FULL STEAM AHEAD

While train travel has always come with a risk of delays the Jacobite steam train from Fort William to Mallaig, which resumed service just as this issue of West Word was going to print is very delayed indeed, finally pulling into Mallaig station two months late!
However, after mounting uncertainty as to whether there would be a service at all in 2026 this was very much a case of 'better late than never' and was warmly welcomed back by the many small businesses who rely heavily on the visitors that the world famous trip brings to Mallaig.
Made famous as the 'Hogwarts Express' in the Harry Potter films and beloved by both steam train enthusiasts and travellers who enjoy the scenic landscape that the iconic 41 mile journey traverses including crossing the Glenfinnan Viaduct and panoramic views across Loch Shiel and the sandy white beaches of Morar, the train attracts passengers and spectators watching from lineside viewpoints by the thousand every year.
As a result of a long running safety dispute between the train operator West Coast Railways (WCR) and the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) regarding central door locking on train carriages, which had been mitigated in the past couple of years by operating the line with a combination of carriages with central locking and carriages with locked shut doors, WCR had declared this option too costly to run in the 2026 season.
This decision led to a noticeable lack of visitors to Mallaig and dissatisfied tourists who had already booked Highland visits with tour operators including the iconic rail trip as part of the itinerary using the regular ScotRail service between Fort William and Mallaig instead.
At the time of West Word going to print tickets were not yet available for the Jacobite online, although there was suggestion on social media that they may be purchased at Fort William station with speculation that the service may operate on a reduced service initially with pre-booked tour operators taking priority.
The route of the train from Carnforth to Fort William had been tracked by train enthusiasts over the weekend and there is no doubt that the familiar sight, sound and scent of the steam train finally arriving in Mallaig will be very warmly welcomed indeed.

FERRY NETWORK IS RESTORED TO NORMALITY?
BUT WHAT IS NORMALITY?

Mid May saw CalMac announce that the ferry network had returned to normality with the return of several of the fleet which had been undergoing extended repairs meaning all ferries within the network could return to their usual route. However this announcement may have been a little optimistic since then the MV Loch Nevis which serves the Mallaig - Small Isles route has had a break down, stranding visitors on islands with various charter boat options for passengers and vehicles deployed over the Bank Holiday weekend in late May.
At the time of West Word going to press the MV Lord of the Isles was out of action meaning the Mallaig - Lochboisdale - Oban route was disrupted with no service to Mallaig.
Whilst island and port locations are well used to the disruptions that weather and ferry break downs can mean are simply a fact of daily life it does feel that the only real certainty by the fleet of aging ferries operating these routes is that there will continue to be cancellations, delays and re-routings.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Hello and welcome to the June ~ July issue of West Word.
A HUGE thank you from me to everyone who has been so welcoming to me in my new post. From emails to letters to in person greetings when I was out and about this month. It has been lovely to put names to faces, reacquaint myself with folk and throw myself into the role as your Editor.
Aside from an overwhelming wave of love and support from our community for West Word I have been reminded anew how very important in print media is for keeping us all connected - when trains and ferries don't run, when we are geographically scattered but still feel part of the community it is clear that there is still a very obvious place for a monthly coming together in the shape of West Word.
I also need to clarify the message in last month's issue about our mid month to mid month branding - we are still a 12 issues a year publication, but with our move to outsourced printing we want to be clear about when you will see West Word out in print each month and it will be during the second week of each calendar month, hence the spanning two months. So in this June ~ July issue you can expect retrospective reports from the isles, the weather and bird watchers on what happened in May and what is coming up for the rest of June and early July in our what's on listings. I hope that makes things a bit clearer.
Thank you to our proofreaders, envelope stuffers and delivery volunteers for their part in getting this issue into your hands.
Enjoy reading!
Nic

ISLE OF CANNA

May was probably the driest spell of weather we have had since last Summer. We went weeks without any rain so the whole island was put on water rations until the rain started again late last week and into the weekend. Both people and gardens are grateful for the rain. While the rest of the UK basked in a bank holiday blazing heatwave, we were shrouded in a blanket of thick fog. The fog gives the island a rather spooky, enclosed feeling with visibility down to about 20 metres.
The wildflowers have been spectacular so far. The yellow primroses were better than ever and the bluebells are filling the woods and fields giving the island a purplish blue tint. Bog cotton, violets, spring squill, birdsfoot trefoil, sea thrift and orchids to name but a few are covering the machair. If you're interested in wildflowers, Canna is the place to visit in late May.
The farm has finished lambing and the fields are full of lambs scampering about testing their legs for speed and using their mothers as diving boards. It's such a great sight to see and brings a hopeful feeling to the island. We've just got one last cow to calf….
WT Architects visited the island to update the community on progress with the Coroghan Barn designs. We looked at materials samples, discussed colour schemes and had the opportunity to "walk" through the building using VR goggles. This caused some of us to feel extremely dizzy but it was a really good visual tool to understand what the building will become.
We had a helicopter making flights across the island doing concrete pours for our renewables upgrade and the installation of a new cattle grid. It was a very impressive sight and done with the utmost efficiency.

At Canna House, we have the flag flying again at Canna House! Gardener Nathan Cridland was able to service the flagpole that had been in use for many years in the garden here, and it's great to see it in use again with our new Saltire flag. In Canna House Garden, there will be an exhibition of the work of a local Canna artist Margaret Willington in June.
Margaret has created stunning artworks inspired by the marine habitat of Canna and Sanday. Printed on domestic objects such as pillowcases and sheets, and hung on the washing line of the Canna House drying green, they were partly inspired by a photograph from the Canna House Archive showing the drying green in use during the time of ownership of the house and island by the Thom family. Margaret used "gyotaku", a traditional technique used by Japanese fishermen to measure their catch to settle fishing competitions by printing directly from the fish caught; now the term can be used when using any natural objects as a printing plate. The garden is free to enter to view these beautiful artworks.
The island is gearing up for our annual Canna 10K which takes place on Saturday 30th May 2026. Runners come and enjoy running our trail which goes past towering basalt column cliffs, along the road that weaves through the machair and back along the tidal road around the bay. There is a hearty BBQ to follow then a ceilidh in the evening. Fingers crossed for good running weather!
On a final note, we've all seen and experienced the Calmac woes over the last week. The Calmac staff in Mallaig do an outstanding job trying to help everyone make their various journeys to the Small Isles. While it is frustrating for many, we need to give them a shout out for all their efforts. Thank you!
Margaret Willington

ISLE OF RUM

May is the best month of the year, if you look back over the years, I've probably said similar things about May... eider ducks and I saw a happy clutch of ducklings last week skittering across the surface of the water under the watchful eye of their mums - keeping the hooded crows at bay; the bluebells , which this year are in a greater abundance than in the last several years - I can only put this down to less deer grazing in the village - on that note there seems to be more primroses too. Keeping an eye on these changes is important. I started a journal of observations such as this some time ago - an unofficial environmental archive if you will - I think we should all do this, it's the small changes that we miss, and they often turn out to be the most important.
As well as the bluebells and eiders, the island comes to life in May, hawthorn blossom brightens up the roadside verges and a greenness we have waited all winter to see, returns. It's slow, but in its own good time - island time - we know this concept well!
Our impromptu ranger Rosalie was up at the school on World Bee Day talking to the children about the importance of bees and helping to make bee feeders with them. And I'm just going to throw in a good word for wasps there too, also important pollinators! In other school news Bernie, the supply teacher has been overseeing PE. A former marathon runner, Bernie has been utilising her skills on some running drills with the kids who have really enjoyed it - budding athletes. She's thinking of starting an after-school sports club.

NatureScot have been up in the hills starting Manx shearwater monitoring, they carried out their first round of burrow checks to get an idea of breeding attempts and are pleased to report that there appears to be a high occupancy rate, and all is healthy in the colony.
Down in Kilmory glen red deer calving is underway. Ali, Sean and the red deer research team, including Prof Josephine Pemberton, are busy waiting and watching for calves to be born to be tagged and recorded into their extensive data set. A new documentary about our dark skies has been released, you can watch it on YouTube. It's called 'Rum's Dazzling Dark Skies'.
Aisling's café in the village hall is proving a welcome solace to visitors and locals alike and is now open on Wednesdays too - please pop in for a delightful selection of delicious confection, and soup too.
Lastly, Rum has its own sauna! It's built in a horsebox, mobile and very cute. A few finishing touches are needed and then it'll be ready to go. Masterminded by Fliss and mostly built by the talented Nev, it'll will likely end up near to the sea to encourage more people to go for a therapeutic cold dip. More details next month.
Happy May everyone!
Fliss Fraser

ISLE OF EIGG

As I write, the island is shimmering green with a carpet of bluebells. It's such a beautiful time of year! Here's what's been happening on the island since the last update:

Wildlife
The Scottish Wildlife Trust's weekly guided walks on Eigg have started this month - all welcome to join the ranger, Norah, for a slow ramble exploring the amazing wildlife and habitats. The annual return of breeding birds has occurred in fairly good numbers, including swallow, cuckoo, wheatear, willow warbler, blackcap, arctic and common terns, to mention a few. We also have a small colony of manx shearwater, which have returned to their cliff nests (their strange call can be heard at night if you live nearby!). The shearwaters are one of several seabird species that will be examined this summer, as part of a feasibility study for a rat eradication programme for the whole island. The IEHT, in collaboration with RSPB and Wildlife Management Int. will be looking into various aspects to see how we can help restore declining sea bird species (other similar programmes replicated in the UK, including our neighbour Canna, have been successful, so it will be interesting for the community to discuss the outcomes).

Eigg Tree Nursery
There were amazing results from the island's Tree Nursery Crowdfunder Campaign, which finished at the beginning of the month- Tasha, manager, says, "A humongous shout out and thanks, far and wide, for the overwhelming support for the future resilience of our recent Tree Nursery Crowdfunder. We massively exceeded our target and now have security in knowing we can keep growing many more trees into the future... thanks to those who have been supporting our tree nursery since 2018. It means absolutely everything to our small business to thrive on an island on the West Coast of Scotland with the added complication of exporting across the sea to their final destinations. After tree orders going out to Uist and Barra a couple of years ago, I learnt historical trade routes with our surrounding islands were used to trade our hazelnuts in return for different items from each island! In effect, the tree nursery has established the island trade again accidently and with the hazel trees instead of the hazelnuts!! You can follow our progress on Facebook and Instagram. If you'd like to support our ongoing work visit our website for further information on what we do, options on ways to support our work by donating, peruse our online shop, or to get in touch if you'd like to order trees!"
www.treenursery.isleofeigg.org

Gaol nan Gael performance
On 15th May, the community enjoyed a musical presentation, bringing together Irish and Scottish musicians to explore and celebrate the shared language, culture and music of the Gael. Internationally acclaimed piper, singer and composer Allan MacDonald from Glenuig with Uilleann Piper Tiarnán Ó Duinnchinn from Monaghan and harper Laoise Kelly from Achill Island joined in a beautiful trio, telling stories in Gaelic and English, and sharing traditional songs from the area. They also visited the school and the children found the similarities between Irish Gaelic and our own Gaelic fascinating!

New Homes on Eigg
The tenants have now moved in to the two beautiful new Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust houses at Grianan. A big well done to everyone on Eigg who has worked hard raising funds and delivering this project.

Solas Eige
There has been a History Society exhibition in the community-owned Solas Eige centre in the historic St Columba's Church, presenting the results of Camille's research: the 300 years of Small Isles History: A parish across the sea 1726-2026, exploring the history of the Church of Scotland in the area. If you'd like to support Solas Eige to provide even more exhibitions, the island's archives and climate literacy workshops then do find out more on the website: solaseigethelightofeigg.org

Eigg Primary School
Eigg children spent a residential week in Mallaig, along with children from Rum and Muck, undertaking a condensed block of swimming lessons. Kieran, headteacher, says: "They made huge progress and were a credit to theirschools and islands. They also enjoyed a train journey to Fort William to meet friends from Duror Primary and enjoy a climbing session at the Three Wise Monkeys and a wonderful session with the Heritage Ranger at Fort William Library. A huge thank you to the Mission Bunkhouse and the Teagarden Backpackers for hosting us, and to Mallaig Leisure for their brilliant lessons and Mallaig High School Hostel and canteen for the tasty food!" I hear that the children have also been busy working in their garden with the help of Felicia, and have been following their interests in the upcoming men's football world cup through the lens of food and culture - choosing dishes from Scotland's group mates Morrocco, Haiti and Brazil to make as their monthly meals. A big well done to the children for their hard work in PE too, as they have been working on athletics: "the children have shown our school the value of resilience in abundance, to push themselves beyond their limits", says Kieran.

A Million Acts of Hope
A group on Eigg joined in the national initiative to celebrate everyday acts of kindness, care and connection, as an antidote to all the division in the world at the moment. They met to eat, sing songs, make posters and talk about issues that concern them on the 19th May.
Laurie King

ISLE OF MUCK

Hello Muck Calling.......well we're back in land of the living after missing last month's issue (I'm so sorry but I stupidly managed to pour boiling water over my feet....I really don't recommend!)...which definitely made dealing with the job and increasing visitor numbers a bit of a comical challenge, to come into a room where a cursing and shuffling old geezer is trying to serve you!
In true 'Calling you' fashion we held our annual Eurovision song party which is taken very seriously as the suspect bling outfits show....we even had a tribute to Abba with some famous cover poses with some very dodgy 'taches' (Zöe and Dan), but what a real hoot of a bash it was.
And as usual Calmac have done a bang up job for us with the Saturday lottery of will we or won't we be able to get to Muck today as our promised ferry Loch Bhrusda is redeployed and replaced with the Miss Marley and the ever yellow warning Larven, so its a constant shuffle and advising visitors to either cut short or drive through the night to get on the first sailing as the second probably won't be happening. Let's see what the next week brings as it is rumoured she'll be back with us.
School has been fairly busy with a Swim trip and Wildlife park excursions and they promised to bring back a Polar bear which I can neither confirm or deny...but don't go down to the woods today!! They also held a World Cup charity sweep which I'm pretty sure took just as long as the actual draw and I for one am feeling pretty confident that my team drawn is going all the way to the Final.....C'mon the mighty serial winners Iran..
Another community event I suspect is fast approaching I guess going by amount of Tennants heading to the Farm.......'Shearing'…oh joy.
Well that's it for us folks see you next time round.
Bruce

Mallaig Lifeboat Log

At 6pm on 5th May, HM Coastguard tasked the lifeboat with responding to reports of a missing person; last seen entering Spar cave at Elgol. The lifeboat was launched, and the crew were assisted by the local Coastguard and Mountain Rescue Team who conducted a shoreline search. Thankfully the missing person returned to their vehicle so everyone was stood down. The lifeboat was refuelled and ready for service again by 8.40pm
Mallaig lifeboat crew were paged at 6.10am on 15th May when a sailing vessel lost engine and was struggling to rig their sail. After Stornoway coastguard confirmed no other vessels were able to assist, and the yacht was seen to be drifting at 2 knots towards a lee shore near Arisaig, therefore in considerable danger, the decision was made to launch the lifeboat to assess the situation. The decision was taken to escort the casualty vessel into Mallaig where they were safely tied alongside the pontoon with the assistance of the harbour authority.
The pagers sounded for the lifeboat crew at 12.37pm on Sunday 17th May when a casualty at Doune needed urgent assistance. The crew transferred members of the Scottish Ambulance Service over to the scene to assess the casualty. They then assisted in transporting the patient to the HM Coastguard Helicopter, where they were extracted to onward care.
On the 20th May at 1.54pm, the Mallaig crew were tasked with assisting a casualty at Inverie on Knoydart. HM Coastguard aided in locating and recovering the patient, who was then transferred back to Mallaig to meet the Scottish Ambulance Service for onward care. The lifeboat was refuelled and ready for service again by 3pm.
HM Coastguard raised the alarm at 2.03pm on 25th May when Mallaig lifeboat was tasked to two walkers, at the head of Loch Nevis at Camusory Estate. The lifeboat launched and headed to the scene. The casualties were located, one of which with a foot injury. Due to their remote location, the decision was made to extract them to Inverie where they could rest and address their injury. Once the casualties had been dropped off, the lifeboat returned to Mallaig and was ready for service by 5pm.
On the 28th May the pagers sounded at 5.30pm when a casualty on the Isle of Eigg raised the call for medical assistance. The lifeboat crew were requested by HM Coastguard to transfer Scottish Ambulance Service team members over. Met on the island by local Coastguard members, they transported the ambulance crew to the casualty on the north side of island. Once they arrived on scene, it was established that the best course of action was to request a helicopter evacuation, so the casualty was extracted for onward care. The lifeboat and Ambulance crew were then transported back to Mallaig, with the boat refueled and ready for service again by 9.30pm.

News from Mallaig Harbour

While the rest of the country seemed to be basking in a heatwave at the start of the last week of May, the very uncommon sound of the ferry's foghorn was being heard in Mallaig on Monday and Tuesday. We could say that this was to welcome back the MV Loch Bhrusda, but in reality, you could barely see from the Harbour to East Bay. As I am writing this on Thursday 28th, we are basking in sunshine, but unfortunately, it is not forecast to last beyond today.
It's obvious that the weather is improving by the number of yachts in the Marina, which, after a slow start, has got much busier over the last week. The Eda Frandsen and Blue Clipper are also back for the season, which is a sure sign that summer is here! We are always happy to welcome them back.
We've also had fewer visiting fishing vessels landing this year, and this is evidenced by the fish landings figures. In April 2025, landings totalled over £1million for the month, as opposed to just under £300k this April.
The overnight ferry berth works were due to be finished by the end of May, but the latest forecast for completion is now 11th July. RJ MacLeod are making good progress, but the various issues that have been encountered along the way have resulted in a six week overrun from the original programme end date. There is still concrete to be poured for the deck, and Shearwater Marine Services are on-site welding the new piled face and adding the fixings for fenders, ladders etc. It is looking much nearer to completion now. The delay has meant that some of the workers had to leave their accommodation, and while some have managed to find alternative accommodation, you might notice that we have some bunk cabins on the Harbour, alongside RJ's compound. As part of the contract for the works, RJ McLeod have to undertake some community engagement, so some of their staff attended Mallaig Primary School on Monday 18th May to talk to the children about buildings sites, the dangerous associated with them, and the opportunities for working in the construction industry. I then went with them to Mallaig High School on Tuesday 19th May, to talk to some of the S3s and senior pupils.

This was my second trip to the High School in May, as I undertook a CV Skills session with some of the senior pupils as part of the Developing Young Workforce programme on 5th May. We looked at some of the skills and attributes that employers would like to see on CVs, and how the young people could relate these to the experience they had form school and hobbies etc.
It has been a busy month with different events, starting with a trip to London on 28th April for the British Ports Association AGM and annual lunch. Unfortunately, delays to my train from Glasgow meant that I didn't arrive in time for the AGM, but it was good to see colleagues from around the British Isles at the lunch.
The Deputy Harbour Master and I attended a day of Counter Terrorism Training organised by Police Scotland. Although we would hope that the threat from terrorism around Mallaig Harbour is low, it was interesting to understand the various threats and how they might impact on our operations, and more importantly, what we can do about them! In a similar vein, we ended the month with a trip to Oban for the West of Scotland Ports Committee meeting, hosted by CalMac, which brings together ports from around the west coast with various agencies to learn about security issues. We learned that one of the biggest issues at the moment is 'at sea drops', where consignments of illegal imports (mainly drugs) are being dropped off by cargo vessels passing off the west coast, to be picked up and brought ashore by smaller vessels. Modern technology means that the parcels can be tied to a float and have a GPS tracker installed so that they are easily recovered.
Our Auditors were on site w/c 18th May, in advance of our AGM, which this year will take place on Friday 12th June. When we have finalised a time and venue, we will share this on our Facebook page. Members of the public are welcome to attend the AGM.
We had to postpone the last Sound of Sleat Ferry User's Group, which was due to take place on 13th May. Disruption has continued locally, and while the MV Coruisk returned to pick up service from 5th May, and we had the MV Lord of the Isles back for a short period, problems with her bow thruster have meant that she is unable to berth in Mallaig at the moment, and is diverting to Oban or Uig on Skye. As I mentioned at the start, the MV Loch Bhrusda is back in Mallaig, and operating alongside MV Coruisk on the Mallaig/Armadale route. While this is still not the capacity we would have with the MV Loch Fyne, it is good to have a full timetable operating to and from Armadale.
Jacqueline McDonell

On and Off the Rails

Hello - it's me again!
I have restrained from commenting on the "will they, won't they?" debate that affects not just our local area, but nationally, as everyone tries to understand why the Jacobite steam train cannot operate so far this year. I have decided to "pour oil on troubled times" by writing the following. I hope it helps!!
The long-running standoff between West Coast Railways (WCR) and the UK Government's Office of Rail and Road (ORR) trickles along - like a dripping tap. WCR confirms that it intends to fit central door locking (CDL) to its 1950s 'Mark 1' coaches, to return them to passenger use. I understand that some now have CDL fitted, but WCR have yet to receive agreement from the ORR that it can start using the carriages once again. Previously WCR had refused to fit CDL - a legal requirement since 2023 for all main-line Mark 1 carriages. To keep trains running it purchased ex-British Rail 'Mark 2' air-conditioned coaches (dating from the early 1970s) to run on the steam-hauled Fort William to Mallaig Jacobite service. It did not have compatibility with the locomotive's air supply to work the interlocking or the air supply for air-conditioning, and was not popular.
Since then, WCR have said "following the feedback and evaluation of the costs associated with our Mark 2s, we have approached the ORR to reinstate our Mark 1s which will take time to complete. To this end, we are currently discussing with the ORR to finalise a timeline that balances the technical requirements of the installation with our goal of commencing the 2026 Jacobite season."
Despite hopes from all concerned that the coaches may be ready for 2026 the ORR are saying "We note that WCR recognises the need for CDL. However, work remains to establish the feasibility, detail and delivery timeline of the proposed approach. ORR has not issued any exemption to the relevant requirements of the Railway Safety Regulations 1999 in relation to this matter."
This means that the Jacobite is still not open for bookings, with no 2026 season identified either. The Jacobite runs with seven coaches - the maximum length possible to allow a locomotive to 'run round' at Mallaig. To break this standoff, realistically the WCR would need about 24 coaches available to run both trains (including a reserve set) on a daily basis for the season to commence. WCR has approximately 80 coaches in its fleet, plus a handful of early Mark 2 coaches (dating from the late 1960s) which also do not have CDL fitted.
I have written this to clarify the ongoing debacle. I believe it needs clarity, not only for the coach-party booked holidays which would normally include a day on the Jacobite but are now putting their guests onto the heaving at the seams ScotRail timetabled public service trains. This is leading to chaos as customers booking "on the spot" are seeing reserved seats on the same journey, meaning that the aisles are full to standing just to glimpse the views. Some passengers are even sitting on the floor. When the overcrowded trains get into Mallaig the customers are wanting to complain to anyone who will listen. One hour later their road motor coaches whisk them away. Somehow there must be a solution - let's hope so - for all the establishments in Mallaig who try to juggle stuff, employment, accommodation, quantities of stock, etc. At least Caledonian MacBrayne are currently (fingers crossed) running all ferry services!

25 years ago - Thursday 17th May 2001
We are continuing a look-back to previous celebrations to honour the railway line between Fort William and Mallaig, then the centenary of the West Highland Line extension to Mallaig, which was celebrated when the great-grandson of the man who built it travelled along it in a private train. Sir William McAlpine, whose great-grandfather was Sir Robert 'Concrete Bob' McAlpine, unveiled commemorative plaque now installed inside Mallaig station's waiting room when he arrived in Mallaig, with his wife, on a beautiful sunny day. He was greeted by local dignitaries, local school children and Alistair Gillies of Mallaig Community Council who presented him with a box of Jaffy's Mallaig Kippers. Sadly he is now deceased but his legend lives on in Mallaig. At the time, Sir William was still heading up the engineering firm bearing his great-grandfather's name. He said, "The West Highland line extension is the most exciting, beautiful line in the world. Its history is full of drama, including the story of the horse and cart in the Loch nan Uamh viaduct which I never really believed to be true. Now we know it is true and I feel a little bit guilty that we were paid to bury a horse and cart into the structure of the viaduct."
With him at the ceremony was James Simpson Shipway, the great-grandson of the railway line's designer, Alexander Simpson. Mr Shipway said, "Railway engineering runs in the family and is something I have always been interested in. It is great to be here today and appreciate the difficulties my great-grandfather and Sir Robert McAlpine had to overcome to give us today our wonderful railway line."
Now, 125 years later with these structures still functioning, various celebrations will (and should) mark and remember their achievements in style. The exhibition is still in place at Mallaig Heritage Centre, marking this year's celebrations held on 1st April 2026. There are even fridge magnets of the 'Red Wheel Plaque' which is on show in pride of place having been unveiled this year by Lady Judy McAlpine, the widow of the great-grandson of the line's builder Sir Robert McAlpine. The plaque will eventually be displayed at Mallaig Railway Station. Get in touch with Glenfinnan Station Museum by visiting, or via the website (glenfinnanstationmuseum.co.uk) if you want to take part, contribute, or be kept informed.

Rail safety to hit home
Film industry experts who have worked on major productions like Game of Thrones and Harry Potter have helped develop a new series of rail safety films to be shown in Scottish schools. Network Rail is launching a series of five hard hitting safety films combining special effects and dramatic visual storytelling to help pupils better understand the risks of trespassing on the railway. Figures revealed that there were 255 trespass incidents in Scotland in 2025-2026, with more than 58% of those occurring over the summer months between April and August. Examples of dangerous behaviour include crossing the tracks instead of the footbridge at Shettleston station, swinging on level crossing barriers in Motherwell, dangling legs off the platform at Inverurie, and playing chicken with trains at Falkirk Grahamston. These films are available free to schools via the website switchedonrailsafety.co.uk alongside other lesson-ready teaching materials. I think it's important for parents to push for schools to apply for these free of charge with the school summer holidays coming up.

Luxury private train now available for hire
On Monday 18th May 2026 The Chairman's Train was unveiled at London Euston railway station. As well as being available for bespoke tours, it will be the first train in the UK available for private hire in its entirety. Groups of up to 16 passengers will be able to book this magnificently restored Chairman's Train for exclusive use. It consists of nine carriages and is decked out in classic 1950s 'blood and custard' livery. The coaches were previously used on Caledonian Sleeper services. Gutted and refitted by the engineering firm Independent Rail, they feature all new luxury interiors by designer Sarah Oliver. Guest suites are finished with handcrafted marquetry by the family firm that did the woodwork on the Titanic, plus fine linens, and walk-in showers. Upscale upholster George Smith produced bespoke sofas and footstools, with curtains crafted by Guy Goodfellow, plus additional furnishings and soothing lighting by Robert Kime. There are two bar cars, both with pianos, and a drawing room car with a cabinet of curiosities. The onboard pad, the Chairman's Suite is a double room with its own dressing room and twin basin bathroom. Everyone on board has access to panoramic observation cars. A dedicated single carriage rail 'bubble car' called Flora'will be used to take guests on excursions using remote branch lines and into locations unreachable by standard services. Opulent? Yes, but why not spread goodwill throughout the UK? From this summer the train will be hauled by a carefully selected combination of vintage steam, electric and diesel locomotives pulling touring trains for up to 16 passengers. The inaugural season begins with 'The West Highland Experience' from 10th-14th July, followed by a second tour 14th-18th August. The train will travel north on the West Coast Main Line, with an overnight stop at Armathwaite in the Eden Valley. On the second day the train will continue to Fort William, where Flora will transport passengers directly from the train to their hotel for a two-night stay not far away from Mallaig. Possibly Flora will transport the guests into Mallaig during their stay in our area.
Why am I telling you all this? Well, I think it is just the shot-in-the-arm boost that we need. During hotel stays breakfast and dinner will be taken at the hotel, with lunch included at one of Scotland's top flight restaurants. Plans are currently being finalised and could include a boat trip from Mallaig. Add into the mix the fact that photographers will be "all over us like a rash", hopefully the sun will shine, and a good time will be guaranteed to the guests. From 2027 the Chairman's Train will expand to include bespoke itineraries and exclusive private charters. Locomotive Services Ltd (LSL) already visit us, taking advantage of the UK's Open Access rail system allows firms to shoulder commercial risks to use the rail network. In 2022 it acquired Steam Dreams which offers a range of holidays aboard trains pulled by grand old steam locomotives such as Blue Peter and Britannia. For more details visit the website thechairmanstrain.com or call 020 78461200 for updates. Now, where is my winning Premium Bond ticket? I wish!
See you on the train!
Sonia Cameron

WEST WORD OUT AND ABOUT

As well as putting together your monthly West Word in print I will also be out and about across the West Word area every month. Over the coming months I will be visiting all of our stockists including the islands (ferries and weather conditions permitting!) I want to meet as many of our contributors and readers - and potential contributors and readers as I can, although some of our more scattered subscribers may not be getting an in person visit!
I took a day away from my desk putting this issue you are reading now together to attend the RNLI Gala Day in Mallaig on Saturday 30th May. After a couple of weeks of very hot weather followed by some rather wetter conditions I had been keeping a close eye on the forecast and my fingers crossed for the perfect spring mix of enough breeze to keep the midges away and any rainclouds moving along. It was lovely to catch up with several of the West Word committee members, put names to faces from some of our regular contributors and meet lots of our readers. I am not sure I will remember everyone's names and I definitely may not recognise you if you are not dressed up as a pirate next time I meet you but thank you to everyone who came and said 'hello'.

My joint jobs of Editor of West Word and Dè tha dol? will be taking me to shows, sports and events across the whole of the areas that the two publications cover over the summer months and it is lovely to know I will be accompanied at many of them by the wonderful sound of the Mallaig and Ardnamurchan District Pipe Band who will also be there at all the same events. This was the start of the season for us all so it was great to see and hear them at the Gala Day.

I really enjoyed the opportunity to board the Mallaig lifeboat for a look around, particularly as it left the Harbour earlier than I did as it had to attend to a shout. It was also fascinating to have a look around HM Coastguard's Ievoli Black towing vessel and a chat with one of the crew about life aboard. I also had a chat with the RNLI Water Safety Officer who will be contributing to West Word in the future with some water safety tips. As someone who is in the open water daily for swims and has spent a lot of time out at sea on ferries and boats from Arisaig and Mallaig I am very grateful to have only needed to board one of these boats as a curious and interested visitor rather than someone in need of rescuing. All of us living in coastal communities such as ours are very aware of what an important role is played by emergency services and opportunities to support them with fundraising and awareness raising such as the Gala Day are a great way to celebrate and recognise the vital work they do.
The Lifeboat news page will have a full update including the grand total raised at the Gala Day in our next issue but from me and West Word a big thank you and well done for putting on a great day.
Nic Goddard

Birdwatch by Stephen MacDonald - Sightings for May 2026

Plenty bird activity this month with the breeding season in full swing. The first reports of newly fledged birds with Robins, Dunnocks, Siskins, Blue Tits, House Sparrows etc. seen in many gardens.
The first broods of Canada Geese were seen on Loch Ailort on the 8th, with broods of Greylag the following day. The first Eider chicks were seen on the 24th, also on Loch Ailort. Several broods of Mallard were seen on Loch nan Eola during the month.
Lapwing chicks were first seen at Back of Keppoch on the 9th, Redshank chicks at Invercaimbe from the 22nd and Ringed Plover chicks near Traigh from the 24th. Although our local breeding waders have already produced chicks, many waders still passing through on their way to breeding grounds in the Arctic. Small groups of Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Sanderling and Turnstone were seen at Traigh, Camusdarroch and Back of Keppoch till the 28th at least. Around 20 Turnstone in full breeding plumage were seen near Roshven on 19th and six were seen on rocks there on the 28th.
Whimbrel passage was evident throughout the first three weeks of the month, with groups of 30 plus seen feeding in fields around Traigh golf course and Back of Keppoch. The last report was of four birds at Traigh on the 24th.
On several occasions small numbers of Black Tailed Godwits were seen feeding alongside the Whimbrel at Back of Keppoch and Invercaimbe.
Still a few Great Northern Divers lingering till the month-end, with reports from Mallaig, Camusdarroch, Traigh and Loch nan Uamh. The lone Whooper Swan was still at Loch nan Eola on the 28th.
Singing Wood Warblers were heard at several locations around Arisaig and also near Alisary, Loch Ailort.
The first Spotted Flycatcher was seen near Loch nan Eola on the 22nd, this is usually the last of our breeding birds to arrive.
Puffins were seen from the Skye ferry on the 8th and three Storm Petrels were seen in the Sound of Sleat on the 24th.