Blooming georgeous!

Spring is here! We have been gifted some stunning days these past few weeks, and our roadsides, gardens and woods are bursting into colour. Just look at this incredible array of reader photos!
West Word's home base of Morar did itself especially proud this March, with dancing trumpets of daffodils leading all the way through the village. Like them, most of the short-lived wildflowers that appear in early spring are yellow or white-a blink of sunshine after the long, dull days of winter. Turn to page 17 for our Guide to the West Highlands' Spring Ephemerals and how to spot them over the next month or so-and to read about the "No Mow May" movement that has exploded in popularity over the last few years.

Ann Martin

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Hello West Word readers!
New Editor, Ceri, here. I'm looking forward to getting to know many of you in the coming months. If you have an idea for the paper, want to share a tip, or if you would like help developing a story of your own - please don't be shy to reach out and say hi!
This month, Henrik Chart did exactly that; you can read his fascinating account of the nuclear reactor almost built at Arisaig on Page 7.
I'll be putting together a short survey soon, so that I can learn a bit more about who our readers are and what they enjoy reading most. Look out for that on Facebook in the next couple of weeks - and in the next issue of West Word. A huge thank you to all the regular contributors, who not only put up with a bit of a squeeze this month to bring their deadlines forward and get the issue out early, but did so with good grace! You all knocked it out of the park. Thank you also to the Board of Directors for such a warm and enthusiastic welcome. Special thanks to Simon, for help wrangling the printer and fielding questions at all hours!
Finally, a gigantic thank you to outgoing Editor, Kirsty Bloom, who has been inordinately generous with her time and wisdom. Kirsty, yours are some big shoes to fill and I hope I can pick up where you left off.
Ceri Perkins
editor@westword.org.uk
Morar Station Building, Morar PH40 4PB

KNOYDART

Birches are flushing with lime green leaves, bluebells are emerging from the forest floor and red throated divers have returned to Hill lochans following the passing of the spring equinox.
Knoydart Hall events are known for being on the livelier side, so it was tentatively that locals arrived at a silent disco at the end of March. For once, there was an excuse for dancing to your own tune, with headphone-donning dancers exhibiting their best moves on the hall's oak floorboards. The hall will next see action in mid-April when the Black Hills Ceilidh Band headline Easter celebrations.
Speaking of celebrations… On Friday 30th March, The Old Forge commemorated three years of community ownership with tunes and complimentary scran. The place was certainly rocking and this writer was not alone in having a rough headache on Saturday. It was striking looking at how far the pub has come since it moved into community ownership, with our bar transformed both visually and atmospherically.
Saturday mornings in recent weeks have seen residents participating in a 5K round Inverie woods. West Word reading runners and walkers are welcome to join-every Saturday at half 9 at The Table opposite the pub.
Knoydart Forest Trust utilised the Knoydart Tree Nursery polytunnels for a tree grafting workshop led by Drumfearn Trees, with 45 apple trees grafted by the green-fingered participants.

It's not just in our woodlands that birch are showing their lively colours. The Tree Nursery is bursting with life at the moment, with Jacqui and Trish tending to tens of thousands of seedlings that they collected from Knoydart trees in 2024. All of these will be planted on our peninsula by the KFTs tireless team of tree planters, meaning the vibrant greens which have greeted us this past month will be even more prominent in the years to come.
We will be saying goodbye to Liz and Andy Tibbetts who are moving to Inverness after over 30 years at Doune. We all wish you the very best!
Finally, the women of Knoydart did it again! They raised a total of £1462 on International Women's Day (8th March), which will be split between Lochaber Women's Aid and Emergency Appeal for Gaza (by Forgotten Women). Thanks so much to everyone in the Knoydart community for being so generous with their donations, but also to everyone who got into the spirit of it, dressed up and joined in with our night of carnival fun.
Finlay Greig

ISLE OF CANNA

Calving has now begun in earnest. The farm team has been hard at work ensuring all the new calves arrive safely and dealing with feisty cow mums. We are delighted to have the first red Beltie girl born in Canna-up to now, we'd only had red Beltie boys!
The run up to lambing is well under way. The big barn and stable are both set out in preparation for what is the busiest time of the year for the farm. Sheep are being gathered, moved about the fields and organised.
If you fancy learning more about lambing, why not come to Canna for the Lambing Weekend? The dates are: Friday 18th April to Sunday 20th April. You will be able to see the lambing stable, talk to the farm team and maybe even feed a lamb.
Alongside the Lambing Weekend, the NTS are running their annual Easter Trail on the same weekend. This is taking place in Canna House Garden. Tickets can be booked via the Canna NTS Eventbrite page for both events.
Winnie had a very interesting beach find along at Tarbert - a drift card from the oil tanker Argo Merchant, which sank off Nantucket Island in 1976. The drift cards were thrown into the oil spill as a way of monitoring how far the oil spill travelled. Each drift card has a serial number and asks the finder to contact the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). We have contacted NOAA and they have asked for more information so they can do a blog post about it. Winnie's drift card has travelled across the Atlantic and landed on our shores some 49 years later. The plastic card is largely unscathed and still has some oil attached to it-a shocking example of how plastics really don't degrade!

The community has done a couple of beach cleans over the past month. The winter storms always bring more marine litter so we've been gradually working our way around the bay clearing as best we can. All the marine litter goes into our dedicated marine litter skip down on the pier. If you are visiting Canna this season, the Ranger will be setting up marine litter stations at various points around the bay with bags, pickers and gloves so you can do your bit to help us keep on top of it. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Aileen and Jane have worked hard over the winter to upgrade our Community Shop-it's been painted, new shelving has been installed, the new shop shed has been organised and we now have a dedicated area for island crafts. Thank you to Aileen and Jane for all your hard work. We look forward to welcoming our visitors to the new, improved community shop!
We'd like to welcome Karen Clark, her husband William and their dog Nova to Canna. Karen is the new Canna House Manager and will be overseeing the smooth running of Canna House which opens to the public this season. Karen comes to us from NTS Perthshire with a wealth of experience in visitor services and management.
Margaret Willington

ISLE OF RUM

And then, as if by magic, everything starts happening.
We held our biannual familiarisation day, where we welcome businesses from the tourist and hospitality industry to find out more about what Rùm has to offer. It was a fantastic day with tours of the village, a 4x4 safari out onto the NNR, delicious food-including venison burgers cooked by Dave and Inge-and Askival Rum tasting. These events always go down well, and we get great feedback. Thanks to Elle and Lesley for the organisation. Special mention for the Rùm ponies who made the day a bit more special.
In NNR news, Kenny the vet was over giving the older ponies a health and dental check and took blood samples from three of the mares, who we hope are pregnant.
Improvements to the Coire Dubh track in the form of bridges, make it easier to cross some of the burns and mean you can keep your feet dry for longer. Two new volunteers have been welcomed for the summer and are already busy with a variety of tasks on the nature reserve.

More nature news from Sean, with his bird round up… Lapwings have been displaying on the crofts; perhaps as many as four pairs, but certainly two. Glaucous Gulls were spotted at Kilmory on 2nd and 25th March, and Iceland Gulls also at Kilmory on 2nd March and at Kinloch on 20th and 30th March, and the first Lesser Black-back Gull of spring was seen in Kinloch on 25th March. Manx Shearwaters were back mid-month, a Wheatear was spotted at Kilmory on 21st March, Hawfinch in Kinloch on 31st March, and there have been several groups of Whooper Swans throughout the month. The Eiders are displaying and oohing, which means spring to me.
At the campsite, we are building two composting toilets and a cooking shelter extension to improve facilities for campers. They are mid-construction now, and will be ready for use before long. The yacht moorings will be back in the water before Easter, if you're planning a boat adventure to Rùm. Drift, local craft and upcycling shop is open for the season and full of lovely handmade goodies, and our new craft shop, Hebridean Witch Crafts, opens this week too. Lots for visitors to spend their money on!
On 9th May, to celebrate 15 years of community ownership, we'll be having another open day. During the afternoon, there will be an exhibition of pictures highlighting our achievements and future plans, and some words and stories from the community. This will be followed by a ceilidh in the evening-the band will be Ross Martin, Gabe MacVarish and Ewan Cameron. It looks to be a cracking day, and there will be food too. The ceilidh is £10 on the door, see you there.
Further ahead, we're planning a Dark Sky Festival to take place in November, exciting and more details on this later.
Fliss Fraser

ISLE OF EIGG

Spring seemed to arrive this month on Eigg, with warmer weather, daffodils, and buds bursting open on rowan, willow, and chestnut trees everywhere. This came at the end of our 'Food 4 All' Winter Meals project, where each week, Kat, Gabe, Eilidh or Felicia cooked up over 50 meals for us to enjoy warm in the hall or pick up frozen in the shop-all for free, funded by the National Lottery Cost of Living fund at The Hubbub Community Fridge fund. We hope to share more meals together with sporadic community lunches or dinners throughout the summer. A huge thank you to all those involved, particularly Marina who has done an excellent job as Coordinator.
The Isle of Eigg Brewery welcomed us into the Taproom last Friday for beer and pizza by Dougal to celebrate the re-opening of the Taproom for summer. It was a brilliant evening with a great turnout to support the Brewery.
Martin and Jaimie from HM Coastguard were on Eigg this month training up five new Coastguard Rescue Officer's (CRO's). There will be two more weekends of training before the course is complete. This will bring the Eigg Coastguard team up from four to nine, relieving pressure on the currently small team, and ensuring that there are CRO's from all corners of the Island. This came just a week after six residents were trained as First Responders, learning how to take blood pressure and blood oxygen levels, as well as perform other medical first aid. These teams can work together, combining skills and knowledge to best respond to incidents and coordinate with the lifeboat and helicopters to get both residents and visitors the best possible care. Having such a large and diverse group able to respond to incidents is incredibly reassuring. A huge thanks to all of the trainers who have come over to make this possible!

Eigg's two EV chargers-one at the pier and one in Cleadale-have now been installed by the Stortera engineers, who in their spare time did a bit of paragliding off the Cleadale cliffs and celebrated the solstice with everyone else at a bonfire organised on Croft 17! The EV charger system has been specially designed for the Eigg stand-alone grid, but won't be operational until the grid is provided with a bit more power.
March also saw the return of Paul, the Breton Sea scout who came to Eigg with his group last summer-this time as a volunteer for All about Willow. Paul brought his pal Anne and together they organised a Breton Fest Noz with the special dance that you have to do holding on to each other by your pinkie. Much fun was had by all the participants! They've promised to come back for more pancakes, Breton dancing and singing!
March was a disappointing month for Solas Eige however, as intense competition for the Scottish Land Fund meant that their bid to fund the acquisition of St Columba's church was not successful. All is not lost, however, as they have been invited to resubmit when they have had a chance to carry out the necessary electrical and mechanical survey to determine the cost of heating the building - a missing piece in the funding equation at present. At the EGM that was called, the members unanimously agreed to keep going. An unexpected boost to the on-going fundraising was provided by a German photographer who donated his beautiful images of Eigg to be sold for the acquisition fund!
What was not a disappointment was that Phoenix, the company that came over to drill for water, hit its target at 4 metres down! A huge sigh of relief for our Business Development Officer, for whom this moment did not come one minute too soon. The Grianan house project can now start without any further delay!
Eilidh MacGlip & Camille Dressler

ISLE OF MUCK

Hello Muck Calling...... well it's official, Muck is open for the new season after a flurry of activity in readiness, The Green Shed has had a scrub out and touch up and is stocked with some fab island crafts. Be aware, though, if you come on your own boat: the Mowi pontoon is currently out of action and awaiting repair by Gael Force. It should be back in place by around the second week in April.
The Lodge has been busy too, with new 'roads' being fashioned across parts of the north end to eliminate a lot of the deep ruts made during shoot season (which was particularly wet, this year). Hopefully a lot easier to traverse now. Toby is very proud of his handiwork and was like a pig in the proverbial..!
True to form, the lambs held off being born until the weather turned colder and wetter-just to keep everyone on their toes-but now there's no stopping them... The Croft is well underway, with the Farm running about five weeks later as the calves are pretty much all here now... so DOGS ON A LEAD please.
Our Skip area has had a massive clearout, but never seems to get any emptier or clearer. This is puzzling, considering we couldn't fit an old spoon into the skip provided but, as the driver remarked, it had a real heft to it as his lorry springs groaned and sank.
We have had a sharp drop in our population this month, with the departure of both Keepers. Young Freddy is heading home to Yorkshire as his dream position has opened up close to 'Mam'... and Carl, Megan and their five children are also on to pastures new. We wish them all the very best moving forward. And finally, we hope that all Mothers were suitably pampered and looked after on the 30th. Ooops! If you forgot, you can bet Mum won't...!
Bruce Boyd

A Changing of the Guard at West Word

There's a new Editor at the helm! Ceri Perkins will be sitting in the chair next to the big button marked 'Don't Panic' and we, the Directors, are delighted.
With an MSc in Science Communication and a BSc Hons in Atmospheric Science, we don't think she'll need the panic button. She has an impressive track record as both a staff and freelance journalist, writing, editing and fact-checking stories for prestigious publications including The Guardian, TED Ideas and the BBC. Her interests include the environment, sustainable living and nature, among many other things. Ceri has worked in Geneva, Madrid, New York City and London, before coming to Mallaig three years ago to help her mother on the family croft. She is very interested in the history and ecology of the area, as well as the local community, and since being here has joined the Mallaig Community Hub Board, volunteering in the shop.
Ceri says: "Everyone in Mallaig as been so friendly and welcoming, and lately I've been looking to make connections in the wider community. Being Editor of West Word feels like the ideal opportunity to both use my editorial skills to serve the community, and to gain a deeper understanding of local stories, histories, characters and concerns."
While we are pleased to have Ceri join us, we are of course very saddened to say goodbye to Kirsty Bloom. Kirsty has been the Editor since 2017, achieving a great deal in her eight years. At the end of her first year, West Word won Community Newspaper of the Year in the annual Highlands and Islands Media Awards, and since then we have been shortlisted three times. Kirsty updated the look of the paper in a number of ways, most notably being the masthead, which was changed in November 2023. She oversaw our 25th and 30th anniversary issues, and had the great idea for 25th anniversary of overseeing its production by Mallaig High School pupils, who were celebrating 30 years of the school. Join us in wishing her the best of luck with her new ventures, and we hope she'll keep in touch with us.
Directors: Ann Martin, Jacqueline McDonell, Camille Dressler, Kathy Bradshaw, Simon Bradshaw and Claire Wortley.

News in Brief

Arisaig's Church of Scotland has been sold to a private buyer for an unknown sum. It joins the increasingly long list of parish churches being sold off by Church authorities, a sad comment on our times which will leave many small villages without a place of worship and unable to hold local weddings, funerals and christenings.

The local community group, which had hoped to purchase the building to turn into affordable homes and a community hub, were able to make an offer for the asking price of £135,000 after receiving a private donation for that sum, but the Church opted to sell it to what is believed to be the second highest bidder.

The Princes House Hotel in Glenfinnan has new owners-sisters Kirsty and Rona are reverting to its original name of The Stage House and will be running it as a quality B&B. Until recently, the sisters were running Glenuig Inn, which they took over in May 2021, and which has now passed into community ownership.

Mallaig Lifeboat Log

20th March, 2025
Mallaig RNLI lifeboat Henry Alston Hewat, was on exercise as two crew members were being assessed to become Tier 2 crew. Whilst on exercise, the lifeboat was anchored off Morar and the daughter craft was 1 mile away. It was at this moment that the lifeboat was tasked by HM Coastguard to attend a hillside fire at Ardintigh, Loch Nevis. The crew made a speedy return to Mallaig to collect 12 Scottish Fire and Rescue Service firefighters and all of their equipment, before heading down the loch. However, the decision was made to stand down, due to the fire burning a long distance away from any dwellings or people.

22nd March, 2025
The Mallaig RNLI lifeboat was tasked by HM Coastguard to support a vessel with a diesel generator fire at 18:13. The crew headed to Loch Hourn- where the fish farm feed barge was in trouble-but were only required to be on standby as the fire had already been contained and eventually died out. Thankfully there were no casualties.

RNLI needs YOU!

We are on the lookout for new faces to join the Mallaig RNLI station. The volunteer roles of LOM (Lifeboat Operations Manager) and DLA (Deputy Launching Authority) are essential to the daily operations of the station. The LOM is responsible for the day-to-day running of the lifeboat station and has the authority to launch the boat. The LOM is supported by one or more DLAs who can act in their absence and take responsibility for authorising the launch of the lifeboat. If you live locally and could volunteer your time we would love to hear from you. Please pop into the station or give us a call (01687 462579) and the Coxswain and crew will happily chat to you further about the requirements of the roles.
Jessica Logan

News from Mallaig Harbour

Those of you who live in Mallaig may have noticed that we have an issue with the lighthouse at the moment. Sometimes it's not lit at all, and sometimes it is flashing erratically. The Harbour Master and his Deputy have done a bit of investigation along with Colin King and we have established that the fault is with the cable running from the Outer Harbour to the lighthouse. We are currently looking at whether we should repair this, or whether a better option is to install solar power to the light and hopefully future-proof it. In the meantime, we are asking vessels to please take extra care on the approach to Mallaig. Thankfully, most vessels using the Harbour are familiar with the approach, but we have issued warnings about the light not being reliable.
We had a number of visiting fishing vessels throughout March, bringing a welcome boost to the month's landings, and ensuring that the Outer Harbour has been busy. We had a nifty bit of berthing by the Ronja Challenger on 12th March, when she slipped in ahead of the Endeavour, who was landing.
The old Denholms Ice Plant has now been demolished, so the skyline has changed in the Outer Harbour. The work has been undertaken by David Morton (Larbert) Ltd., who have done a great job.

The solar panels have arrived for the feed store, and will hopefully be installed the second week of April. The Harbour Staff and Colin King have been undertaking some preparatory works, including getting the cables in place between the feed shed and the power shed. Meanwhile, the works to Jary's Wharf have been delayed. These are tidal, so we are not sure when they will happen now! The area of the pier where they are due to take place is looking very clear and tidy, and Milligan Transport have been relocated to the end of the fish pier for the duration of the works.
The Marina re-opened for the season on Monday 31st March, and we were pleased to welcome back Gena McLean. We're also pleased to welcome Jacob Coleman-Hallsworth, who is working with us for the season. The first week or so since reopening has seen a bit of disruption, as we go through the process of installing five new pontoon fingers on the boatyard side of the Marina. This will allow us to do a bit of rearranging of some of the vessels using the pontoon, and make more room for visiting yachts.
We hosted the first meeting to establish a Ferry User's Group on 7th March, and the second on 3rd April. Initially this group will focus on the Mallaig/Armadale run, and we have decided it should be known as the Sound of Sleat Ferry User's Group. We recognise that some of the issues are wider than the Mallaig/Armadale route and so there will be some crossover with the Small Isles and Lochboisdale routes. This will be especially true for tourism accommodation businesses locally, where disruption on any of the routes may result in cancelations.
On 20th March two of the Board and I attended the 'West Highland Vision' conference, which was organised by the West Highland Chamber of Commerce, in association with Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and took place in the West Highland Cinema in Fort William. It was an interesting day, in particular listening to the potential opportunities arising from the Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport, and the SSE Transmission works to be undertaken. While these are important opportunities for the Highlands, the challenge will be to ensure that the West Coast also benefits from the works.
It's the time of year where we advertise for new Board Members. We have two Board Members who have served their second term, and who could be reappointed by exception. However, we are advertising to see whether there are others who might be interested in being appointed to the Board, and who might bring different skills to the table. You can find the advert on Page 26.
Finally, it would be rude to finish without saying a big Thank You to Kirsty for all her hard work in editing West Word over the last eight years, and offering a warm welcome to Ceri, who is taking over!
Jacqueline McDonell
01687 462154

On and Off the Rails

Hello. It's me again, attempting to write my second column in the one calendar month! Our new editor, Ceri, is enthusiastic that she can bring the paper out earlier in the month, if we columnists hit our deadlines. Brilliant idea! It has always been the intention, and we all agree that it should happen. So here we go!
Ceri, I hope you relish and enjoy the task of editor. Kirsty, enjoy reading West Word. Thank you for everything, and good luck in your future ventures!

ScotRail news
On Tuesday March 11th, earlier than expected, the new Highland Explorer Carriage was added to the 12:22pm train service running from Glasgow Queen Street Station to Fort William. The new carriage includes 24 table seats and more leg room, and can accommodate up to 20 bicycles, skis and other sporting equipment. Previously a four-car train, the Super Sprinter will now be capable of carrying up to 572 passengers and allowing them to depart safely onto newly lengthened platforms all the way along the West Highland line.
Network Rail Scotland has received £1.7 million from the Scottish Government to extend eight station platforms along the West Highland main line, so that longer trains can be introduced at Fort William.
The platform extensions, which will allow all five carriages to be accommodated at stations along the branch line to Mallaig, have been given clearance to be carried out, but Network Rail have yet to proceed. For now, the Highland Explorer Carriage is uncoupled at Fort William from Monday to Saturday-while the remaining four carriages continue on to Mallaig and back-and rejoins the others on their return journey to Glasgow Queen Street Station later in the day. This arrangement is advertised to continue until 17th May. Does this mean that the works may have been completed by then..? We will await with interest!

ScotRail trials new eco fuel
ScotRail has launched a trial to test hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) as a sustainable alternative to diesel in one of its Class 156 trains. This class of train is used daily on the branch line to Mallaig, as well as on the main line to Glasgow from Fort William. The trial, which began in February, will run for 12 weeks at ScotRail's Corkerhill Depot. To facilitate the trial, a dedicated HVO fuel tank has been installed at Corkerhill Depot, with weekly fuel deliveries scheduled to support the operation of the Class 156 unit (156436), which will continue to serve passengers during the trial period.
If the trial is successful, HVO could serve as a "transition fuel" until carbon-neutral options such as green hydrogen are more accessible. A renewable fuel source, HVO is derived from waste products of agricultural and food production. ScotRail Sustainability Head, Poul Wend Hansen said: "This trial is an exciting step forward in our commitment to reducing the environmental impact of Scotland's railways." He added: "HVO has the potential to significantly lower our carbon footprint while allowing us to continue using existing diesel trains more sustainably. We're eager to see the results and assess how this fuel could be part of a greener future for rail travel."
By switching to HVO, carbon emissions could be reduced by up to 16%, and air quality could improve by nearly one-third in comparison to conventional diesel fuel, according to ScotRail. HVO may also offer reduced emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter, and carbon monoxide (black smoke). I will support the results of the trial.

4G installation at Carrour
More than 40,000 people have used the 4G coverage at Carrour station in the eight months since the technology was installed!
Alan Mann Clark, ScotRail's Head of IT, said: "This project is a fantastic example of how innovative technology can transform connectivity in remote locations."
The connection, which extends a few hundred metres from the station, utilises cutting-edge satellite connectivity, integrated with ScotRail's network technology. This ensures a resilient and high-speed connection, despite Carrour's extreme remoteness and lack of broadband infrastructure. This news is conveyed by Luddite Sonia Cameron using an A4 writing pad and a v5 high-tech pen. Hope you enjoyed reading about it with a cup of tea as much as I did writing about it; each to our own pleasures.

The 2025 Jacobite season
Welcome to Mallaig. Enjoy the journey, traversing our wonderful West Highland Extension line from Fort William. Enjoy your time whilst here and haste-ye-back!
Dates of operation are as follows:
Morning service: Monday 7th April to Friday 24th October - seven days a week.
Afternoon service: Monday 5th May to Friday 26th September -seven days a week.
You can keep up to date with the possibility of a third train running on summer evenings, by going to www.westcoastrailways.co.uk/jacobite .

West Highland Pullman and Royal Scotsman visits
The sellout Pullman touring train continues to occupy the 12:20pm time slot-soon be given over to the Jacobite. Passengers on the Pullman are always piped into the station (which means that passengers arriving on the 1:35pm ScotRail Super Sprinter service get the bonus of being piped in too!). The latest round of guests departed from St. Albans on Friday 28th March, spent two nights in Fort William, visited Mallaig on the 29th, and returned to St. Albans on Sunday 30th.
I was pleased to learn that the sparkling water served on the train is supplied by a company that supports lifeboat volunteers through the National Independent Lifeboat Association. Coastal Spring water, which has a lifeboat on its label, has raised over £170,000 for the cause to date. What an altruistic thing to do!
The next Pullman tour will arrive in Fort William from Stafford on Friday 11th April, and may visit Mallaig on the 12th. But as we go to press, the only time slot for them to visit us will be mid-afternoon; the morning slot will be occupied by the Royal Scotsman's first visit to Mallaig in 2025. With its capacity of at least 12 coaches, that could make for a very busy Saturday in Mallaig! What will be will be.
Between April 12th and the start of August, Mallaig could receive a total of 12 Saturday visits from the Royal Scotsman. Although it may be that, as in previous years, guests are taken off the train at Arisaig, then bussed along the Old Road to Morar beach-to paddle and have oysters and champagne-before returning to Arisaig to board their return train.
Whether the guests make it to Mallaig or not, I know for a fact that many of the staff dash around Mallaig making purchases to fulfil guests' requests-newspapers, bottled water, bags of ice, lottery tickets … the list goes on and on. I'm almost out of time and space, so let me close by thanking Alexander McDonell for piping in the guests on the West Highland Pullman afternoon visit from Swansea on Saturday 22nd March. He did a splendid rendition of tunes. Many videos were taken on phones, which will no doubt be played to friends-who will then want to visit themselves!
See you on the train,
Sonia Cameron

Chris goes to Hollywood!

Long term residents and readers of West Word will remember Chris Lemons' miraculous escape from death when he survived without oxygen for 35 minutes at the bottom of the North Sea. At the time, Chris lived in Morar and, badgered by the world's press for his story, he kindly gave his first interview to Westword. Now his ordeal has been made into a Hollywood film, and it is receiving rave reviews. "Gripping from beginning to end, it's a tribute to Last Breath's effectiveness that despite a short running time and simple plot, the stakes are conveyed so well that you may be holding your own breath through sheer tension," says CityAM. The Guardian, meanwhile, notes that the story "exemplifies the possibilities of human collaboration".

It was 2012 and Chris was a deep sea diver, going down in a diving bell to repair oil rig structures. The bell was connected to the ship by an umbilical cord and whilst working outside the bell Chris was connected to the bell by a personal umbilical cord which gave him both oxygen and warmth. In a freak accident, while Chris was outside the bell the ship lost control and drifted away, causing Chris' own umbilical cord to stretch and break. He crashed to the bottom of the sea, 100m (300ft) down, black and freezing. He somehow managed to cling on to the structure. When his colleagues managed to reach him 35 minutes later they assumed he was dead. But when he was back in the diving bell, he amazingly recovered consciousness almost at once. The incredible story was made into a documentary in 2019, called Last Breath, and now a Hollywood film of the same name has just been released. Finn Cole pays Chris, while the colleagues who didn't give up on him and saved his life, David Yuasa and Duncan Allcock, are played by Simu Liu and Woody Harrelson respectively. Since its release earlier this month, the film had has huge box office success. Chris and his former colleagues went to Hollywood to meet the cast. Chris continued to work as a diver until 2023, and still works for the same company, instructing divers. He is also a keynote speaker. He now lives in France with his wife Morag and two children.
You can read the original article in our online archive: www.westword.org.uk/oct2012.html
Ann Martin

Arisaig's Nuclear Near-miss!

Loch Morar has inspired stories and legends for centuries. One particularly intriguing local tale suggests that, shortly after World War II, the UK government considered using the loch's exceptionally pure water to support an emerging nuclear programme. Although this rumour has claims of a mysterious "heavy water¹ station," archival evidence reveals a more complex-and factual-account.

Why Loch Morar mattered
After the war, Britain began investigating locations where it could build its first nuclear reactor.² At the time, a specific type of reactor-similar to the American "Hanford B" reactor-was considered, but it needed vast quantities of ultra-pure water for cooling. Loch Morar, renowned for its waters' purity and volume, was a promising candidate. Documents from 1948 show that the UK Atomic Energy Research Establishment at Harwell did indeed test samples from Loch Morar, to see if its waters would meet the strict requirements for the water-cooled reactor. Though Loch Morar's water was exceptionally pure, scientists discovered that it contained more chloride than the reactor design could tolerate. This finding alone was enough to rule out the loch as a viable source. Strangely, the government continued exploring the wider area around Arisaig and Mallaig. The low population density, good rail links, and port facilities at Mallaig were seen as major advantages for transporting materials, setting up workers' camps, and establishing emergency evacuation routes-similar to what the American scientists had done at Hanford in Washington State.

A near miss
While thirteen possible UK sites were considered at various stages, Arisaig was deemed "the most attractive". A committee even drew up plans to house construction workers in Mallaig, and drafted a housing scheme for staff at the Rhumach, southwest of Arisaig. Fortunately for Arisaig and Morar, Britain eventually opted for an alternative design that cooled reactor cores using air rather than water. As a result, two air-cooled reactors were built at Sellafield in Cumbria, both coming online in October 1950. These reactors went on to produce the nation's first plutonium in 1951, paving the way for Britain's inaugural nuclear bomb, tested in the Montebello islands off the north west coast of Australia in October 1952.
For those living by Loch Morar, this was undoubtedly a lucky escape: a Hanford-style reactor would have changed the peaceful landscape around Mallaig, Morar and Arisaig beyond recognition. Not only that, the challenges associated with storing and processing radioactive waste, as well as the eventual decommissioning of the reactor, may have posed lasting contamination risks to the local environment-complications the Sellafield site is grappling with today. Still, local lore persisted, with some accounts mistakenly suggesting that a nuclear facility was secretly built at the loch in 1947.

A cinematic twist?
In later years, people have speculated that writer-director Bill Forsyth may have drawn inspiration from these events for his film "Local Hero." The movie depicts an American oil company's plans to transform a tranquil coastal village, sparking tension between modern industry and traditional community life. While no direct link to the Loch Morar project has been confirmed, the movie's themes of development versus preservation echo the very real possibility that this picturesque corner of Scotland could once have become ground zero for the nation's early nuclear ambitions.
Today, Loch Morar is best known for its serene beauty and historical charm. Yet the story serves as a reminder of how close this quiet Highland enclave came to playing a key role in Britain's nuclear journey, and of the remarkable power that a country's energy needs can hold over even the most tranquil places.
by Henrik Chart

Note: Information relating to this story appeared in an article written by Steuart Campbell, printed in the May 1994 edition of Scottish Field. I must thank Mairi Mclean and Anna Cornelius for introducing me to the Heavy Water story and Alison Stewart for a copy of Campbell's article and her views on this text.
¹ Hydrogen (H-1) is the lightest element. It has two isotopes: deuterium (H-2) and radioactive tritium (H-3). The vast majority of water (H2O) molecules contain simple H-1 hydrogen atoms. However, in exceptionally pure natural water approximately 0.015% contain deuterium hydrogen atoms instead-and are known as 'Heavy water'. Nuclear Physics established that Heavy water can act as an important moderator in nuclear chain reactions, where the movement of neutrons must be slowed down.
² The reactor processes naturally-occurring radioactive isotope uranium-235 in a fission reaction, which generates neutrons that can be absorbed by uranium-238 to produce weapons-grade plutonium-239

Join the No Mow May movement this spring!

With the lighter nights and warmer weather creeping in, many of us find our thoughts turning to our gardens. It won't be long now before mowing the grass reclaims its spot as the most repetitive and disliked task of the summer… If that sounds familiar, why not give yourself a break-for the month of May, at least-and join the 'No Mow May' movement? You'll be doing an immeasurable favour to nature, and can banish the mower or strimmer to the shed until later in the year-completely guilt free!
The No Mow May campaign, launched in 2019 by wild plant conservation charity Plantlife, urges gardeners and councils to let fields, gardens and road verges grow wild and unkempt for the month of May, allowing long grasses and wildflowers to flourish.
Since the 1930s, the UK has lost a staggering 97% of its wildflower-rich meadows. Nearly half our species of wild plants are now at risk of extinction, squeezing food supplies for essential pollinating insects including bees, butterflies and-recently added to the list of species that urgently need our help--hoverflies. These pollinators are crucial for plant reproduction and food security. Even a small grassy patch left to grow wild for a month can help enormously. Besides helping wildlife, No Mow May is a chance to reconnect with nature. I challenge anyone to observe the wild beauty of an uncut lawn and fail to gain a deeper appreciation of the critical role of biodiversity and the delicate balance of ecosystems. A grass lawn has little to offer in comparison-just a manicured desert.
Joining the movement is as simple as neglecting to mow your lawn (or a patch of it)! You can also spread the word among friends and neighbours, and visit plantlife.org.uk for a treasure trove of downloadable materials and information about wild plants.
Send us your photos at the end of May to show us what your grass patch has turned into!

Birdwatch March 2025 by Stephen MacDonald

March typically sees the arrival of the first summer migrants. On the 23rd, a Wheatear at Traigh was the first report of the year. On the same day, two Sand Martins were seen in Arisaig and a Chiffchaff was heard calling at Woodside, Morar, with one seen in a garden nearby on the 25th.
The first Great Skua was reported on the 8th in the Sound of Sleat, with Manx Shearwaters seen from mid-month. The fist Lesser Black-backed Gulls were seen in Mallaig from the 28th.
Lapwings were seen back on breeding sites around Back of Keppoch and Loch nan Eala during the month.
Increasing numbers of Skylarks, Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails as the month progressed.
Varying numbers of Whooper Swans were reported from Loch nan Eala, with a high of 13 mid-month, but just two remaining by month end. There were several reports of Whooper Swans heading north during the month. On the last two days, several skeins of Pink-footed Geese were seen heading north.
Wintering Slavonian and Little Grebes were still on Loch nan Ceall, along with several Common Socters. Red-Breasted Mergansers were on Loch Morar, Loch nan Ceall, Lach Ailort and the Morar Estuary. A pair of Goosanders were regulars on the Morar River, and there was a report of 13 seen on a hill loch above Carnach, Borrodale on the 25th. Shelduck were reported from Loch nan Ceall and Camusdarach. Goldeneye were seen regularly on Loch Morar.
Great Northern Divers were widely reported around the coast. Black-throated Divers were back on their breeding lochs, and Red-throats could be heard calling as they flew inland to reach the hill lochs where they breed.
Still-wintering Waders, seen with Purple Sandpipers and Turnstones, were reported from Mallaig.
Greenshank seen at Loch Ailort, Loch nan Ceall and the Morar Estuary will probably have been birds on passage to their breeding grounds.
Two Moorhen were seen on Loch nan Eala on several occasions. The Water Rail was a regular visitor to a Rhubana View garden throughout the month. One was heard calling on the 27th, in a marshy area between Loch nan Eala and the Glen House, Arisaig. There was a late report of one photographed in a garden on 25th February, in a garden near Columba Road, Morar.
A Kingfisher was seen on the 23rd near Loch nan Eala, Arisaig, and there were several sightings on the Morar River during the second half of the month. Yellowhammers were reported from Morar, Arisaig and Druimindarroch. Reed Buntings were present at Loch nan Eala and Rhubana, Morar.
A Long-eared Owl was seen on the 14th in Arisaig and a Barn Owl was seen hunting in the early evening near Woodside, Morar on the 19th.