Connel on Saturday.

Seven and a half hours of non-stop football saw more than 350 primary age footballers take to the eld, playing small sided games that featured teams from across the west of Argyll and Highland, including Islay and Fort William.

Although games were competitive, it was a ‘trophy free’ day with one caveat - all players received a souvenir of the day courtesy of the festi-

A mixed Oban Lorne/Etive Vikings team.

continues to grow at these events and great credit must go to the coaches who work at this level.

In the P4/5 category, Oban came out on top of the group thanks to a victory over Mull who came second overall but

had the superior try count on the day.

Mid Argyll and Lochaber combined forces to take third spot ahead of the Etive Vikings who showed glimpses of brilliance to score some fantastic tries.

In the P6/7 competition, the Oban team came out on top again to complete a clean sweep of its home competition winning all their games. e mean defence only conceding seven tries over the competition was impressive.

Etive Vikings came in second place scoring some fantastic tries to edge out Mid Argyll into third place.

Mull and Lochaber competed hard and were only a couple of tries away from gaining victories which would have seen them jump up the table. anks go to all parents, coaches and volunteers for making the day a success.

e next junior Dalriada is on Saturday October 29 in Campbeltown.

 For more photographs visit www.obantimes.co.uk

val’s main sponsors Anderson Banks Solicitors and Estate Agents, which generously provided every player with a commemorative medal.

Donald McAllister, Lochnell FC chairman and festival organiser, said: ‘Once again we had a wonderful day of football

and it was great to see so many young players from across the west coast enjoying their sport.

‘We thank all players, their coaches and parents and our sponsors who all contributed to running the event.’

 For more photographs visit www.obantimes.co.uk

Bob battles elements for top 20 nish

points with Strathaven RFC. Oban Lorne are at home the next two weeks to the only other two unbeaten teams.

Next week sees action return to Glencruitten as Dalziel visit. e following week sees Strathaven make the journey up to Oban for what should be a fantastic game of rugby.

Oban Lorne 61

Ardrossan/Garnock 8

Under 18s West League

Saturday a ernoon saw Oban’s under 18s welcome Ardrossan/ Garnock to Glencruitten as they look to continue their good start to the league campaign.

A settled Oban team were in con dent mood having won their two previous games and they started the game strongly.

Gordon Maclean from Tarbet scored the rst and last tries of the a ernoon with Fergus Taylor, Murray Macdonald, 3, Ewan MacPhail, Charlie Knight and Gregor Warnock lling the gap in between.

is was another fantastic result for the boys but harder challenges await with next week’s away game to Allan Glens. Coach Andrew Johnston was happy with the victory but knows there is work to do to improve defence and discipline around the tackle area. Man of the match:

Murray Macdonald.

Strathaven 28 Oban 64

Under 15s West League

On a great day for running rugby, the Oban boys came ying out of the blocks a er

a three-and-a-half hour bus journey.

Tries were scored by Josh Olds, Arran Martin, 2, Conan Burns, Archie Johnston, Dan Campbell, 2, Dougie Brown, 2, and Donald MacCormick with MacCormick and Liam Maclennan sharing the seven successful conversions.

In a game with several stand out performers, it was di cult to single out any player for special praise but the man of the match award was won by Archie Johnston who was a thorn in the opposition’s side throughout. Well done everyone for a great team performance.

For full reports and under 14s update visit www.obantimes. co.uk.

Continued from page 40. meant the Oban star went into the nal two rounds in h place and in contention for a second tour win in three weeks. Unfortunately, consecutive bogeys towards the end of his third round stalled his momentum and, despite going bogey-free on Sunday’s nal round, the putts would not drop. In the end, consecutive rounds of 71 at the home of golf le him tied 20th with the tournament eventually won by New Zealander Ryan Fox. While there will no doubt be a tinge of disappointment he could not capitalise on his brilliant start to the tournament, Bob can look back over the past few weeks with huge satisfaction. A second tour title tucked away, jumping to 12th in the DP World Tour rankings and once again knocking on the door of the world’s top 50 golfers.

Bervie

Lochnell FC in action against Oban Cuan Mor.

Young Lochaber athletes celebrate track success

Whistling up a storm at Inverlochy Primary School

by Mark Entwistle mentwistle@lochabertimes.co.uk

Lochaber Gaelic education campaigner Dr Michael Foxley and former Highland Council director of education Professor Bruce Robertson have sounded the alarm over the deepening crisis facing Gaelic medium education (GME) in Highland region and elsewhere.

Dr Foxley, who lives on Ardgour and is a former leader of Highland Council and a member of the University of the Highlands and Islands, and Professor Robertson, also visiting professor at the University of Strathclyde, have completed an analysis of the projected national requirements for GME teachers and suggest that a recruitment crisis of GME

teachers is already unfolding and likely to get 'significantly worse'.

According to their research, Highland Council currently has 15 vacancies, including at the Acharacle and Mallaig Gaelic medium education units which have already been advertised four times.

A total of 19 Scottish local authorities with GME provision or which have plans to introduce it responded to the survey and indicated that over the next ve years Scotland will need a minimum of 135 new GME primary teachers and 90 new GME secondary teachers.

Yet despite this, the numbers of GME Initial Teacher Education students graduating from Scottish universities this year amounted to only four for secondary

schools and 21 for primary schools, with no guarantees they will even become teachers. In their report, Dr Foxley and Professor Robertson point out the real danger of the crisis to remote island and rural schools claiming that some may be forced to close or revert to English medium education.

ey have now made a number of radical proposals which ask the Scottish Government to take immediate action to stop the situation getting worse.

Dr Foxley told the Lochaber Times this week: 'A powerful new task force needs to be urgently established to arrest this crisis in Gaelic medium education.

' ere are numerous un lled vacancies for GME teachers throughout Scotland which cannot be lled

watched by head teacher Tanya Ross.

music initiative. Photograph: Iain Ferguson, alba.photos

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Strontian road closures scheduled Fort William in Living Memory

Ariundle Branch Road and Bellsgrove Road in Strontian are to be closed for resurfacing.

The Ariundle Branch Road closure will be in place from Monday October 10 until Tuesday October 11. The Bellsgrove Road closure will be in place from Wednesday October 12 until Friday October 14. For safety reasons, a closure with amnesties will be in place.

Times for both closures are: Monday to Friday: road open: 6.30pm until 11pm. Road closed: 11pm till 1pm; 1.30pm till 3pm; 3.30pm till 5pm; 5.30pm till 6.30pm. Emergency services will have access at all times.

Residents between the road work sites may wish to move their vehicles to a more appropriate location. Highland Council thanks the community for their patience whilst this work is carried out.

Rory Green, trainee archivist at Lochaber Archive Centre, gives another fascinating insight into life in the region in days gone by.

Twice a week at the Lochaber Archive Centre, now with the help of volunteer Jenny, I share an image from our collections on Facebook.

ese items are never retrieved at random but relate to a monthly theme shared across the Highland archive service.

roughout September, Jenny and I trawled catalogues for items that might t the theme ‘In Living Memory’. e content of posts on this theme varied greatly. We began with images of Corpach and Banavie dating from the late 19th and late 20th century. e earliest of these showed the Caledonian Canal and boats and trains powered by steam driving progress and industry between them.

A much later image shows Neptune’s Staircase from above. Most likely taken in the 1990s, in this image we see people thronging the canal, its banksides by now an attraction for tourists. e lives of many folk would have spanned these two eras and they would have witnessed the vast changes that occur over time, especially through periods of such rapid modernisation.

Despite transformations in industry and infrastructure, certain features in a landscape always remain constant, including Ben Nevis, a stoic gure seen in the background of one of these earlier images.

On the nal post on this theme, I chose to share images of the old Fort William train station, before and a er its demolition in 1975. Although I was aware the station and line had once been situated on what we now know as the town centre bypass, I had never seen pictorial evidence.

On rst seeing the images, myself, Jenny and a visitor at the archive centre agreed we preferred the old layout. Whatever the practicality of the bypass, it is di cult to argue against the aesthetics of a Victorian-era train station overlooking a body of water as beautiful as Loch Linnhe.

To see the accompanying images of the station’s demolition is equally a ecting, though for the opposite reason.

Whenever posted on social media, such images are received enthusiastically by

those who follow us. Given our situation in Fort William, many of these people live in or are connected to Lochaber.

e enthusiasm is not always formed entirely of nostalgia. People are genuinely interested to see the Lochaber of their parents or grandparents or to see the area as they had forgotten it once appeared.

Buildings are erected brickby-brick, thus a whole street can be altered so gradually we are unaware of any evolution taking place. By the time they are complete, we are wholly accustomed to their presence and can barely recall what formerly occupied the space they now use.

To be reminded of how things once looked is an enjoyable and interesting activity and can be instrumental in the preservation of our own memory.

ese photographs, and

many more, can be viewed in our searchroom at Lochaber Archive Centre. Our opening hours are 10am to 4.30pm, Tuesday, ursday and Friday.

e Highland Archive Centre will be running Archives for Beginners classes every Wednesday morning online from October 19 to December 7. e cost is £40 - £32 concession - for each four-week session. Email archives@highlifehighland. com for further details. You can also join a Family History Class for Beginners in person at the Highland Archive Centre in Inverness, subject to interest, throughout October on Wednesday mornings. Cost is £40 - £32 concession - for the four weeks. Email genealogy@highlifehighland.com for further details. e Lochaber Archive Centre is open from 10am to 4.30pm on a Tuesday, ursday and Friday.

Strictly movie role awaits Hamza

Kilchoan’s Hamza Yassin may not have impressed all the Strictly judges with his futuristic jive on Saturday night, but he has certainly won over the viewing public.

Hamza and his professional dance partner Jowita Przystal wowed the judges on week one with their foxtrot, topping the leaderboard, along with actor Will Mellor, with 34 points out of a possible 40.

For their second dance last weekend, the pair had a change of pace, performing a jive to Blinding Lights by e Weeknd. ey scored 24 points for their routine, with Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke each awarding them seven

points, Shirley Ballas six and Craig Revel Horwood just four points.

e two weekly scores were combined leaving the popular wildlife cameraman and presenter in a lo y third position on the leader board ahead of the rst public vote on Sunday night.

Following their dance on Saturday, Hamza, who wore a knee strap during the performance, said: ‘I’m too big for the jive,’ causing a tsunami of support on social media. He added: ‘I found keeping up with the speed and rhythm very hard.’

All four judges agreed it had not been Hamza’s best perfor-

mance, but Shirley Ballas said she had been won over by his ‘winning smile’.

And she was not the only one. Hamza did not have long to wait on Sunday night’s live elimination show to nd out he was through to the next round. anking his supporters he said: ‘It is a di erent thing completely for me and I’m loving it.’

Loose Woman star Kaye Adams was the rst celebrity to be voted o a er nding herself in the bottom two alongside singer Matt Goss. is Saturday it is Movie Week when Hamza will be dancing to music from Jurassic Park.

The old Fort William Railway Station.

Corpach and Banavie in the late 19th century.

New registration scheme to help protect ‘The Ben’

by Mark Entwistle mentwistle@lochabertimes.co.uk

A new registration system has been introduced to help event organisers and land managers to better protect Ben Nevis.

e scheme is now in place for the vast number of charity events that are regularly organised on ‘ e Ben’, as the UK’s highest mountain is a ectionately known.

e aim is to make it easier for event managers to gain the necessary permissions and access the mountain responsibly, while also aiding the land managers to better manage the impacts of these events on the mountain.

e project has involved local landowners, businesses and interest groups, along with NatureScot and event organisers.

It has created a guide for event organisers that makes the process as simple as possible. e overall

objectives are to enable fair and sustainable usage of Ben Nevis, to protect the mountain by ensuring events are organised and run responsibly, to help fund the maintenance of the mountain and to publish a live calendar of events.

e calendar will help avoid

hill walking groups. It o ers a single point of contact and registration system for event organisers who previously needed to contact multiple landowners to gain the necessary permissions.

e NLP has a team of seasonal rangers who work in the Nevis management area, maintaining paths, removing litter and helping visitors to have a great experience.

talking about the issue of human waste being le on Ben Nevis.

He said: ‘ is scheme will make sure event organisers are setting a good example, making it easier for us to ensure people are accessing e Ben responsibly and sustainably.’

Man jailed for sexual assault in Fort William

A man who carried out an attack on an underage girl while she was dri ing in and out of consciousness a er drinking was jailed for two years on Monday October 3. omas Watts assaulted the child at an address in Fort William a er she became intoxicated through alcohol.

A judge told Watts at the High Court in Edinburgh that he had taken advantage of a vulnerable child to commit the sexual assault on her.

Judge Simon Collins KC said that it was clear from a victim impact statement that the impact of the sex crime on her was ‘considerable and ongoing’.

multiple events occurring simultaneously, which crowds the path and blocks the glen with over owing car parks.

e project is being run by the Nevis Landscape Partnership (NLP), which works with the John Muir Trust and Jahama Highland Estates, the primary landowners of Ben Nevis, along with NatureScot, local volunteering charities and

e registration system is based on the guidance for event organisers contained in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code (SOAC), and the more detailed Guidance on Outdoor Events in Scotland produced by the National Access Forum. By supporting the Nevis Fund, which focuses on conserving and improving the area, event organisers can act responsibly and care for the resource they are using.

Local mountain guide and NLP chairman, Mike Pescod, recently featured in the Lochaber Times

Consultation concerns as Roy Bridge primary faces permanent closure

A community group says Highland Council failed to engage with the public over the permanent closure of Roy Bridge Primary School and are preparing a letter to Scottish ministers in order to appeal the decision, writes Fiona Scott.

Last week Highland Council’s education committee agreed to recommend that the facility be permanently closed a er being mothballed in the spring of 2017.

Should the full council agree to the closure at their meeting later this month the proposal will be referred to the ministers who will have an eight-week period from the date of the council’s decision to decide if they will intervene by issuing a call-in notice.

Within the rst three weeks of that eight-week period, they will take account of any relevant representations made to them by any person on whether the decision should be called in or not called in for review by a School Closure Review Panel.

John Fotheringham, chairperson of Spean Bridge, Roy Bridge and Achnacarry Community Council told the Lochaber Times that the matter would be under discussion

at its October meeting this week.

‘We have been exploring our options and a letter to ShirleyAnne Somerville, cabinet secretary for education and skills has been prepared,’ he said.

‘We are requesting that ministers call in the decision on the grounds that Highland Council failed to adequately engage in community consultation in breach of the Schools Consultation (Scotland) Act 2010.

‘However, before proceeding it is right that we take the opinions of all about the correct way to proceed.’

Highland Council claims that the education committee’s

decision followed a public consultation carried out between November 24, 2021 and January 21, 2022 and that a public meeting was held online on January 12, 2022.

Education committee chairperson, Councillor John Finlayson said: ‘Having reviewed all the responses to the consultation exercise and understood the background, the committee considers that the closure proposal o ers positive educational bene ts and should be implemented.’

Further advice on this will be published on the council’s website immediately a er the meeting on ursday October 27.

Jonathan Hart, of Jahama Highland Estates, the owners of the lower slopes of Ben Nevis, added: ‘ is is an important project in enabling the land managers to better identify and manage issues and work with event organisers in promoting responsible and sustainable access onto Scotland’s most beloved mountain. It ensures those accessing and enjoying the mountain are involved in looking a er it responsibly.’

Gemma Mackie, of Across e Divide, the rst event organiser to use the new scheme said ‘ e registration process has been useful in organising our upcoming event.’

e judge pointed out that at the time of the o ence Watts was aged 34 and his victim was only 14. He told Watts that he was conscious that he was a rst o ender, but added: ‘Ultimately I am satis ed that given the nature and circumstances of the o ence there is no alternative to a custodial sentence.’

Watts, 37, formerly of South Lochaweside, Dalmally, had earlier denied sexually assaulting and raping the girl on January 22, 2020.

He was acquitted of the rape by a jury at the High Court in Paisley but convicted of carrying out a penetrative sexual attack on the girl when she was incapable of giving or withholding consent whilst she was intoxicated.

Defence solicitor advocate Derek Pettigrew said the o ence has already had an impact on Watts.

He said: ‘He has never been in trouble and is assessed as a low risk of reo ending.’

Watts was told that he will be on the sex o enders’ register for 10 years following his sentencing.

Roy Bridge Primary School in 2017. Photograph: Abrightside Photography.

‘The registration process has been useful in organising our event.’

Sunday October 9 - Torlundy

Carn Dearg (N) (1,221m, Munro Top) - red hill

Ben Nevis (1,344m, Munro)cloudy hill

Carn Mor Dearg (1,220m, Munro) - big red hill

Carn Dearg Meadhonach (1,179m, Munro Top)middle red hill

Grade 1 scramble on Ben Nevis’ North Face – a classic route. A great way to get to the summit of Ben Nevis, avoiding the inevitably busy tourist route. e Ledge Route is the north face of Ben Nevis for non-climbers. is route via Carn Dearg is still a chal lenging route that has some sections of Grade 1 scrambles.

Options for a shorter day, omitting the Munros and other tops: 18km, 1526m ascent 16km, 1,167m ascent – shorter route. For more details of the route visit www. nevishillwalking.club or the Nevis Hillwalking Club Facebook page. Walks may change at short notice as a result of conditions on the day and Covid restrictions.

Nursery funding row: opposition groups want full council recalled

Highland Council could be re called for a special meeting to discuss the funding it provides to nurseries.

Conservative councillor Helen Crawford, Aird and Loch Ness, has led a notice of requisition seeking a meeting of the full council, saying Highland nurseries ‘deserve a full hearing’ of the facts.

By the end of last week, Councillor Crawford had more than the required 18 signatures needed to succeed, with possi ble further signatures to still to come in. e council then had 14 days to hold a special meeting.

Councillor Crawford’s motion follows a recent heated debate at a meeting of the full local authority when a number of councillors revealed they had received letters from nurseries across the Highlands warning they may have to close if they do not get more funding. e issue is the rates

paid by the council for inde pendent early learning and childcare providers (ELCs).

Last month, the council agreed to e ectively freeze the hourly rate at £5.43 and continue with a review.

However, nurseries reacted with anger, including two from Fort William. Kenny Forsyth, chief executive o cer at Stramash, which operates out door nurseries at Fort William and Inverness, said the coun cil's decision was endangering the funded statutory education of 33 per cent of pre-school children, along with vital

childcare services for working families of all non-statutory children under three years old.

Mr Forsyth also said the move would endanger the existence of the many small businesses and third sector organisations that provide employment.

Mairi Page, nursery manager at Little Learners Nursery and Day Care Centre in Fort William, was equally worried.

She told the Lochaber Times the vote by councillors showed a ‘blatant disregard’ for the cost of living crisis and was one that undermined

the Scottish Government’s agship policy to deliver free nursery child care for all three and four-year-olds.

Councillor Crawford had shared concerns from ELCs in the chamber, highlighting an Ipsos Mori report for the Scottish Government which suggested ELCs need £7.25 to pay its workers the Real Living Wage.

ELCs wrote to councillors asking them to review the rate, but council bosses said they could not a ord any upli .

Now Councillor Crawford’s notice to the council demands to see four years of accounts detailing early learning funding. is should include Scottish Government grants to the council, internal spending

and funding paid to ELCs. Councillor Crawford said councillors must act to protect Highland’s early learning and childcare sector.

Her requisition notice also requests members to debate and agree a new funding rate. While the council provided a 12p upli on the hourly rate in 2021, ELCs say this was always intended as an ‘interim’ rate. Now the council says it faces a £41 million budget gap and cannot a ord to pay more.

Councillor Crawford con tends the issue needs to be aired in public. ‘If we have to make tough decisions we have to do it, but let’s ensure we have all of the information to hand,’ she said.

Council leader Raymond Bremner said: ‘I’m aware a valid request has been received requisitioning a meeting of the full Highland Council. at meeting will be held within the required timescale.’

No cold shoulder from councillors for crumbling Corpach ice house

A crumbling 19th century listed ice house at Corpach has probably been protected by the decades’ worth of vegetation that has grown over it, com munity councillors have heard.

Concerns about the condi tion of the single-chambered vaulted structure, built into the side of a slope close to the local harbour, were agged up at the recent meeting of Kilmallie Community Council.

Community council chair man John Hutchison said the ice house had cropped up during recent discussions with neighbouring Ardgour Community Council.

Mr Hutchison said, on rais ing the matter with planning o cials at Highland Council, he was told there were no current complaints about any activities impacting on the C-listed ice house.

e ice house is of a random rubble construction with a turfed roof and a low centre door with a roughly tooled lintel and curved roo ine.

Commercial ice houses of this type are uncommon on the west coast of the Highlands, though are found frequently in the salmon shing areas of the east coast.

Community council sec

retary Russell Leaper said concerns about the building’s condition had been on-going for more than 15 years, while the last decade had seen at least one incident that resulted in damage to the building as a result of digging works.

‘ at was slightly recti ed by covering it over again with soil and the last time I saw it, which was probably a couple of years ago, it was pretty overgrown - but that might actually be giving it a level of protection,’ he added.

‘ ere is also a public right of way to the ice house which is always di cult to negoti ate, due to things including stacked timber or lots of lorry movements. I don’t know if anyone has been in during the last couple of years to see what state it is in, so we should probably take a look.’

Councillors agreed the level of access should be checked and if there are concerns, these should be raised with the planning authority as well as the condition of the building.

Stramash Outdoor Nursery at Fort William. Photograph: Iain Ferguson, alba.photos

The overgrown 19th century ice house at Corpach. Photograph: Martin Briscoe.

Coire Glas liaison group is ‘farce’ say local residents

by Mark Entwistle mentwistle@lochabertimes.co.uk

e Community Liaison Group (CLG) set up to engage with local residents over progress on SSE Renewables’ massive pumped hydro scheme earmarked for the shores of Loch Lochy has been dismissed as a ‘farce’.

at was the damning view of the Kil nnan Road Resident and Business Group (KRRB) following the latest meeting of the CLG.

e group’s comments came a er a local councillor at the meeting accused SSE Renewables of creating a ‘sea of confusion’.

Greens councillor Andrew Baldrey has also described last week’s meeting as ‘very unsatisfactory’, and told the Lochaber Times he was worried local residents were about to be ‘bulldozed’ into accepting 24-hour working practices.

William Schroeder and Brian Heys, commenting on behalf of the KRRB, said they were not surprised by Councillor Baldrey’s comments.

‘ e whole CLG process is a farce. We’ve been trying to participate in it since the beginning, but it’s always been merely a PR tool for SSE Renewables,’ the pair told us.

‘Instead, the public has to rely on sleuthing around Highland Council’s planning

portal to learn about anything that will a ect them and to prevent changes being made to promises from the council to the public. ere’s also nearly always a signi cant delay in the council uploading this information.

‘We must be able to get answers about and develop solutions to the massive problems generated for the public by the Coire Glas project, which we would reiterate our support for in principle.

‘ e nub of all this is that we end up having to wrangle with both SSE Renewables and the council about when and how to apply very clear planning conditions, which were put in place by the democratically elected council members on the south planning committee.

‘ ere’s something not quite right about processes that purport to serve the public but end up leaving it out at just about every step.’

e two men said their group was not concerned with 24-

hour/seven days a week underground working arrangements which would be a mile away from the nearest property, and which were always on the table, but with any changes to daytime above-ground working hours connected to these operations.

ey added: ‘ e council and the Scottish Government already decided through the drawn-out democratic process of considering the planning application for Coire Glas that above-ground hours should have baseline restrictions of 9am-5pm.

‘ ese conditions provide for exceptions to be made to certain restrictions, but it certainly wouldn’t be exceptional to grant blanket changes to working hours for a whole phase of a project. Unfortunately that’s what seems to be on the table now.’

Last Wednesday’s CLG meeting included a discussion about exploratory works at the Coire Glas lower site, which

Alarm over Gaelic teacher crisis

Continued from page 1. due to lack of teachers, with rural and island schools hardest hit.

‘In addition it is projected that over the next ve years there simply will not be enough quali ed teachers to meet the growing numbers and popularity of GME, and that immediate Scottish Government led action is needed.’

Among the recommendations are nancial incentives to encourage recruitment; more exible and localised Initial Teacher Education opportunities; a review of the process for allocating probationary teachers, and they also seriously question the role and added value of Bòrd na Gàidhlig in teacher education.

And Dr Foxley warned:

‘GME is a great success and results in highly-paid jobs in rural and island communities.

However, young probationers tend to want to teach in the larger towns and cities, so this is especially concerning for the rural and island Gaelic units in Lochaber and Skye.

‘Within Highland Council there are 15 vacancies, some repeatedly advertised, and

Dr Michael Foxley, pictured, says many of the di culties facing Gaelic medium education are the consequence of its success.

Photograph: Iain Ferguson, alba.photos

there are only four students in Highland doing PGDE [Professional Graduate Diploma in Education ] in Gaelic - although 135 in English - and only two probationers this year going to primary schools.

‘ is needs to be addressed urgently. Otherwise there will be a crisis of con dence in GME, which would sti e demand and, at worst, could see classes having to revert to English medium. Which is why urgent action needs to be taken now.’

are expected to begin later this month and involve tunnelling into the hill to take samples and assess materials.

A spokesperson for SSE Renewables told us: ‘ ere is no suggestion that 24-hour working will take place other than in relation to the tunnelling process. No 24-hour working will take place within 500 metres of properties at the Coire Glas lower site.

‘ e project consent includes speci c limits on above-ground working hours but these conditions do not apply to underground working, which is a key element of the Coire Glas project.

‘It has always been anticipated that underground operations would need to continue 24 hours a day and this was the basis of the application that was approved by the Scottish Government.’

Morvern lmmaker Sam wins BFI award

Morvern lmmaker Sam Firth has scooped a prestigious award at the BFI and Chanel Filmmaker Awards, writes Nic Goddard.

e inaugural awards, with the judging panel chaired by Oscar-winning actor, BFI fellow and global Chanel ambassador Tilda Swinton, were hosted at a gala in London on ursday September 29, where four winners were presented with a prize of £20,000 each.

Sam Firth, pictured, who lives on a woodland cro near Lochaline, won the award for her documentary lm e Wolf Suit, and was presented with the award in front of a host of industry stars including Dame Joan Collins, Stephen Fry, Rebel Wilson, Hayley Atwell, Tom Bateman, Daisy Ridley, Gurinder Chadha and Malachi Kirby.

e awards were created to celebrate and champion under-represented voices and the short list of lmmakers were

selected by industry experts from across the UK.

e judges said of Sam’s work: ‘Sam is a brave artist who created and shared an exposing and wonderful lm.

‘ is is not a lmmaker who ts neatly into a box or can be easily de ned, making her a clear choice for this award.’

Sam told the Lochaber Times: ‘I am absolutely delighted to have won the BFI Chanel Filmmaker Award. An award like this means I am able to continue making work without rst proving that it is commercially viable. is allows me to concentrate on being creative, to continue to push boundaries in my work and do something di erent.’

Of the ceremony in London Ms Firth said: ‘It was wonderful to meet Tilda Swinton and to hear what the jury thought about my lms, and I feel very encouraged to keep doing what I am doing.’

Replacing teeth, Changing lives

The lower part of the Coire Glas site. Photograph: SSE Renewables.

Photograph: Tim Whitby.

Inverlochy primary’s young musicians lead the way with school band classes

by Iain Ferguson editor@lochabertimes.co.uk

Inverlochy Primary School has been a leading innovator in developing band classes as a way of encouraging pupils to start classic wind band instruments, such as utes and trumpets, together with their classmates, as part of the school curricular.

High Life Highland music instructors Karen omson and Mark Reynolds were inspired to start the project a er visiting the world famous Mid-West Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago.

is scholarship trip was awarded as a prize for the excellent results that the Lochaber High School Senior Wind Band had achieved in winning three Gold Plus Awards in succession at the National Concert Band Festival in Perth. ey saw the

opportunity to teach music in the American Band Class style in which the whole year group

learns a band instrument and how to read music at the same time.

In August 2018 the rst rehearsal took place with the then Primary 5 class - now in S2 at Lochaber High - having the option to play either ute, clarinet, trumpet or trombone. Rehearsals took place every week and have been deemed such a success that the school now has three bands, from Primary 5 to Primary 7 all

learning and playing on a weekly basis.

e project is fully supported by acting head teacher at Inverlochy, Tanya Ross, as well as all the teaching and support sta ; this is an essential element in the success of the classes.

e project has been adopted in Kinlochleven Primary and in Mallaig High School, which is a unique occurrence in Scotland, with no other secondary school providing band instruments as a way to support the delivery of the music curriculum in this manner.

VIEW FROM THE CHAMBER

We talk about collaboration, growth and relationships in many of our columns, not least because we’re the go-to business networking organisation for Lochaber but we also have international reach through Trade Mission opportunities.

Our next Trade Mission will be an in-person outbound mission to Nova Scotia, Canada.

Between October 23-27 we will be hosting six Scottish companies to explore expansion opportunities into the Canadian market.

Jointly led by Lochaber Chamber of Commerce and the Scottish North American Business Council, the multi-sector trade mission seeks to identify opportunities for business partnerships and to foster sustainable, long-term connections between Scotland and Nova Scotia.

We’re delivering this mission

as part of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce International Trade Programme on behalf of the Scottish Government, and we are delighted to help businesses from sectors including technology, aquaculture, manufacturing, food and drink to take the rst steps to internationalising through this programme.

Our host city Halifax is the capital of Nova Scotia and is the gateway to Atlantic Canada, built on fantastic trade links with the UK through its bustling port. e city has had four consecutive years of record population growth in both absolute and percentage terms, with almost

One of the main goals of having the band classes in primary schools means the young musicians can transition into the high school and instrumental lessons having had three years of music making in a large ensemble setting.

is model has helped many youngsters in switching from primary school life to the ‘Big School’, with many of the youngsters continuing with their lessons and becoming part of the Lochaber High School Junior Band.

e band brings together musicians from schools all over Lochaber to play in a large wind band every Monday a er school, with members progressing into the ‘Big Band’ and ‘Senior Band’, and having the option to then join one of the regional music groups, such as the Highland Youth Wind Band. Should they want to they can also progress into national and international organisations, but it all starts in the primary schools.

Inverlochy acting head teacher Tanya Ross said: ‘ is is a great project and the children are so enthusiastic about it. It is also so nice to walk through the school and hear the sound of the band and really encourages other pupils to take an interest in playing music.’

10,000 newcomers added to its population between 2018-19.

One of the many exciting aspects of this mission is seeing in-person the opportunities that exist for innovative Scottish companies in Maritime Canada and to build upon the success of our previous virtual trade missions. We are looking forward to sharing our DMO expertise as the Outdoor Capital of the UK so that Nova Scotia can gain an insight into how it can make the most of its resources for mutual bene t.

Delegates attending this Trade Mission include Krucial, House of Elrick Gin, Clootie McToot Dumplings, e Gael Spirits Co Ltd, SEM Energy Ltd and Saturn FE Ltd.

You can discuss international opportunities with our team by emailing membership@ lochaberchamber.co.uk.

Youngsters practise together as a band; concentration etched on the face of this young autist; trombone players in the Inverlochy Class Band. Photographs: Iain Ferguson, alba.photo.

Countdown to Mallaig for local Gaelic teacher

by Iain Ferguson editor@lochabertimes.co.uk

‘Halo, agus Failte gu Cunnt Sios, Toisichidh sinne!’ - not the usual opening line to a popular quiz show, watched by millions on Channel 4, but Mallaig Gaelic medium teacher, Dawn MacPhie, just could not turn down the o er to open the show with Gaeldom’s equivalent of ‘Hello and welcome to Countdown.

Let’s begin’.

Dawn travelled to Manchester during the school summer holidays to record the show, but was sworn to secrecy about the outcome until a er it was broadcast at the end of September. A long-term fan of the show, answering all the questions from her couch, she was delighted to be accepted to nd out how she would do, live in the studio under the watchful eye of host Colin Murray.

On the day itself she found herself pitched against fellow Scot, Alan Young from Paisley, the reigning champion, now taking his seat with four wins in a row.

For those not in the know, each of the daily half-hour programmes are recorded in a block on the same day, competitors and presenters taking a change of clothes for each

di erent edition.

In the rst task of composing as big as word as possible from nine randomly chosen letters, Dawn and her opponent scored the maximum points, much to the surprise of the host who said they must have made history by both using all the letters in the rst round.

Dawn took the most points for the second word, followed by another good score for the number challenge in which a series of numerals have to be added, subtracted, multiplied or divided to get as close as possible to the randomly chosen total.

Dawn kept ahead of her competitor for much of the show, but lost ground when one of her words was not allowed. She submitted the word

‘crawlies’, from her letters, as in creepy-crawlies, but on reference to the Oxford English Dictionary, it could not be found as a stand-alone word, so was discounted. She ended with a score of 82 against 117.

Dawn said: ‘Unfortunately I didn’t win and even Colin said that my score would normally have been a winner, but I was unlucky to be up against one of the strongest competitors they have ever had, winning his h show in a row.

‘When I was leaving and asked for a picture to show the children at school, Rachel Riley asked how to spell the place I was from, looked out the letters and put them up on the board for me. at was a really nice gesture’.

ere was also some brief

Invergarry campsite plans approved

Plans to build a campsite north of Newtown, Invergarry, have been approved by councillors this week, writes Mark Entwistle.

Archie Maclellan had applied for planning permission to create a campsite, shop and cafe in an area north of Invergarry.

e applicant intends providing services for 46 mobile campers, caravans, tents and pods alongside modern tourist facilities.

e plans also include a car park capable of holding 67 vehicles, with the whole site accessed from an existing track o the A82.

However, the application had attracted ve local objections due to the loss of local woodlands.

e council’s forestry o cer had also formally objected to the plan, while planners had recommended it for approval.

At the heart of the matter

is the site itself. e former woodland was cleared to make way for the Beauly-Denny overhead electricity transmission line.

e council’s planning permission required the site to be replanted, but several years later this has still not taken place. As a result, the council considers the former green eld site to now be brown eld – and ripe for development.

Opponents had argued the opposite, wanting to see the local biodiversity protected and the woodlands reinstated.

e forestry o cer had stated that the Invergarry campsite would result in a ‘loss of signi cant woodland’ with ‘scant replanting’. e o cer feared the forest will be lost for good if the council granted permission.

Council planners, on the other hand, said restoring the forest is ‘unreasonable and

unnecessary’. ey argued that a campsite will provide ‘high quality tourist development in a special setting’.

ey also believed the trees and wildlife within the campsite could bene t from the development. Meanwhile, the surrounding woodland is not subject to any tree preservation orders and nor is it considered ancient or long-established.

Weighing up the evidence, planners decided to support the application and at this week’s meeting of Highland Council’s south planning committee, the application was approved with no dissent from councillors. Councillor Angus MacDonald (Caol and Mallaig ward) backed the application, telling committee members: ‘ ere is a desperate need for places like this – for campervans in particular, as the place is full of them. I think this seems to be an excellent site.’

time away from lessons for pupils at Mallaig Primary as they watched the programme with their teacher in class to show what she had been up to, with Dawn challenging some of the older ones to play along and see if they could beat her score - which they had fun doing, but did not manage to better.

Police make another appeal to trace man missing on Skye

Police Scotland is again appealing for information to help trace Harry Macdonald, aged 59, who went missing from Skye on Sunday September 18, writes Fiona Scott.

A sighting of Harry was reported in the Peinmore area near Portree at around 4.30pm on Monday September 19 but no one has seen him since.

Volunteers from Skye Mountain Rescue along with police, HM Coastguard and the Search and Rescue Dog Association completed four days of searching Portree and the surrounding area on Sunday October 2.

Harry is described as white, 6 2ins in height, with white/grey receding hair and dark, bushy eyebrows.

He was last seen wearing a navy blue hoodie, blue jeans, black walking boots and a red sports watch.

Residents in the Portree area are being asked to check their sheds and outbuildings for any signs that Harry may have taken shelter there.

Anyone with information should contact Police Scotland on 101 quoting incident number 2186 of Monday September 26, 2022.

Dawn with presenters Colin Murray and Rachel Riley, with their featured word ‘Mallaig’.

Missing: Harry Macdonald

Red roofs competition brings out

photographers

by Mark Entwistle mentwistle@lochabertimes.co.uk

It has taken six months, with judges whittling down 360 photographs from 162 entrants, but now the winners of the Highland Cinema Red Roofs of Scotland photography competition have been announced.

e judges, who made their selections ‘blind’ – that is unaware of who submitted each image – included Lochaber Times’ own resident photographer Iain Ferguson.

e judges had a hugely di cult task, but in the end chose Peter Rose’s entry, Loch a Bhàigh, Berneray, as the overall winner, with a prize of £500, sponsored by e Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh.

His stunning, vibrant photograph depicts a garden shed with a red roof sitting amongst restored cro build-

ings in Berneray in the Outer Hebrides.

e vivid red roof stands out in its tiny hamlet, looking out across the tidal Loch a Bhàigh towards the island’s harbour

and beyond to North Uist. Second prize went to Peter’s talented daughter, Francesca Rose, also from Lochaber, for her captivating and atmospheric forest photograph, Multilevel

Roof. is was taken on the Brackletter Road between Spean Bridge and Fort William while Francesca was looking for a di erent roof entirely, so this happy nd wins her

£300, sponsored by Highland Cinema.

ird prize goes to Innes Newton for his panorama, A Charming View, capturing a famous red roof in Wester Ross in beautiful conditions. e warm light, mountains, cottage and wonderful view together encapsulate a perfect enchanting traditional Highland landscape. e third prize of £200 is sponsored by Resipole Studios and Fine Art Gallery, Acharacle.

In addition to the three winners, 17 runners-up were also chosen, each of whom wins £100, sponsored by Angus MacDonald, the owner of the iconically red-roofed Highland Cinema in Fort William and

the creative force behind the idea for the competition.

All 20 winners and runners-up photographs will be printed and displayed in the Highland Cinema for the public to view and enjoy.

ey can also be seen on the Highland Cinema website now at www.highlandcinema. co.uk/redroofcompetition.

A delighted Mr MacDonald told us: ‘My vision for this competition was to encourage people to go out, nd and capture Scotland’s many wonderful red-roofed buildings in a wide variety of settings, which they certainly did!

‘ e judges had a hard time choosing their favourites, and an even tougher time picking the runners-up from a huge selection of fantastic entries.

‘We loved going through everyone’s photos and seeing how beautiful our country is.’

The overall winning entry captured by Peter Rose on Berneray in the Outer Hebrides.

Trio of Fort restaurants have recipe for success

ree Fort William eateries have been recognised at a glittering occasion in Glasgow.

Loch Iall Brewers Fayre was named Family Restaurant of the Year, e Wildcat was chosen as Vegan Restaurant of the Year and e Stables Restaurant and Grill was named Restaurant of the Year North at e Food Awards Scotland.

e awards recognise ‘outstanding hard work and dedication’.

For e Wildcat it was just the latest in several recent accolades, with September also seeing the popular establishment in the town’s High Street named by e Times newspaper as one of the ve best vegetarian restaurants in Scotland.

e Wildcat told the Lochaber Times: ‘We are delighted e Wildcat has been awarded Vegan Restaurant of the Year at e Food Awards Scotland 2022. It’s been a very busy year and the team have all worked so hard. We’re very excited to see all the hard work pay o !’

High praise for Plantation residents ahead of big day out

by Fiona Scott fscott@lochabertimes.co.uk

Residents of a Fort William estate are being invited to come together this weekend to celebrate the good work being done to build a community to be proud of.

Reformed in November 2021 with the support of Highland Council and Lochaber Housing Association o cers, Plantation Community Association (PCA) is holding its rst fun day on Saturday October 8 to which residents and visitors will be made more than welcome.

Since being elected last December, Fort William and Ardnamurchan councillor Sarah Fanet has been following the work of the association very closely and is mightily impressed with all she has witnessed.

‘As a councillor it has been remarkable to see residents come together and bring ideas to the table at regular meetings at the local community hub,’ she told us.

Activities already undertaken at the Plantation include community events, lunch clubs for elderly, residents

upgrading the notice boards, a gardening club, a Christmas club, a community shop and a youth club.

Ms Fanet continued: ‘I was very impressed by the hard work taking place when I joined the residents at a well-attended big spring clean last April. People from right

across the age groups got together with gloves, litter pickers and bin bags to clean the estate.

‘ is is a community that has decided to empower itself and it is no coincidence that when Highlands and Islands MSP Emma Roddick visited Fort William last August, the rst visit I organised for her was a morning at the community hub to have tea with the residents during the weekly co ee morning.

‘It was a great opportunity to have a blether with members of the community, some of them even introducing us to their lovely dogs.’

Saturday’s fun day will take place at the MUGA area between 12.30pm and 3.30pm.

Activities include a bouncy castle, face painting, a rodeo bull, tea, co ee and cake and much more.

Residents are being encouraged to bring along another resident, possibly someone new to the area.

e unveiling of a plaque in memory of former PCA chairperson Helen MacKenzie will take place at 1.30pm at the play park.

Ms Fanet added: ‘I am very excited to see these people take pride in their community through collaborative work.

‘My highlight at the last community meeting was to hear two of them discuss how they could arrange an artistic sign that would say to visitors “Welcome to the Plantation”. Welcome is certainly the way I have felt since my rst visit as a councillor and I look forward to seeing the good work continue with the newly formed committee whose rst task will be to dra a community action plan.’

Emma Roddick MSP and Councillor Sarah Fanet at the community hub meeting two well respected Plantation residents Kairo and Roan.

DOWN IN THE HIGHLANDS THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF HIGHLAND LIFE

communities must be closely monitored to know the full extent of the e ects.

Fort William is an incredible place to live as it o ers a variety of activities, but they o en depend on good weather, something Fort William does not always provide.

On average, it rains for more than half the year - 181 days to be exact.

As this rainfall occurs predominantly during the winter, it can leave people struggling for things to do and makes getting outside more of a task, especially as public transport links are decreasing, as seen with cuts to the Fort William to Glasgow bus service.

is can leave people in Fort William feeling isolated as winter begins to creep in. With winter’s darker nights and rain, many may experience seasonal a ective disorder (SAD), increased feelings of loneliness, depression and anxiety.

It has been acknowledged depression rates, loneliness and issues including substance abuse are more prevalent among small, isolated rural

communities. A Scottish rural mental health survey revealed in 2019 that 80 per cent of respondents feel transport is the primary barrier to receiving the mental help and support they need.

A Marginalised Rural Communities Report in 2021, developed by Support in Mind Scotland, also outlined the impediment of poor infrastructure in connecting rural communities and acknowledged how post-Covid, rural

Ellen Nicolson, senior project worker from Support in Mind Scotland’s Cothrom Centre in Fort William, pointed out a further barrier: ‘ e lack of anonymity in communities can be a barrier to seeking help early and di culty in accessing services is an increasing problem in rural and remote areas. People experiencing poor mental health do not feel they can be open about their mental health problems within their community and while openness has increased greatly over the past few years, stigma persists.’

But there are multiple organisations based in Fort William available to help. ese include, but are not limited to, Support in Mind Scotland, Ewen’s Room and Lochaber MindFit.

Ms Nicolson added: ‘Support in Mind Scotland believe it is everyone’s business to tackle mental health and break down barriers and stigma. We believe no-one has to face mental ill health alone and believe in connection and innovative approaches, such as building re-

silience in rural communities.

‘Early intervention and having the tools to prevent poor mental health in rural communities is vital and this is where our support and resources come in handy, including free mental health support all year round, a national information line to signpost people to relevant local support and building links with communities to ensure the dots are connected.'

Trish McQueen, team manager at Ewen’s Room, said: ‘We are a passionate team of skilled professionals who endeavour to improve the lives of everyone in our area. We have training, support, development opportunities and interventions to suit people of all ages and we encourage you to get in touch with us to see what we can o er you.’

Ewen’s Room o ers free counselling to anyone aged

under 25 and workshops, training packages and drop-in sessions to suit everyone.

Suicide Prevention Day on September 10 marked Support in Mind Scotland’s rst year of its suicide bereavement service which, over the past 12 months, has helped more than 100 people.

Lara Van de Peer, project manager for the suicide bereavement service at Support in Mind Scotland, said: ‘We o er the type of support that is not available from anywhere else and at the time that’s right for those seeking it.

‘Uniquely, we are able to support people immediately a er a suicide to help navigate the hugely complex emotions encountered. We know that every

Where to get help

person coming into the service has a di erent story and we are constantly listening to feedback, gaining knowledge and understanding to develop new resources. Building trust, listening more than talking and providing the right words at the right time is crucial in our aim to help people during this hardest of times.’

But as general awareness and understanding grows around this topic, more help is becoming available for those who need it. So as another summer draws to a close, bear in mind the support available to you or those who may need it as the right help can make a huge di erence. And be kind to yourself this winter, however dreich it may be.

The suicide bereavement service at Support in Mind Scotland: suicidebereavementsupport@nhs.scot or call 0800 471 4768.

Ewen’s Room: info@ewensroom.com or call 01967 401130, or text 07537 431637

Support in Mind Scotland, Cothrom Centre, Fort William: ENicolson@supportinmindscotland.org.uk or call 01397 700574 or mobile 07739216457.

Winter can

an

Lochaber.

‘Early intervention and having the tools to prevent poor mental

in

is

Fish farm battle continues

Fish farming giant Mowi is appealing Highland Council’s refusal to grant planning permission for an extension to its salmon farm in Loch Hourn.

Mowi Scotland wants to install an additional sh pen and increase the farm’s production capacity by 10 per cent at its Creag an T’Sagairt sh farm on Loch Hourn.

But its plans attracted 159 public objections and various concerns from national environment agencies. e application prompted a lengthy debate in the Highland Council chamber in June.

Highland Council planners felt the di culties could be overcome by imposing a range of safeguards at the sh farm, but members of the north planning committee disagreed.

Several councillors expressed concern about the potential environmental impact on a protected area. Councillor Richard Gale led the charge, concerned the changes would harm marine life.

Mr Gale tabled a motion to refuse the application, stating the proposed environment

management plan was not satisfactory. Mr Gale’s motion won and the application was refused.

e Friends of Loch Hourn (FoLH) group said its campaign to block expansion was ‘a rallying call to other coastal communities, marking a crucial rst in the battle to protect wild sh populations’.

Peter Fletcher, whose family has lived for many generations in Arnisdale, said: ‘Within living memory Loch Hourn was teeming with salmon and

sea trout. Now wild populations have dwindled so far that they are under threat. It is an ecological catastrophe.

‘While this decision is just vindication of the incredible

e orts of our tiny, rural community against the might of a huge corporation, the ght to restore the loch’s habitats and species is only just beginning.’

In September, Mowi announced it was lodging an appeal. ‘A er careful consideration, we have concluded there are strong evidence-based grounds to contest the reasons for refusal,’ said Stephen MacIntyre, head of environment at Mowi Scotland. ‘In this appeal, we present clear evidence and

information showing why we believe the decision to refuse planning permission was not consistent with development plan policy nor a proper assessment of the application and Environmental Impact Assessment Report.’

A spokesperson continued: ‘ e Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s assessment of the risk to protected species and seabed habitats posed by the application concludes it would not pose any signi cant risk and have issued a varied Controlled Activities Regulations Licence. e initial planning permission was recommended for approval by Highland Council planners and received no objections from statutory agencies.

‘ e salmon farm at Loch Hourn has recently been upgraded with fewer, larger pens and currently hosts seven 160 metre (circumference) circular pens. e farm is currently stocked with juvenile salmon in line with the planning authority’s limitation of 2,500 tonnes of production.’

Mr MacIntyre added: ‘We

acknowledge the planning application resulted in a mix of positive and negative feedback from residents about the farm that has been operating near Arnisdale for the past 30 years.

‘Notwithstanding, we expect development decisions that affect the livelihoods of many local families be evidence-based when considering social, economic and environmental sustainability.’

On its website, FoLH state: ‘ e incremental expansion of the farm over the last 22 years has resulted in a large capital intensive industrial factory farm associated with noise, tra c, stinking waste removal and plastic pollution that has fundamentally changed the atmosphere of this quiet, traditional west Highland village for the worse.

‘ e marine ecology is impacted by the increased nutrients from salmon faeces and pesticides used to reduce sea lice infestations.

‘Habitats have changed visibly, especially during the last 15 years when the farm expanded.’

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TENANTS &

The village of Arnisdale, on the banks of Loch Hourn.

Photograph: Peter Jolly.

‘Wild populations have dwindled so far that they are under threat. It is an ecological catastrophe.’

Lewis woman tells of amazing recovery after liver transplant

by Mark Entwistle mentwistle@lochabertimes.co.uk

A er waiting 15 years for a transplant, Lewis-born Margaret Meiklejohn nally received a telephone call that changed her life forever; that a liver transplant match was waiting for her.

Margaret, now 62, who is retired and lives with her family just outside Inverness, explained how doctors had originally discovered a grapefruit sized lump in her stomach, later diagnosing autosomal dominant polycystic liver disease (ADPLD).

‘In summer 2007 they did a scan which showed numerous cysts on my liver. Initially I had a laparoscopic deroo ng procedure carried out at Raigmore, but six months later it was apparent it hadn’t worked,’ she said.

However, Margaret discovered the USA was trialling a drug called ocreotide, which was believed could slow down cyst growth.

Armed with this information, Margaret visited her GP who arranged a referral with a consultant at the Scottish Liver Transplant Unit (SLTU) based at the Royal In rmary

of Edinburgh. ‘ e consultant was con dent I would need a transplant at some point in the future but, because ADPLD is unlikely to cause liver failure, a transplant wouldn’t be considered until the condition started to a ect my quality of life, which he estimated would be in about 10 years. However, he agreed to me receiving the trial drug, which initially

helped with slowing down the cyst growth.

‘At the time, my daughter Kirsteen was only in primary school and I was relieved I wouldn’t need a transplant for many years. As well as worrying about my own health, I was worried about my husband Doug, and daughter, and potentially what would happen to them if I did not survive the

transplant operation. I also found it di cult to get my head around the idea of relying on someone else’s organs to keep me alive.’

When Margaret originally attended Raigmore Hospital to have her deroo ng procedure, she was slim and a keen hill walker and gardener. However, six months later when she was informed the procedure had been unsuccessful, her tness levels deteriorated and she gained considerable weight due to liver growth and uid retention. In April 2018, Margaret fell ill, with tests showing that a cyst had burst. Due to the infection this caused, she was given an MRI and her results were sent to the consultant in Edinburgh.

is was when she was given the news that she required to be assessed for transplant. Four months later, she attended the SLTD for a week to review her eligibility and, although being severely malnourished due to her stomach being crushed by her now enormous liverweighing approximately three stone - Margaret went ‘live’ on the national transplant list on August 12 2018.

She recalled: ‘I had six months of being fed by a nasal

gastric tube plus daily supplements to get me t enough to survive the operation.

‘In addition, one year a er going on the waiting list, the weight of my liver caused my spine to fracture which le me housebound. Whilst I could manage to get around indoors by holding on to furniture, I had to use a wheelchair any time I le the house.

‘Life on the waiting list is very hard; you are virtually tied to your phone and your heart misses a beat each time the phone rings, although you are both longing for the call and dreading it at the same time. For me, at the back of my mind there was always the thought I might not survive the operation so I spent ages sorting through stu so my family wouldn’t have to do it when I was gone.

‘We weren’t able to go away on holiday unless it was less than a three-hour drive from

Edinburgh. is was di cult as I wasn’t able to go home to Lewis to visit my elderly mother and siblings in case I received the call and would have to travel to the Royal In rmary of Edinburgh at a moment’s notice.’

One evening in early September 2020, Margaret received a call from the transplant team that a liver was available and she was to make her way to Edinburgh as soon as possible.

Now more than a year since her transplant, Margaret’s recovery has been nothing short of amazing.

‘When I look at where I am now compared to just over a year ago, I have to pinch myself. e wheelchair is gone. I’m able to wash and dress myself. My appetite is back, I’m walking - but no hills yet - and I’m reclaiming my garden.

‘I can look a er myself, so much so that my husband has returned to his work full-time.

‘I intend to make the most of the gi I’ve been given by spending more time with my family and catch up on all these years that we as a family missed out on.

‘I feel incredibly bound to my donor’s family. I know nothing about them and yet they were brave enough, even whilst grieving, to honour her wishes and give me, and possibly many others, a second chance at life.’

She added: ‘I believe that if anyone should ever nd themselves in a position where they or their loved ones need a transplant, and they are willing to accept one, it is only right they be willing to donate.'

Kirsteen, Margaret and Doug Meiklejohn at Inverewe Gardens, Wester Ross, which was Margaret’s rst visit after her liver transplant.

‘When I look at where I am now compared to just over a year ago, I have to pinch myself.’

PLOCKTON

Community council

Plockton and District Community Council met in Plockton Hall on Monday September 12.

Among the items discussed were:

 De brillators: several machines need replaced. e community council agreed to give £200 to Achnandarach to help it complete the installation of its de brillator.

 Benches: KPL Kishorn o ered two benches to the village in January, but they have still not arrived.

 Parking and road management: Councillor Biz Campbell is to speak to Shane Manning at Highland Council on several outstanding issues.

 Skips - skips are to be acquired from Highland Council.

Date of next meeting - Monday November 14.

Other news: On Wednesday August 24, bingo in the Cozy Corner Cafe, Balmacara, raised £300 for the Lochalsh branch of Legion Scotland.

Plockton and District Horticultural and Arts and Cra s Society held a talk entitled Autumn Shrubs and Colour in Plockton Hall.

Every year in Plockton, Doug Yarrow organises a competition to see who can grow the biggest leek. ere were seven entries this year. Winner of the cup was Gary Phoenix with a 3lb 13oz leek. Mick Gray was second and Martin Bliss was third. Bob Kennedy presented the prizes.

Kinlochleven welcomes new primary one pupils

ing was high on the agenda and a presentation was delivered by members of the local Sta Wellbeing Group.

Ms Lamb said: ‘It’s really important for us to get out and get more of a feel for what’s happening on the ground. We have been really impressed by what we have seen and the innovation delivered in the Western Isles.

‘It’s invaluable to learn about some of the solutions being worked though in the Western Isles.’

Mr Burns added: ‘I’m taking away a lot in terms of the approach to delivering services di erently and taking services to people in the community.’

FORT WILLIAM History society talk

Lochaber Natural History Society will host its rst winter indoor meeting on Tuesday October 11 with a talk entitled Beavers and Bureaucracy: e story of the Argaty Beaver Project by Tom Bowser.

e venue is St Andrew’s Church Hall, Fort William, and the event starts at 7.30pm.

WESTERN ISLES

NHS Scotland

Western Isles Hospital sta have been thanked in person by NHS chiefs for their signi cant and steadfast commitment.

Chief executive of NHS Scotland and director-general health and social care Caroline Lamb and chief operating o cer John Burns thanked sta for their provision of high quality healthcare services to the local population, in particular, their dedicated work and support during the pandemic.

anks were also extended to all sta across NHS Western Isles.

During the visit to the Stornoway hospital, Ms Lamb and Mr Burns met with sta from a range of services. ey heard about the innovative HeartFlow service from Jane Macdonald, radiology manager, and Dr Dave Rigby, realistic medicine and therapeutics clinical lead. ey also attended a ‘handover huddle’ before meet-

The

ing with clinical support nurses. A presentation on Hospital at Home was also on the agenda, with discussion about the Colon Capsule being delivered within that service, and an update on eConsult.

e following day, the Scottish Government visitors heard a presentation from Allana Macphee on the First Contact Physiotherapy Service, before an informal meet and greet with support service sta .

How NHS Western Isles supports sta wellbe-

Gillian McCannon, NHS Western Isles chairperson; Caroline Lamb, chief executive of NHS Scotland and director-general health and social care; Gordon Jamieson, NHS Western Isles chief executive, and John Burns, NHS Scotland chief operating o cer.

Hospital at Home, Colon Capsule and eConsult presentations were given during the visit.

The end of summer has seen new primary one pupils taking up their seats in classrooms across Lochaber and the islands. This week's photograph shows the 2022 primary one intake at the Kinlochleven 3-18 Campus.

Gary Phoenix, left, won this year’s leek competition.

thank

Western Isles NHS team in contention for national award

NHS Western Isles Virtual Ward Team (Hospital at Home) has been announced as a contender for the Scottish Health Awards’ People’s Choice accolade.

e People’s Choice Award recognises individuals and teams who have responded magni cently to the challenge of caring for people over the pandemic, while maintaining essential services.

e Scottish Health Awards honour those working across NHS Scotland and its partners to deliver high quality health and social care services to the people of Scotland and for such a small local team to have been announced as a nalist is a massive accomplishment.

Voting is now under way for the People's Choice Award and NHS Western Isles is urging islanders to support their local Hospital at Home team (Virtual Ward Team category) by either voting online at scottishhealthawards.com or by calling 0141 309 1491. Entries received a er the closing date of Sunday October 16 at 11.59 will not be counted. e winners will be announced on ursday November 3.

A bit of a do for Lochaber class of ‘62

Learning and a delicious lunch with Care Lochaber

Around 40 Care Lochaber clients went back to college last week to learn how to make a salad dressing and to enjoy a delicious lunch prepared by cookery students at UHI West Highland, Fort William.

Taking their place at beautifully laid out tables, the ladies and gentlemen were given a demonstration by Charlene Aitchison, course leader - hospitality and professional cookery, on how to make a simple salad dressing using ingredients that can be easily found at home.

is was the dressing to be served with lunch that day.

Islanders warm up for community hubs network

Western Isles groups are being invited to be part of ‘warm community hubs’ to support communities throughout the winter.

With support from Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and third sector partners, community organisations and churches hope to open some of their buildings for longer than normal this winter with activities including soup lunches, cafés, conversation circles, cra activities and drop-in advice sessions. It is hoped this will support those struggling with the cost-of-living crisis and help combat social isolation.

Some interested groups met last week for the rst time.

SNP MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar Alasdair Allan is inviting other groups who would like to be a part of the network to get in touch.

‘Many households will be in a very di cult situation this winter. e energy price guarantee announced by the UK Government at the

beginning of September will unfortunately o er nowhere near the help people need,’ he said.

‘Energy bills will still be double what they were last year, or more, and households are already struggling. Warm Community Hubs will not solve the problem, but I hope these spaces will o er connection and support for people this winter. It is vital local representatives, voluntary organisations and third sector partners continue to work together to ensure we can o er people the best support possible. I have been pleased, though not surprised, by the positive response from churches and community organisations throughout the Western Isles, who want to do all they can to support their communities. If your group is not already involved but would like more information, please get in touch.'

Organisations wishing to get involved with the initiative are invited to contact Alasdair.allan. msp@parliament.scot.

e Scottish Government has today launched a new website where individuals and businesses can access relevant support during the cost-ofliving crisis: www.gov.scot/costo ivingsupport.

While the demonstration was taking place, students from the School Link and full time curriculum students were busy preparing and cooking the three-course lunch, before plating and serving their eager customers the menu of cream of vegetable soup with a selection of homemade bread; quiche lorraine roasted red pepper quiche served with baby potatoes and salad and spiced apple, plum and blackberry pavlova.

A spokesperson for the diners said: ‘What a fantastic day we had at the college. anks to everyone involved.’

On departure, each diner was presented with tablet, hand made by the School Link pupils.

Former pupils of Lochaber High School gathered at the Railway Social Club on Saturday September 24 to mark reaching the age of 60. Having last met up when they were 30, in the Pulp Mill Club, the pupils travelled from all parts of the UK to take part and stay for the weekend. The reunion included disco dancing, bu et and stories of the past. A ra e to raise money for local charities was also held. Photograph: Anthony MacMillan Photography.

Members of the NHS Western Isles Virtual Ward Team (Hospital at Home) who are in contention for the Scottish Health Awards People’s Choice accolade.

Plenty of chat over the food at the Care Lochaber Lunch in West Highland College.

Students prepared and served lunch. Photographs: Iain Ferguson, alba.photos.

LETTERS

Gaelic teacher crisis

It is wonderful that so many parents are choosing to send their children to Gaelic medium education (GME).

e downside to that popularity is that there are not enough teachers to meet the demand, with Highland Council already struggling to ll 17 jobs, two of which are in Acharacle and Mallaig Gaelic medium education units, with these jobs having been advertised four times. is picture is re ected across 19 Scottish local authorities.

e numbers of GME Initial Teacher Education students graduating from Scottish universities this year amounted to only four for secondary schools and 21 for primary schools, with no guarantees they will even become teachers.

ere is a real danger here that all the hard work over the years to support and strengthen the Gaelic language in Scotland, and in rural, island communities in particular, will be undermined and permanently damaged if something is not done now.

As Dr Michael Foxley said: ‘ is needs to be addressed urgently. Otherwise there will be a crisis of con dence in GME, which would sti e demand and, at worst, could see classes having to revert to English medium.’

The editor welcomes letters of approximately 300 words in length for publication on this page.

However we reserve the right to shorten, to amend or to refuse to print them. Names and postal addresses must be supplied, including on emails, to indicate good faith. A daytime phone number is also required for veri cation. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Please email: editor@obantimes.co.uk or write to: Letters page, The Oban Times, PO Box 1, Oban, Argyll, PA34 4HB.

The views expressed on our letters page are those of the contributors and do not necessarily re ect the views or policies of The Oban Times.

At the Oban Times we endeavour to ensure that all our reports are fair and accurate and comply with the Editors’ Code of Practice set by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). We realise, however, that mistakes happen from time to time. If we have published anything that is factually incorrect, please email: editor@obantimes.co.uk; telephone on 01631 568000; or email editor@obantimes.co.uk

We will attempt to resolve your issue in a timeous, reasonable and amicable manner. However, if you are unsatis ed with our response, you can contact IPSO by email: inquiries@ipso.co.uk. We will abide by the decision of IPSO.

Thank you

I would like to thank every single person who voted for me in this by-election and I would also like to thank the many volunteers who supported my campaign.

I wish to pay tribute to Councillor John McAlpine who served the area as a councillor over a number of years. He wanted the best for Argyll and Bute and we will remember him fondly for his commitment to the area.

I would also like to give my sincere condolences to the other candidates who were not elected in this by-election.

To the people of the Kintyre and the Islands ward, I give you this promise, that as your local councillor I will campaign relentlessly for better roads and a long-term solution to the A83, newer ferries with more sailings, make sure local views are heard and do all that I can to help alleviate the growing cost of living by lobbying for more support for our ward from central government and our council.

As I did in my previous time as councillor, I will respond to every call and email I receive and have regular constituency surgeries.

It is time for a younger voice to shake things up at Kilmory and bring some much-needed energy and enthusiasm to Argyll and Bute Council.

Alastair Redman, Kintyre and the Islands ward.

Sight-impaired hit hard

Blind and partially sighted people are being harder hit by the mounting cost of the living crisis because living with sight loss can hike everyday costs even further.

A RNIB survey found that even before prices began to rise one in ve people with sight loss said they had some or great di culty in making ends meet. ose of working age are twice as likely to be in low-income households.

With only one in four blind and partially sighted people of working age currently in employment, many are more dependent on bene ts or pensions. In April, however, the key bene ts they are entitled to increased by only 3.1 per cent, far short of in ation rates predicted to soar to 10 per cent or more this year.

Although everyone is now facing higher costs, many everyday expenditures are exacerbated by sight loss.

Some sight conditions require additional or constant lighting to allow su erers to get around safely indoors. People with sight loss also tend to rely heavily on assistive technology

YOUR PICTURES

This week reader Mark MacGregor sent in this photograph he took of a glorious sunset while looking onto Glencoe Boat Club. The photograph was taken a couple of weeks ago.

If you have a photograph you would like to share with us, please email a jpeg (1MB) to editor@ obantimes.co.uk

such as screen readers or video magni ers and electrical domestic appliances, like talking microwaves and kitchen scales, to maximise their independence. Without this, many will be more isolated and less likely to nd the best money‐saving deals or choose the cheapest options.

More generally, because many outside leisure activities remain inaccessible, they may spend more time at home, incurring greater heating and lighting costs. And as most cannot drive, they must o en use taxis as a necessity because they can’t see an approaching bus, know when to get o at a stop, or how to navigate from there to their destination.

RNIB, itself, is increasing the practical assistance it o ers to help deal with the nancial

pressures. Call our helpline on 0303 123 9999, or if you have an Alexa device just say ‘Alexa, call RNIB Helpline’. Alternatively, you can visit rnib.org.uk/advice or email helpline@rnib.org. uk.

Ian Brown, RNIB Scotland.

Time for a wellbeing check

Life can be challenging. With so much going on, it’s easy to get caught up in the everyday tasks and have little time to self-check our emotional wellbeing.

World Mental Health Day on October 10 reminds us to pause and think about our mental health, and what we can do to protect it.

Poor mental health can be prevented if we are supported to live well.

Beachd Ailein

ALLAN CAMPBELL ailean@obantimes.co.uk

’S cinnteach gum faca sibh, neo gun cuala sibh, gun robh mòd ann am Moscow! Cruinneachadh mòr a ghairm an Ceannsuidhe Putin a chomharrachadh gun robh caoban de thalamh na Ucràine a-nise gu bhith na phàirt mhaireannach den Ruis. Mar a bhiodh dùil chualas òraid ada bhuaithe, agus bha ceòl agus seinn ann an dèidh làimhe, ach aon rud nach robh ann b’ e sin eas-aonta le beachdan cheannsalach Phutin. Chan eil a’ mhòr-chuid de dhùthchannan an t-saoghail a’ toirt aithne dha na tha Putin air a dhèanamh le reifreann cealgach, le luchdtaice a tha dìleas dhan Ruis anns na sgìrean Ucràineach sin, gus amasan mèirle-fearainn a leigeil air adhart. Gu mòr ri linn na taice eadar-nàiseanta armachd a tha an Ucràin a’ faotainn, tha sruth a’ chogaidh a chaidh èigheach leis an Ruis an aghaidh na dùthcha sin a-nise air tòiseachadh ri dhol nan aghaidh is luchd-catha na Ruis air tarraing air ais ann an caochladh sgìrean. eagamh nach eil sin na annas leis gum bheil amharas nach robh cridhe mhòr-shluagh na Ruis riamh san t-sabaid a thug Putin gu bith, agus tha sin air a dhearbhadh le mar a tha r na dùthcha air gabhail ris a’ ghluasad dleastanas-airm ùr a churadh orra. a e duilich dha dùthaich sam bith a bhith a’ faicinn a cuid dhaoine òga ga trèigsinn, agus tha anais gum bheil mìltean a’ fàgail na Ruis an-dràsta seach a bhith air an togail dhan arm, suas ri deich mìle san latha a’ teicheadh gu ruige Georgia a-mhàin!

Ach de nì an saoghal ma dheidhinn Putin? Ged a bha meadhanan eadar-nàiseanta ag aithris bho chionn mhìosan gun robh e tinn agus ri uchd bàis, ’s beag a bha dhe choltas sin air a’ cur às a chorp mu pheacaidhean an t-saoghail an iar aig a’ chruinneachadh san do ghabh e còir gu mì-laghail air naochad cilemeatair ceàrnagach den Ucràin.

Eadar a bhith a lùghdachadh stòras gas dhan iar agus a’ cur ri cosgais bith-beò agus atmhorachd na h-eaconamaidh, agus an Ruis mar bhall a’ bacadh rùintean Chomhairle eàrainteachd nan Dùthchannan Aonaichte a chuireadh smachd air na tha Putin a’ dèanamh, tha e a-nise a’ maoidheadh an dùthaich a dhìon le arm niùclasach.

’S e fìor chùis eagail a th’ ann gum bheil duine a tha cho mì-rianail, ach aig am bheil uimhir de chumhachd, air a dhìon bho cheannsal sam bith air sgàth an eagail a th’ aig an còrr den t-saoghal bho a chuid armachd niùclasach. Ma bha riamh dearbhadh a dhìth air cumhachd agus cunnart an armachd seo tha sinn ga aicinn an-dràsta!

Aig an aon àm chunnaic mi aithris a’ sealltainn cuid de mhuinntir Kyiv a’ dol chun na h-opara, far an “cuidicheadh an ceòl dhaibh ceangal a ghleidheadh le sìobhaltachd”! Cumaidh ceòl is òrain Ghàidhlig sunnd agus spiorad sìobhaltachd rinne cuideachd, agus bidh gu leòr dheth a’ feitheamh oirnn aig a’ Mhòd Nàiseanta a bhios a’ fosgladh ann am Peairt seachdain bho màireach!

While we need government action to x many of the root causes of mental health problems, such as poverty, poor housing and job insecurity, there are things we can do individually to help ourselves and the people we care about to have good mental health.

e Mental Health Foundation has produced a new guide, Our Best Mental Health Tips, giving information on the things we can do to help protect our mental health. It’s available for free on our website mentalhealth.org.uk.

is World Mental Health Day people can show their support by wearing the green ribbon #PinItForMentalHealth. To nd out more, visit mentalhealth.org.uk/ribbon.

Claire Fleming, communications manager, Mental Health Foundation.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

ere is plenty of which to be fearful, plenty to be anxious about.

Lots of folk are turning to mindfulness, meditation, and other ways of calming the mind and body in a stressful world. at’s a good thing.

For many prayer has ful lled this need and still does. Sometimes quietly sometimes loudly.

Sometimes written prayers centuries old, other times spontaneous. Sometimes with sighs too deep for words.

Jesus said: ‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give

you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will nd rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’

It’s humans who make the yoke hard and the burden heavy.

Regular habit makes prayer come more naturally but not necessarily more easily. It can be especially hard when prayer seems to be unanswered, or not answered how we want it to be.

Miracles do happen but more o en prayer helps us to cope and guides us towards the

best action possible. We need energy to handle life, whether our problems are mundane or monumental.

Etty Hillesum was Dutch and Jewish, killed aged 29 in a Nazi concentration camp.

Her diary included this prayer: ‘Lord, help me not to waste a drop of my energy on fear and anxiety, but grant me all the resilience I need to bear this day…’

A prayer for extreme situations but also for daily life.

Reverend Liz Gibson, North Mull Parish.

Heather Marshall (she/her), a queer, disabled, working-class artist and writer is on the Made On Mull residency o ering list; and below, Morvern writer Isla Robertson is one of the rst artists on the Made On Mull programme.

Mull inspires new works to come

by Kathie Gri ths kgri ths@obantimes.co.uk

An Tobar and Mull eatre has revealed a list of artists who will be working with it and the island community over the next three years to create new works.

All the artists who have been awarded the rst grants for the inaugural Made On Mull: Associate Artists Programme have been inspired by the island itself.

e artists are being o ered residency time, mentoring and seed commission funding to support work which An Tobar and Mull eatre, as a multi-artform creative hub with an award-winning theatre company and music programme, hopes to be able to showcase in the future.

In exchange, An Tobar and Mull eatre seeks rst refusal to produce or present the premiere of any new works arising from the residency and that any future presentations acknowledge the contribution of An Tobar and Mull eatre and Made on Mull.

e artists are Isla Robertson who is a writer from Morvern and is currently at Mull eatre writing an audio play called How To Swim, playwright Jen McGregor, artist and writer Heather Marshall, and composer Verity Standen who is also a director, performer and choir leader.

On the list as well is Fast Familiar who are experts in narrative design, facilitation

Fast Familiar are an award-winning interdisciplinary collaboration taking part in the programme.

and creative computing and also British-Greek composer, sound artist and writer John Kefala Kerr.

An Tobar and Mull eatre’s artistic director and chief executive Rebecca AtkinsonLord, said: ‘I’m thrilled to be welcoming such a diverse and innovative group of artists to Mull as part of our inaugural Made on Mull associate artists programme. I’m already looking forward to seeing what exciting work they create with and for our community here.’

Fast Familiar said being part of the scheme would give them time to re ect on the company’s direction ‘ in the most incredible place’ and are excited to make new audience-centric experiences with and for the communities they will meet on Mull.

John Kefala Kerr said he could not think of a ‘richer context ’ than this opportunity to evolve an

ambitious piece of creative art. Verity Standen added: ‘I feel very lucky to be working with An Tobar and Mull eatre over the coming months. I can’t wait to chat with people across the island, to listen and record their stories, and to explore and discover. I can’t think of a more inspiring place on earth for creative ideas to bubble.’

And Heather Marshall said: ‘I rst connected with members of the Mull community in 2018 at the National eatre of Scotland Exchange where I met a group of young people who had staged Mull’s rst ever Pride march. eir story has stayed with me over the last few years due to the love and sheer determination of the group to elevate their friends’ voices in their community. I’m excited to nally visit Mull and hope to nd the same creative passion that those young people felt, whilst developing my own writing.’

Cinema

Ticket

Friday 7th October

Moonage Daydream (15) 7pm.

Saturday 8th October

Mrs Harris Goes To Paris (PG) 10:15am + 8pm. Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (PG) 10:45am, 1:30pm + 4:15pm. Moonage Daydream (15) 1:15pm. The Woman King (15) 4:45pm + 7:30pm.

Sunday 9th October

Mrs Harris Goes To Paris (PG) 10:15am + 8pm. Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (PG) 10:45am, 1:30pm + 4:15pm. Moonage Daydream (15) 1:15pm. The Woman King (15) 4:45pm + 7pm.

Mon 10th October - All Showings Subtitled

Ride The Wave (12a) 10:30am. Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (PG) 10:45am, 1:30pm + (INCLUSIVE) 4pm. Mrs Harris Goes To Paris (PG) 1pm.

The Woman King (15) 4:15pm + 7:30pm. Alien (15) 7pm.

Tuesday 11th October

Wednesday

Thursday

Glasgow

Florence Pugh

By Oban

Swimmers celebrate season of success

Lochaber Leisure Centre Swim Team celebrated its 2022 season last week culminating in a medal presentation for the Club Championships which were held earlier this year. e season started slowly for the Fort William-based club with Covid still having an impact on how club training took place, as it did with the number of galas the youngsters could participate in.

In addition, the team lost almost half its swimmers over the year including the fastest and most experienced. It also lost a much-valued coach. is being the case, it was all the more commendable that the club produced its rst Scottish Nationals winner when Calum Stewart, 13, took the 50m front crawl title at the Scottish National Age Group Championships as well swim-

ming to a bronze medal in the 100m front crawl and 50m y.

At the North Districts, Calum dominated his age group, winning gold in the 50m front crawl, y, breast, 100m front crawl and 100m breaststroke as well as silver in the 50m back crawl and 100m back crawl.

Andzelina Gerasimuka, 13, won bronze in probably the hardest of all swim races, the 200m y. Along with Charleigh Adams, Mya MacCallum and Yasmin MacCallum, Andzelina quali ed for multiple nals. Elizabeth Morgan, along with Charleigh and Andzelina, also quali ed for National Age Group nals and the Open (adult) Nationals.

is year’s winners were: Age nine and under - Darcy Dunlop, girls, and James Essex, boys; Age 10 and under - Lily

Lochaber athletes on

e last track and eld competition of the year ended on a high for two young Lochaber athletes.

Competing at the North Area Trophy meet in Inverness, Lochaber Athletic Club’s Maddison Macmillan broke personal bests and brought home silverware.

Twelve-year-old Maddison, a stalwart of the junior team for four years, quali ed for thenal of the 100 metres where she placed third with a personal best time. Maddison followed her track success with a leap of four metres 15cms in her favourite event, the long jump, to win silver.

Maddison told her coaches she was delighted and happy with her sprinting and jumping at the end of her track and eld season and was looking

Cant, girls; Age 11 and under - Macy Morris, girls, Rhuaridh Macmaster, boys; Age 12 and under - Isla Cant, girls; Age 13 and under - Mya MacCallum, girls, Hamish Mann boys; Age 14 and under - Yasmin MacCallum, girls; Age 15 and over - Elizabeth Morgan, girls, Sean Cann boys. Club New Age Group Records were set by Calum in the 100m y and 200m individual medley (IM). e most USA Power Points: 1 Elizabeth Morgan; 2 Yasmin MacCallum; 3 Natalie Byrne. Most improved times one stroke: 1 James Exeter 35 seconds 100m IM; 2 Bronte Mann 31 seconds 100m IM; 3 Molly Mclachlan 24 seconds 100m IM. Most improved, total of all strokes: 1 Bronte Mann, 48 seconds; Rosie Claxton, 38 seconds; James Exeter - 35 seconds.

at

Lochaber Leisure Centre Swim Team Championship medal winners 2022. Photograph: Iain Ferguson, alba.photos.

Mowi Premiership

Caberfeidh 5

Oban Camanachd 2

Caberfeidh staged a sensa tional comeback from two goals down to beat Oban Camanachd 5-2 in their noon throw-up at Castle Leod.

Caberfeidh hadn’t played since the end of August and Oban Camanachd took advan tage, with Louie MacFarlane putting them ahead on 13 minutes from close range.

e Oban side went on to dominate but, with Connor MacGregor excellent at the back for Caberfeidh, they didn’t overly trouble Iain McCall in the home goal. However, they doubled their lead three minutes into the second half when Daniel Cameron struck the ball low into the net from 25 yards.

e Caberfeidh comeback started on 53 minutes when Kyle Grant produced a ne nish from around 20 yards out on the le of the ‘D’ with his waist-high shot swerving past Cammy Sutherland in the Oban goal.

e goal boosted Caberfeidh and they drew level on the hour when Colin MacLennan knocked home a rebound a er Oban keeper Cammy Sutherland had saved.

A couple of minutes later, Caberfeidh’s Craig Morrison found enough space on the le to hammer an unsavable shot into the Camanachd net.

e home side went 4-2 ahead from the penalty spot on 81 minutes. A break into the ‘D’ ended when Colin MacLennan was impeded by Cammy Sutherland with the ball going wide. Referee Deek Cameron pointed to the spot and Kevin Bartlett cracked the resultant penalty low and hard into the net.

It got better for Caberfeidh a couple of minutes later when a similar infringement inside the ‘D’ resulted in a second spot-hit and this time Craig Morrison smashed the ball home to make it 5-2.

Caberfeidh are on course for their best nish in shinty’s top ight. ey welcome Lovat to Castle Leod this Saturday. row-up noon.

Fort William 1 Kingussie 3 Kingussie are just one win away from retaining the Mowi Premiership championship, and securing a record seventh ‘grand slam’, a er they beat Fort William 3-1 at An Aird.

Fort William carried out pitch inspections at 9am and 11am but the eld was in good condition when the game got under way.

Fort William started with the wind advantage in their favour but Kingussie took an early grip of the game with Roddy Young scoring on 10 and 15 minutes to take his tally to 34

goals for the season.

Fort William were always in the game though and Victor Smith pulled a goal back on 42 minutes with a good turn and shot from midway between the penalty spot and the edge of the ‘D’.

Kingussie had the elements a er the re-start and they dominated. ey brought James Falconer o the bench for the nal half hour and he made it 3-1 on 77 minutes a er being set up by Roddy Young.

Lovat 1

Kinlochshiel 2 Kinlochshiel kept their slim title chances alive when they came from behind to beat Lovat 2-1 at Balgate.

Lovat and Kinlochshiel both went into this game as the only top- ight teams who could catch runaway league leaders Kingussie and it was Lovat who struck rst with Greg Matheson scoring straight from the throw-up.

Fraser Heath came deep to win possession and he played the ball up the right wing where Marc MacLachlan crossed low into the danger area. Lewis Tawse tried to play the ball on but it came to Greg Matheson running towards the penalty spot. Matheson smacked the ball low by the keeper on his backhand.

John MacRae equalised on the half-hour. MacRae con trolled a hit-in from the right before turning and, from the inside right position, crashed the ball past keeper Stuart MacDonald to make it 1-1. e winning goal came ve minutes a er the hour when Keith MacRae ran across goal from the right onto a short free-hit on the le and he sent the ball low past the outstretched le foot of Lovat keeper Stuart MacDonald and

into the net.

Kinlochshiel trail leaders Kingussie by ve points with a game in hand. However, if Kingussie win one of their two remaining league matches, they will not be caught.

Newtonmore 3 Kyles Athletic 2 Newtonmore edged out Kyles Athletic 3-2 in a ding-dong 1.30pm throw-up at the Eilan.

Newtonmore were missing striker Max Campbell, whilst Kyles went into the match on the back of a six-match losing run.

Newtonmore took the lead on seven minutes through Fraser MacKintosh, but Luke ornton on 22 minutes and Ross MacRae on 40 minutes had Kyles 2-1 ahead at the interval.

Newtonmore pushed Steven Macdonald into an attacking role and he equalised a minute into the second half. en, with 20 minutes to go, young ster Brodie MacBean scored to earn Newtonmore a 3-2 win.

Kyles Athletic welcome relegation threatened Glasgow Mid Argyll on Saturday. Newtonmore don’t have a xture as their second team play in the HIS Sutherland Cup nal against their Lovat counterparts at Blairbeg.

Mowi National Division

Skye Camanachd 5 Inveraray 1

Skye Camanachd pulled level on points with league leaders Beauly a er beating thirdplaced Inveraray 5-1 in their 3pm throw-up at Pairc nan Laoch, Portree.

Skye’s Will Cowie recovered from an arm injury sustained in the previous week’s win over Glenurquhart. Somhairle

MacDonald returned, but Iain MacLellan was unavailable. A hamstring problem restricted Martin Pringle to the bench.

Inveraray travelled with a strong squad, elding Ross MacMillan in attack, but the ve-hour journey north had them arriving in Portree with in an hour of throw-up.

A torrential rain shower ahead of throw-up, and anoth er as the match was starting, le pockets of water on the pitch but there was no doubt the game would go ahead.

Skye had the early pressure, with Fraser Watt’s shot over the top coming from a rare Inveraray attack.

Skye took the lead on 20 min utes. Ross Gordon’s cross- eld pass found Jordan Murchison and although Inveraray de fender Robert Wood blocked his rst e ort, Murchison sent the rebound low into the corner of the net.

Ross Gordon made it 2-0 with a well-worked goal on 22 minutes. John Gillies won possession and, as he was fall ing, slipped the ball to Jordan Murchison on the right. Murchison could have shot goalwards but instead cut an unsel sh ball to Ross Gordon in central position and, despite the muddied goal area, Gordon steered the ball into the net.

Inveraray’s Ruaraidh Graham was yellow-carded for a challenge which caught Skye’s Chris Rose above the knee with Rose later limping o to be replaced by Somhairle MacDonald.

Skye had their tails up and Jordan Murchison got his second and Skye’s third on 34 minutes. Ross Gordon’s shot from the le was palmed away by Inveraray keeper Scott MacLachlan, but Jordan Murchison reacted before marker Robert Wood to turn the rebound home.

Lewis Montgomery and young Ruaraidh Graham came o in favour of John Kennedy and Allan Cameron, although Graham returned soon a er in favour of Robert Wood.

Skye rounded o an excellent rst half performance when Jordan Murchison completed his hat-trick on 44 minutes. Jamie Gillies delivered a hitin from the le which found Somhairle MacDonald. He picked out Jordan Murchison who stroked the ball home.

James Pringle, who had replaced an injured Ross Gordon late in the rst half, added a h Skye goal on 57 minutes. Good play from Ross MacKinnon inside his own half saw the Skye full centre send the ball forward from the le . Will Cowie controlled the ball just outside the penalty spot before sending a well-measured pass forward to James Pringle who ran in to beat the keeper and make

it 5-0. Pringle had a similar opportunity soon a er but this time Scott MacLachlan was quickly o his line to save well with his feet at the expense of a corner.

Inveraray, with Campbell Watt excellent when on the ball, went close on a couple of occasions before Fraser Watt won possession in a central position before passing to Allan MacDonald, wide on the le of the ‘D’. MacDonald sent a blistering shot high over Skye keeper Murphy Henderson’s le shoulder to make it 5-1 on 79 minutes. It was the rst goal Skye had conceded in open play since mid-July.

e contest was tousy at times and Skye’s James Morrison and Inveraray’s Ross MacMillan were booked by referee Calum Girvan following a skirmish in the middle of the park.

Minutes later, MacMillan tripped Morrison following a corner from the Inveraray le and a second booking, followed by a red card, le Inveraray a man short for the closing stages.

Skye now look forward to a top of the table clash at Beauly on Saturday, whilst Inveraray, who have still to host Skye and travel to Beauly, are relying on a major slip-up from the top two to be promoted.

Mowi North

Division 1

Inverness 1 Newtonmore 3 e top of the table clash be tween the Inverness rst team and the Newtonmore seconds was switched from the Bught Park to Braeview Park, Beauly. Steven Bellshaw returned for Inverness, a er missing the previous weekend’s defeat to the Kingussie seconds, and gave his side the lead on 22 minutes.

Inverness stayed in front until ve minutes before the break when Glen MacKintosh levelled.

It remained that way until 12 minutes from time when Evan Menzies gave Newtonmore a priceless lead. Glen MacKintosh got his second three minutes later to make the nal score 3-1.

Newtonmore are now just a point behind Inverness with a game in hand, although Newtonmore’s chances could depend on whether they are docked two points for a mid week match against their Lovat counterparts which didn’t go ahead.

Kingussie 6 Lochcarron 3 e Kingussie colts followed up the previous week’s win over league leaders Inverness rsts by beating Lochcarron 6-3 at the Dell.

Lochcarron made a strong start with Gregor Cushnie scoring in the opening minute

and 10 minutes later. e Kingussie ghtback began 60 seconds later when Michael Slimon halved the de cit.

e hosts went 4-2 in front through a Robert Shiells double on 22 and 33 minutes, either side of an own goal on 28 minutes, before Iain Fraser made it 5-2 at the interval a er nding the net on 42 minutes.

Lochcarron’s Gregor Cushnie completed his hat-trick on 54 minutes with Michael Slimon getting his second to make it 6-3 on 88 minutes.

Caberfeidh 1 Glenurquhart 4

David MacLennan’s hat-trick helped the Glenurquhart seconds beat the Caberfeidh seconds 4-1 in their 3pm throw-up at Castle Leod.

e goals came at both ends of the game with David MacLennan netting on three and 17 minutes to put Glenurquhart 2-0 ahead.

e home side had chances but just couldn’t score.

ere was no further scoring until 10 minutes from time. Glenurquhart’s Mike Fraser was credited with the goal which made it 3-0, although an own goal may be more appropriate.

Ruaraidh MacLeman pulled a goal back for the home side with a good strike on 84 minutes but when referee Steven MacLachlan awarded Glenurquhart a penalty for a ‘kick’ inside the ‘D’ three minutes from time, David MacLennan completed his hattrick from the spot.

Caberfeidh youngster Kenzie Taylor received a nasty arm injury in the game.

Skye Camanachd P Lovat P Heavy overnight rain in the west led to the Saturday morning postponement of the noon throw-up between the Skye Camanachd colts and the Lovat colts, with the Pairc nan Laoch pitch only able to take one game.

Fort William P Glengarry P e noon throw-up between the Fort William reserves and Glengarry was called o on Friday when it was deemed the An Aird pitch could not take two matches.

Mowi North

Division 2

Aberdeen University v Lewis Camanachd W/O

Two of shinty’s furthest travelled teams, Aberdeen University and Lewis Camanachd, were due to meet at the Woodside Sports Complex. However, the students were unable to eld a team so have been deducted a point, whilst Lewis Camanachd have been award ed two points.

is completes the season for both sides.

Kingussie’s Robert Mabon and Fort William’s Craig MacDonald in action on Saturday. Photograph: Iain Ferguson, alba.photos

Lochaber P

Strathspey Camanachd P e xture between the Lochaber second team and Strathspey Camanachd at Spean Bridge was postponed as a result of a bereavement.

Women’s Camanachd Association

Mowi North Division 2

Glenurquhart 10 Glengarry 0

Glenurquhart secured the Mowi North Division 2 championship a er beating Glengarry 10-0 in their 12.45pm throw-up at Blairbeg on Saturday October 1.

Hazel Hunter scored six times for Glenurquhart with Freya Gault, Kirsty Smith, Ishbel Barr and Grace Montague getting the others.

Glenurquhart are now promoted to the Mowi National Division.

Skye Camanachd B 3 Strathspey Camanachd 5 Strathspey were 5-3 winners against Skye Camanachd B at Portree High School’s astro pitch on Saturday October 1.

Isla Preston, Teri MacLeod and Catherine Robertson scored the Skye goals.

Badenoch B 2 Inverness B 3 Badenoch B played their penultimate game of the season with Inverness the visitors to Market Stance for an 11am throw-up on Sunday October 2.

Badenoch went two goals down before Orla Olds scored twice to make it 2-2 but Inverness got the winner to take both points.

Kinlochshiel 8 Strathglass 0 Kinlochshiel defeated Strathglass 8-0 at Rèaraig on Sunday October 2.

Rhiannon MacAskill chipped in with a hat-trick, whilst Poppy Glasgow, Lexie MacKenzie, Gemma MacLeod, Poppy MacKenzie and Maree MacKenzie scored the other goals.

Youth shinty

Mowi London Shield

Kinlochshiel U17 2

Inverness U17 0

Kinlochshiel under-17s won the Mowi London Shield, beating Inverness under-17 2-0 in the nal at Balgate on Sunday October 2.

Neither side broke the deadlock in the rst half of this 1.30pm throw-up, but Liam Matheson put Kinlochshiel ahead a er the restart.

Kinlochshiel created chances throughout the nal and it was no more than they deserved when Archie MacRae added a second. Kinlochshiel captain Rory Slaughter was presented with the Douglas MacKintosh Memorial Medal for man of the match before raising the trophy.

Dalriada series heats up in Oban

Saturday morning saw Oban Lorne Rugby Club host round four of the Dalriada autumn series.

The pitch was in fantastic condition considering the amount of rain that had fallen on Friday and overnight into Saturday. Mini rugby teams from Oban, Mid Argyll, Mull, Lochaber and Taynuilt looked to come away with the victory with more than 80 young players involved.

The micro sessions for P1-3 continues to grow at these events and great credit must go to the coaches who work at this level.

In the P4/5 category, Oban came out on top of the group thanks to a victory over Mull who came second overall but had the superior try count on the day.

Mid Argyll and Lochaber combined forces to take third spot ahead of the

Etive Vikings who showed glimpses of brilliance to score some fantastic tries.

In the P6/7 competition, the Oban team came out on top again to complete a clean sweep of its home competition winning all their games. The mean defence only conceding seven tries over the competition was impressive.

Etive Vikings came in second place scoring some fantastic tries to edge out Mid Argyll into third place.

Mull and Lochaber competed hard and were only a couple of tries away from gaining victories which would have seen them jump up the table.

Thanks go to all parents, coaches and volunteers for making the day a success.

The next junior Dalriada is on Saturday October 29 in Campbeltown.

Lochaber’s P6/7s at the Dalriada meeting at Oban Lorne Rugby Club on Saturday.

Depleted Lochaber take historic win on Mull

Isle of Mull 31 Lochaber 43

West League Division 3

Lochaber travelled to Mull on Saturday looking to follow up on an excellent away win against Waysiders Drumpellier the previous weekend.

Having never won in Mull, the travelling out t knew they would be in for a highly competitive xture, even more so when a call-o on Saturday morning le them with only 14 players.

Mull used the extra player to their advantage putting

Lochaber under a lot of pressure early on.

e Lochaber defence was heroic, however, and around 15 minutes in, the visitors worked their way into Mull's 22 for the rst time. Working the ball from le to right, they stretched the home defence with excellent, composed passing. e ball went out to Christopher Simpson who ran it in under the posts leaving an easy conversion for Garry Speedie.

Lochaber got their second try of the match in an almost identical score, this time with Henry Hodges taking

the honours. With less than 10 minutes of the rst half remaining, Mull turned on the pressure once again and this time found the gaps they were looking for to score two tries in quick succession to level the score at 12-12 at the break.

Mull took the lead for the rst time a er the re-start with a converted try and added another shortly a erwards to extend their lead to 26-12.

Lochaber kept their heads up and some excellent support play led to Koni Johnson running in under the posts, with Gary Speedie converting to close the gap and put Lochaber

back in the game. e visitors continued to turn pressure into points with Hamish White scoring out wide twice and Johnson adding another.

Henry Hodges showed his blistering pace and excellent footwork to run in his second.

Garry Speedie converted two more of the tries and despite the hosts scoring once more towards the end of the match the Lochaber men pulled o a historic rst win in Mull with the nal score 31-43.

Lochaber’s next game is at home on Saturday when they welcome Birkmyre to Banavie. Kick o 3pm.

Young footballers blaze a trail to Lochnell Festival

Great goals, superb saves, goalmouth scrambles and near misses - the sixth Lochnell Football Festival had it all at North Connel on Saturday.

Seven and a half hours of football saw more than 350 primary age footballers take to the eld, playing small sided games that featured teams from across the west of Argyll and Highland, including Islay and Fort William.

Although games were competitive, it was a ‘trophy free’ day with one caveat - all players received a souvenir of the day courtesy of the festival’s main sponsors Anderson Banks Solicitors and Estate Agents, which generously provided every player with a commemorative medal.

Donald McAllister, Lochnell FC chairman and festival

Fort William Rangers.

organiser, said: ‘Once again we had a wonderful day of football and it was great to see so many young players from across the west coast enjoying their sport.

‘We thank all players, their coaches and parents and our sponsors who all contributed to running the event.’

Last-gasp goal denies on form

Fort William

Continued from page 40. MacPhee was trying to cut in o the le wing and make the game come alive but three times Fejzo thwarted him oneon-one to keep the scores level. Sadly for the home side, worse was to come. A er a rst corner was de ected away, a second was awarded as the clock struck the 93rd minute. Driven deep to the back post, Loch Ness striker Phil Macdonald rose above his marker and planted a header into the far corner for a nal score of 2-1.

In the ensuing celebrations, a scu e broke out which will now see both clubs having to answer for their players’ behaviour in front of the league.

Alan Gray said: ‘We are bitterly disappointed to lose it in the dying minutes, especially from a corner. We felt a draw was deserved but it could have gone either way with two well- matched sides. We need to learn to be a bit more streetwise and learn from that game, I have no doubt we’ll bounce back and there are plenty of points still to be won.’

Fort William’s next match will be against Nairn County ‘A’ on Saturday 15 October at 2pm.

Lochaber athletes on form at meet

Continued from page 37. who had edged him out previously, and stuck with him for 400m. e LAC youngster went through the bell at one minute ve seconds and tried to overtake with 200m to go but dri ed back with 100m le . However, in the last 30m Aaron pulled back most of the gap and nished just over a metre behind the winner.

e clock had stopped at 2.37 for the rst athlete and Aaron was less than half a second behind in 2.37:56. is was a big improvement in his personal best of 2:44 and, in his own words, he was ‘really pleased with that’.

Aaron is looking forward to taking on athletes from the north in cross country running over the winter.

Fort’s Michael Rodgers and Amin Benyoucef tackle Calum Neil. Photograph: Iain Ferguson, alba.photos.

Fort William Athletic.

Left: Fort William 2011s who joined Fort William Rangers and Fort William Athletic at the sixth Lochnell Football Festival.