LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

We're holding our AGM at the West Word office in Morar on Tuesday 20th August at 7.30pm. Everyone welcome! There was a wee hiccup with the printer last month which delayed some of the copies going out - my apologies. All sorted now - hopefully this month will be a smooth run. The last of the local Highland Games for the season - the Glenfinnan Gathering - takes place on Saturday 17th August. Hope you enjoy the roundup of the local Games so far in this issue! As always, my thanks to Morag and Ewen for helping out with the printing.
Kirsty Bloom
editor@westword.org.uk

MALLAIG COMMUNITY HUB NOW OPEN!

After many, many months of hard work, Mallaig Community Hub and Shop is now officially open! Current opening hours are 10am - 5pm, Monday to Friday, with an earlier opening time of 9am planned once school starts again. Selling groceries, organic fruit and vegetables, local crafts and sweet treats, the shop also has a refillery stocked with dried goods and cleaning products. Come in, look around, and have a blether!
The Hub would welcome volunteers to help out, even if it's just for an hour or so. Please pop in or contact them on mallaighub@gmail.com if you can spare some time. Renovations of the building are continuing, with a multi-activity space planned, where events will be held in future such as the beeswax wrap workshop which took place in the Hub earlier this month.
Check out Mallaig Community Shop on facebook for updates!

KNOYDART

Well, this has possibly been the worst summer I can remember for a few years . . . mostly rain interspaced with the odd decent day thrown in to remind us it IS actually meant to be summer. Those sunny days have certainly been made the most of, with the kids (not just the kids!) dropping everything to squeeze in a swim, lawn mowers going, vegetable patches being attended to, washing hung out, painting being done, and all the things that cannot generally be achieved in the pouring rain!
Congratulations to Danni and Brendan who celebrated getting married, here on Knoydart on the 6th July, and what a lovely local wedding it was.
The Garden Fete was a success, with a decent turnout of folk, rain that held off most of the day, and Karin's never ending supply of prizes for the hook a duck game. She also did an impressive picnic spread for the kids, complete with entire fish jelly! There were also arts and crafts, Frank's cider, delicious blackcurrant cordial, homemade soup and plenty of home baking!
Costi, one of our rangers, has been running a summer holiday junior Rangers club for the kids on a Friday morning, and it has been a great success. It has included things like woodland walks, outdoor crafts and interesting growing projects such as creating woodland vegetable patches and planting more strawberries, gooseberries and other things at the harvest maze. Very much appreciated by us parents too!
The workers accommodation project is ready to go, and looks like contracts will be signed soon, for work to hopefully begin come September. This new accommodation will be located at the old Net Shed location, down beside the bunkhouse.
The Games were held on Saturday 3rd August at long beach and despite the many, many torrential downpours, was a successful day of fun. In total, with the various games, raffle and tombola, dog show and tea/cakes/sandwiches etc an amazing grand total of £2166.02 was raised, which is to go towards our own fire fighting equipment and a defibrillator.
Heather Robb

ISLE OF CANNA

Cuba came to the Canna in the last weekend of July! The Havana Film Festival was doing a tour of the Small Isles and they dropped in for two nights to bring a taste of Cuba to our Shearing Shed. Eirene Houston and her team brought a series of short films made by Cuban directors covering topics from literacy to bees. The community made a feast of Cuban dishes including empanadas and chicken dishes. Everyone enjoyed some Cuban cocktails and a bit of salsa dancing outside in the sunshine. Thanks to the Havana Film Festival for coming to see us!
We are all wondering where Summer is . . . there have been more rainy days than sunny ones and the latest summer storms make it feel more like Autumn. The grind of constantly getting soaking wet every time we step out the door is beginning to grate a little. However, the grass is lush and Canna has gone that very special colour of Canna green. I'm sure the sheep and cows are enjoying the tasty bounty growing in the fields.

Jane and Aileen behind the bar at the Cuban Film Festival

This year has been a bumper year for clover and many other wildflowers. The machair and rocky nooks and crannies are looking particularly good this year with bog cotton, bird's foot trefoil, coltsfoot, tormentil, creeping thyme, orchids, yorkshire fog, penny milkwort, stonecrop, yarrow, scabious and wood sage to name but a few. The only thing that seems to be missing is the gentle hum of bees. The gardens are in full bloom but the bees seem to be struggling. It is likely because of the cooler, wet weather that the numbers seem low this year. Here's to hoping August is a bit drier and brighter and the bees can make a bit of a comeback.
Bob Swann and the bird ringing team have made their annual visits to Canna. It's not great news for Shags and Black Guillemots which have almost entirely failed this year. Again, cooler weather combined with a lack of food seem to be the culprits.
We have had a Bio Security Scotland incursion team in Canna for the past month or so. Bob Swann discovered a cache of dead seabirds on the North Cliffs during his bird monitoring - behaviour associated with a predatory mammal. The incursion team jumped quickly into action and have been monitoring the sight with trail cams and daily visits to the site. Ranger Tom has been involved in this work alongside James Crymble, ecologist for NTS and Ellie Owens, NTS Seabird Officer. Fingers crossed it is just an otter but they have been checking for signs of mink including sending scat off to a lab in Edinburgh for DNA testing. The incursion monitoring work will continue for several more weeks.
It's not all doom and gloom however, as the puffins have been largely successful raising chicks who are now practising their flight around the stacks, ready to head off to the Atlantic for the winter.
The new visitor hub is moving towards completion. A milestone was reached this month with the installation of the new PV array on the roof and it is already feeding power into the Canna grid! Many thanks to Wind & Sun for coming to Canna to carry out the work and do some much needed repairs to our system.
Margaret Willington

ISLE OF RUM

July has been a funny month on Rum. We are usually in midge-and-cleg-hell, but this year due to the lack of summer and the continuing northerlies we are comparatively midge free, although August might be another matter altogether… We have been very busy with visitors, with the shop and craft shop doing a roaring trade and there have been large numbers of yachts making the most of the moorings in the bay.
It has also been a funny month because we have been playing a round of musical houses! In the early New Year, IRCT asked tenants if anyone in one of the larger houses would be willing to move to one of the smaller new houses to ease housing pressures in the community. As a result, Sean, Eve and I have moved to a new house, allowing Hywel, Sarry, Dylan, Belle and Edwin to move into our old house, allowing Ross to move into their old house, with Jinty no longer house sharing! We have intrigued and entertained everyone with the construction of our new 'mega'-shed and log store, built by Nev, and may well end up having a shed-warming party rather than a housewarming! We wish everyone well in their new homes.
The start of August sees Jennifer and Stuart celebrating the end of their first year as our local shop keepers. They are doing a fantastic job - and the coffees are superb - and hope to take over the Post Office counter in the next few weeks. The Post Office is an important service in our small communities and must be kept going.
Birdwise, everything is now going quiet after the breeding season, which has been reasonably successful here, with fledging Terns, Meadow Pipits and both White-Tailed and Golden Eagles to mention a few. Rosalie hosted a moth trapping event for NatureScot at the Bunkhouse that was very well received. Species included Brimstone, Large Emerald and True Lover's Knot - that's a new name to me.
We have had many birthdays this month, so many happy returns to Zack, Lesley, Ross, Hywel (who had the added birthday present of moving house!), Dave, Jennifer and Sean.
Finally, we have sadly said goodbye to Visitor Services Manager, Alex and his partner Buffy. They moved here in 2020 and Alex has transformed the Bunkhouse, started a successful winter volunteer programme and has spearheaded the Dark Skies application for the island. We shall miss them.
We'll be on holiday, but have fun at the Games, we'll be thinking of you.
Ali and Eve

ISLE OF EIGG

Eigg Feis
The Eigg Feis was excellent this year, with a quality group of tutors, as always. It was attended by 27 children, who put on an amazing concert at the end of the week. A huge thank you to all the tutors, volunteers, art teachers and those who put in so much hard work behind the scenes.

Beer & Tacos at The Brewery
Each Sunday this month The Isle of Eigg Brewery have been hosting Gabe's Subversive Street Food Taqueria. It's been great to enjoy some delicious tacos and burritos, local beer and the odd tequila slammer in the sun! It was lovely to enjoy some tunes from Maggie, Taegan, Tamsin and others before the midges descended.

It'll Never Work
Hans Unkles, the crab and lobster fisherman who designed his own solar powered boat visited us this month for a showing of his film 'It'll Never Work' by Carsaig Films. The documentary tells the beautiful story of the journey to building the UK's first fully electric fishing boat. Thanks to all those who put the event together!

Otter Events
Ben Yoxon from the International Otter Survival Fund visited this month. A guided walk to spot any otters started off the event. Ben showed us signs to look out for when tracking otters. In the evening, Annelise gave a short talk on meerkats in the Kalahari and Ben gave an informative talk on otters. He told us more about the different otter species and the amazing work that the International Otter Survival Fund has done in the last 30 years since being established. Interestingly, we have had reports on the island of otters predating on the increasing rabbit population. One Sweeney's Bothy guest found herself upon a sizeable dog otter at the window, while Saira Rennie caught an otter eating a rabbit at Laig farm.

Archive Event
This month we were visited by Highland council archivist Katherine McPhee from Portree and Rory Green from Fort William who delivered a workshop on how to set up an archive and gave a talk on what they have in their archive pertinent to Eigg. One of the documents was the account book for the Eigg estate in the 1890s which brought a lot of details about the way the estate was run. It was particularly interesting to see how many birds of prey were destroyed as a result of the gamekeeping policy.

Havana Cuba Film Festival
We were so grateful for all the work that went in to putting on the recent Cuban night in the Hall. As part of the Havana Film Festival, we enjoyed a night of Cuban films, talk, salsa dancing, cocktails and food. We probably need a few more lessons on the dance front, so would love to have our new Cuban friends visit again soon!
Eilidh MacGilp

ISLE OF MUCK

Hello, Muck calling . . . Well we have most definitely had a month of contrasts from Algarve road-melting sunshine to flocks of birds huddled and shivering in driving rain and November temperatures! Yet unbelievably we have been absolutely blessed and amazed by the number of visitors still coming and braving the elements and enjoying the events on offer, which included the Cuban Havana film Festival with various fantastic foods from Cuba made by the community and ending in some Salsa dancing and cocktails.
We said a farewell to Gallanach Lodge's Gamekeeper Connor and family, and wish them all the best as they start a new adventure in Dumfries and Galloway . . . but then a real breath of fresh air brings the new Keeper Carl with Megan and their five children, yup you read correctly -'five' - Daisy, Lily, Freddie and twins Lexie and Scarlett, all the way from Kent. A real boost to our community and school . . . sorry Miss B, but summer holidays are over.
Colin sighs a great sense of relief and achievement as we had part one of the annual Sheep run where lambs for market are led to Port from farm to be loaded for the ferry. It's always a great fun community spectacle, which always brings curious holiday makers to the window for video and photo opportunities. After part two in a week's time it's all eyes on Dingwall for the sales.
One quick shout out to our Editor Kirsty who literally has the patience of a saint or is most certainly completely bald having to put up with us rag tag bunch of non deadline meeting contributors, thank you, we appreciate you tremendously. Well folks that is the news from Muck this time round. Bruce Boyd

Arisaig Highland Games & Clanranald Gathering 2024

The 86th Arisaig Highland Games held on the 31st July were another success and the large crowd that gathered at Traigh Farm were rewarded with great weather and a day of top-class competition.
After an opening parade led by Mallaig, Ardnamurchan and District Pipe Band, the Games were opened by Andrew Macdonald of Boisdale, younger son of the Captain of Clanranald.
The piping competition attracted a top-quality entry with Angus MacColl from Benderloch emerging as the Premier piper of the day in a record field of 21 senior pipers. The junior piping competition was won by Seonaidh Forrest from Skye. The dancing competitions were won by Isla Mitchelson in the adult section, with the junior trophies going to Iona Brown and Caitlin MacBain.
The Heavy events were dominated by John MacLeod from Oban in the Open competitions with David Hart taking the local title and the Whitehead trophy. As always, the caber competition was one of the highlights of the day with David getting the acclaim of the crowd for his successful efforts. The track & field competitions were very popular - to the extent that we had to run a series of heats for some of the races to allow everyone a chance to participate. Matt Waterston from Lochailort would emerge as the most successful local athlete winning three trophies. Matt also teamed up with Games veteran Jason MacDonald to successfully defend their title as winners of the ever-popular Barrel Race which as usual was oversubscribed.

Sine MacKellaig Davis presenting the Jackie MacKellaig Cross Country trophy to Stephen MacDonald at the Mallaig & Morar Games. Photo by PHILIP HUGHES

Matt Waterston and Jason MacDonald barreling to victory at the Arisaig Games. Photo by ARTHUR CAMPBELL

Tug-of-war at the Small Isles Games which was held on the Isle of Muck this year and won by … the Isle of Muck!

Tug-of-war at the Knoydart Games.

Robyn MacDonald of Morar being presented with the Ian MacDonald Memorial Cup for the 100m by Gavin Davis, at the Mallaig and Morar Games; she also won the 200m and was the inaugural winner of the women's section in the Heavy events. Congratulations Robyn!
Photo by PHILIP HUGHES

Highland dancing at the Arisaig Games. Photo by ARTHUR CAMPBELL

Our sponsors, Ardnamurchan Distillery, had a very busy day in their marquee talking to visitors about the Distillery and offering samples of their newly-bottled products. The Heritage tent hosted by the Clanranald family had a very busy afternoon. Exhibits from the Lochaber Archives and Sabhal Mor Ostaig college were very popular. In addition to fielding questions and providing information on Clanranald history and wider clan genealogy, there was also a focus on a project to raise funds to house and display the Aileach -the first replica of a Hebridean birlinn (or West Highland Galley) ever built.
The heritage tent also displayed entries created by local high school pupils for the annual Boisdale Prize - an art competition which was created and is sponsored by Ranald Macdonald, younger of Clanranald. A new trophy was on display this year for the Art competition. The Elizabeth MacDonald memorial trophy was commissioned to reflect the immense contribution made by Elizabeth to Arisaig Games during her time on the committee.
After a successful day at Traigh, the annual Games dance was held later that evening in the Astley Hall with music from the Glenfinnan Ceilidh Band.
We must say thank you to the huge list of people who make Arisaig Games possible. The Shaw-Stewart family for the use of their land and to Eilidh and Gavin for their help with access to and preparation of the field. Our headline sponsors at Ardnamurchan Distillery for their ongoing support and sponsorship of the Games. Our event sponsors Highland Confectionery and the Old Library Lodge and Restaurant, along with all the local businesses that advertise in our Games programme. The Women's Guild for stocking and running the tea tent which sold out again with their takings going to various charities. Our biggest thanks must go to the loyal band of helpers who turn up each year and effectively donate three or four days of their holidays to our event. Without them, Arisaig Games would not be possible and the committee are very grateful to you all.
See you next year, on Wednesday 30th July 2025.
Fraser MacDougall, Treasurer, Arisaig Highland Games

Mallaig & Morar Highland Games report

Despite a poor forecast, we saw decent weather and uninterrupted coverage of events at Mallaig & Morar Highland Games on Sunday 4th August.
Competition was fierce but friendly at a Games that has always prided itself in offering something for everyone. The Games opened with the traditional stirring march through the village of Morar by the Mallaig & Ardnamurchan District (MaAD) Pipe Band fronted by the 2024 Chieftain Allan Henderson.
Allan subsequently set the tone for the day with a high tempo opening speech in Gaelic and English and we were off. We saw dead heats, close finishes and new records set across all sections of the field.
The classic and ever popular Caber event needed a last gasp perfect toss from John MacLeod to secure victory in the centre of the field. They have introduced a women's section at Morar, and the inaugural winner was Robyn MacDonald, a clear contender for an overall top athlete award. Meantime in the Athletics, the 200m could barely have been closer between Sorley MacDonald and Fraser Davis, and then in the mile local hero Kenny Macpherson came within a whisker of catching James Henderson on the line. Macpherson later lined up in the Cross Country, an event that he has won more than anyone else, describing the line up as 'probably the strongest ever at Mallaig & Morar'. This year the glory went to Steve and Sarah MacDonald from Ballachulish, lifting the Jackie MacKellaig and Mowi trophies respectively in the men's and women's events. In the 12 and under Cross Country, Sandy Gillies from Arisaig was making his own history, winning the Angus MacKellaig trophy for the third year in a row.
Over at the Highland Dancing there were two dead heats in the Adult and Under 15 sections such was the level of competition. Firstly Maria Monk and Innes Mackenzie (Premier Adult) and then Isla Liston and Emma Campbell (Premier Over 12 and under 16) shared the spoils. As always, the Dancing was of a high standard with a large turnout at all levels. Towards the end of the day, as rain threatened, Sandy Cameron lifted the John Gillies, Bourblach Memorial Cup for the Adult Piobaireachd competition competing with 15 other high-quality pipers. A previous winner of the 18 and under piping, that award this year went to Seonaidh Forrest from the Isle of Skye, sweeping the boards.
The friendly, family focussed nature of Mallaig & Morar Games of course is never far away. It's full on and fun, open to anyone, with relays, tug o' war, Junior and Juvenile Heavies all aimed to be enjoyable, and not to be taken too seriously.
Colin Buchanan, Chair of Mallaig & Morar Games said: "Witnessing high quality competitors coming to our Games gives us credibility, but we also want to see smiles on faces through the day, and for people to leave wanting to come back. From what I've been hearing, I think we have achieved that."
He added: "I want to take this opportunity on behalf of our committee to thank all the volunteers that work so incredibly hard to make our Games a success, throughout the year, over the weekend and on the day. Also The Stage Group who yet again put on a wonderful pre-Games ceilidh dance, and our sponsors without whom we would struggle to remain sustainable."
Another fine day in Morar.

Mallaig Lifeboat Log

15th August 2024
Launched at 00:16 by Stornoway Coastguard to convey Paramedics to Inverie to the attendance of a young male involved in an RTC. On-scene at 00:34 Paramedics were conveyed to the scene by local Coastguard personnel. Once assessed by the medics it was decided to airlift the casualty to hospital for further assessment and treatment. Helimed on-scene at 01:15 and casualty airlifted to hospital in Inverness. Medics back at Lifeboat at 02:30. Lifeboat back at pontoon and ready for service at 02:53.
Jim Morton

News from Mallaig Harbour

Hot on the heels of the General Election for the UK parliament, we hosted a Scottish Ministerial visit on Wednesday 17th July. Tom Arthur MSP, who is Minister for Employment and Investment was on a summer tour, and meeting with businesses in the Skye and Lochaber areas who operate either as social enterprises or with wider community benefit. We were able to share with him our plans for development, as well as some of the facts and figures from our Economic Impact Assessment.

Over the last few months I have been mentioning how we have been busier than in recent years with visiting fishing vessels. I mentioned previously that the Fishermen's Mission were not renewing their lease on the space that they occupied in the Mission Building, and this month we received information to circulate on how to contact them now that the office is closed. If you need support from the Fishermen's Mission, the information gives a freephone number - 0800 634 1020 (press option 2) or email enquiries@fishermensmission.org.uk.

As well as the Inner Harbour being busy with fishing vessels, it has also been busy in the Outer Harbour. Our first draft of the funding application for the overnight ferry berth has been submitted to Transport Scotland, and we've had lots of data on usage of the berths to back it up! As well as the Ronja vessels discharging to the Harvest Station, the Aqua Vikness and Aqua Harvester have been bringing in salmon for onward processing, and Inverlussa's new well boat, the Isaac McKinnon has been in and out throughout July. The Isaac McKinnon, which was formerly the Ronja Viking, was bought by Inverlussa in June 2024, and is contracted to MOWI Scotland to move fish to and from their recently established post smolt facility in Loch Etive.

The disruption to ferry services continues, with the MV Loch Fyne having to be removed from service on the Largs-Cumbrae route because of an issue with the propulsion unit. This will require approximately four weeks to resolve, contingent on the arrival of spare parts, at the earliest w/c 5th August. It had been hoped that the MV Loch Fyne would return to Mallaig from around 13th August, but it is more likely now that this will be early September. The MV Lochnevis is due to go for her annual refit from Monday 2nd September, which means that the MV Loch Bhrsuda will have to cover the Small Isles route, and that the MV Coruisk will likely have to operate as a single vessel on the Mallaig-Armadale route for a period in September.

July has continued to be busy over at the Marina, and we have welcomed a few larger vessels this year, including the 21m catamaran Sea Tilt, which, with its black hulls, mast and sails, stood out against the rest of our visiting vessels at the start of the month. The Blue Clipper has been and gone for the season, but not before Audrey and I were invited down to meet the crew and have a tour aboard. The Provident was also alongside that night, so it was nice to spend time with crew of both boats, who we normally only see briefly as they nip in and out of the office collecting mail etc.! The Provident has one more trip into Mallaig, before leaving for Oban on 9th August. The Eda Frandsen is with us for the month of August, so summer is not quite over yet! This summer we've also had a couple of visits from the Lady of Avanel, and we are expecting the Grayhound later in August for a couple of trips, so look out for her! She was launched in 2012, and is a 5/6 scale replica of a three masted Customs Lugger from 1776. She carries a licence for worldwide travel and is armed with two working cannon!!

The RNLI 200th Anniversary celebrations continue, and we are looking forward to hosting the Music Shed Community Choir on Sunday 11th August. The Community Choir have been practising some sea-themed songs and are having a mini-tour, starting at Corpach in the morning, then on to Arisaig, before three performances in Mallaig - from 1.30 until 2pm and from 3.15 to 3.45pm on the 'bandstand' opposite the Harbour Shop, and then from 4 until 4.30pm at the Seafarer's Statue outside the CalMac office. We are looking forward to welcoming back the Screen Machine later in the month, on 28th and 29th August. Tickets aren't on sale yet, so we can't tell you what will be showing but watch out for posters around the village.

Finally this month, congratulations to Mallaig FC who won the Ross Cup on Saturday 3rd August, beating Fort William 3-1 at Kyleakin.
Jacqueline McDonell 01687 462154

On and Off the Rails

Hello, it's me again - hoping for the best whilst preparing you for the - as yet - unknown!
As you are aware after reading the front page of the July West Word, ScotRail have in place a temporary timetable across Scotland to try and give customers some form of confidence to travel by rail. This is still the case. However there are many variants on many lines, across Scotland, some good, some not so. The only way it seems if travelling past Crianlarich is to have the ScotRail app on your phone to check services as you continue on your journey, and hope!
We, on our branch line, are still fairly well covered, with Shiel Buses helping when they can - even at short notice. Frequently we are only having two carriage sets instead of four, and the bus picks up the overspill. Occasionally trains do not run at all, being cancelled due to staff shortages.
Currently four railway related unions are involved: ASLEF, RMT, Unite and possibly TSSA. The Unite union has balloted its workers on strike action after failing to receive what it describes as a 'creditable pay offer'. Band members include some conductors, train cleaners, engineers, hospitality assistants, ticket agents and some conductors. The ballot opened on 31st July and runs until 20th August.
ASLEF (drivers) and RMT (conductors) have recently announced that they would also be balloting their ScotRail staff on strike action in a dispute over pay. If workers comprehensively vote in favour of industrial action, it would mean strikes taking place from early September.
A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: "While pay negotiations are for ScotRail, as the employer, and the unions concerned, we acknowledge the desire of rail unions to negotiate a fair settlement for their members. We would encourage all unions to return to the negotiating table to engage in meaningful dialogue so that a mutually agreeable outcome can be reached as soon as possible."
In the meantime, Unite industrial officer Pat McIlvogue said, "The Scottish Government, who are the ultimate paymasters, and ScotRail need to get their heads together and quickly. There is still a window of opportunity to resolve this dispute through negotiation. If they fail to grasp this chance, then it will be full steam ahead towards autumn strike action."
ScotRail has yet to comment, but do state, "We've introduced a temporary timetable to provide greater certainty and reliability for customers until at least 30th August 2024."
And there is more ballot news! ASLEF has announced that they balloted train drivers on Thursday 18th July and the ballot will close on Thursday 8th August. The union states that they are balloting for strike action "in the coming months". Plus rail union RMT is balloting both ScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper members for strike action.
The RMT claims that pay offers to date are "insulting" and have been made even more unpalatable when members of the Scottish Parliament received a 6.7% pay rise this year.
So, we can be fairly sure that the next few items take place in August on our lines. Let's keep the faith and see the glass half full - or more.

LSL Blue Midland Pullman visits to Fort William and Mallaig
Friday 16th August departing from Romford and Peterborough. Full catering provided. Arriving with guests into Fort William at 8:30pm (ish).
Saturday 17th August Fort William to Mallaig and return. Departing FW 9am (approx.) - into Mallaig 10.40am. Departing Mallaig 11.30am, arriving Fort William 2pm.
Sunday 18th August departing Fort William.
This is the first of eight Saturday visits planned to Mallaig - the next one being on Saturday 24th August, departing Cardiff and Shrewsbury the day before. The Saturday in between will be a Royal Scotsman.
The HST/Pullman set used is painted in the Nanking blue and white livery of the Blue Pullman sets of the 1960s. It usually features two of the five HST power cars available which are in the matching livery - which are 43046/047/049/055/059. Of these 43049 Neville Hill has recently been painted in the livery, having previously carried Intercity colours, with, I believe, two of the carriages carrying the name plates Morar and Arisaig. See if I am right on the day! The tours are usually bearing the headboard Ben Nevis and Lochaber Pullman. We shall see!
This will be the first time that the Pullman set will have traversed the main line into Fort William with quite a few of the platforms now having been lengthened, from Helensburgh up I believe. I think eight or nine have been lengthened, some at one end of the platform and some at both ends. It will make Crianlarich and countless other stations more accessible for loading and departing guests, luggage, bikes, wheelchairs etc. It also means that once all of the stations are finished we will be conveying a Highland Explorer carriage on a much more regular basis - or at least as far as Fort William until the branch line platforms are extended; although we have had flashes of the carriages a few times now but not on a regular basis.

Congratulations to Glenfinnan Station Museum
Glenfinnan Station Museum has been awarded £15,000 by Museums Galleries Scotland's under their Small Grants Fund. Thanks to this award, the museum's 55-ton railway snowplough exhibit will be turned into a permanent open-air exhibition space to explain snow clearance methods of the past in the context of Scotland's current and future climate change.
The museum's permanent exhibition is housed in the main station building and signal box, where there is no space to display large artefacts such as hand tools that were traditionally used to keep the railway track safe for trains. The Snowplough Project will address these issues.
In order to emphasis the urgency of climate action, and to keep electricity costs down, the exhibition will be powered by solar panels mounted onto the roof of the plough.
Hege Hernæs, the museum's curator, says: 'We are over the moon that MGS has appreciated the opportunities that our snowplough represents. Snowploughing on the West Highland is now more or less a thing of the past, with heavy rain posing the greatest risk to rail operations. It is important for us to interpret and demonstrate the working practices of old, but as a small museum we need to be imaginative with the space we have available. Our hope is that this project will increase both our reach and our resilience.'
Lucy Neville, Climate Officer, Museums Galleries Scotland said: "We're delighted to support this creative approach to engaging visitors with the impacts of climate change, whilst also showcasing more of the museum's collection in an accessible and sustainable format. The exhibition will both help to explain the local impact of the global climate crisis and preserve historic practices of the past."

The Magic of the Glenfinnan Viaduct
1st September is 'Back to Hogwarts day' and a few years back, Network Rail made a little film celebrating the magic of a Scottish railway icon. The Glenfinnan Viaduct - one of the world's most famous pieces of railway infrastructure and the longest mass concrete rail bridge in Scotland - captured the imaginations of a new generation when it appeared in the Harry Potter films. The two-minute long film, which shows The Jacobite crossing the viaduct and has interviews with Hege Hernæs and Keith McLellan (asset engineer at Network Rail), can be seen here: www.networkrail.co.uk/stories/film-the-magic-of-the-glenfinnan-viaduct/

Glasgow Subway - Clockwork Orange - retired cars
Do you recall that a couple of months back I wrote about how the old subway cars had carried their last passengers and were put up for sale? Well, I thought by now that they would have been 'snapped up' and that there were none left. They were on offer for £5000 plus transporting fees per carriage. I mused that they would make a workshop, bunkhouse, storage unit etc. Well, be still my beating heart - some are still available before they will be scrapped at the end of August. Which as a project seems good to me. However, now it gets even better!! A last minute deal has been brokered by labour MSP Paul Sweeney to try and place some of the cars. Stadler (who own the cars) will send them for scrap next month. However Stadler have agreed that they will waive the £5000 purchase fee if a charity or not for profit organisation wants to buy one: you'll only have to pay the transport costs to your site. How about it, Morar playing field? Or you could turn one into a sauna, snooker shed, model-railway club house . . .
Should any individual or organisation like to learn more acquiring one, they're advised to contact Stadler no later than the end of August.
Meanwhile, rail industry lawyer Ben Denton-Cardew is working on assembling a coalition of interested buyers to buy around 10 of the cars. He said: "I read that they were being scrapped and thought that was a real shame. It would be such a loss of Scottish railway heritage. I have clients lined up, including film companies and rail heritage sites in Scotland, and there has been great interest in saving these trains."
The cars were built to last by Metro-Cammel and were working on the subway until a couple of months ago. One is going to the Glasgow Riverside Transport Museum.
Interested? Call me on 01687 462189.
See you on the train,
Sonia Cameron

KNOYDART HOSTS LAUNCH OF SCOTLAND RAINFOREST STRATEGY

Knoydart hosted the launch of a new strategic approach for Scotland's rainforest in July, aiming to improve the condition and health of the precious habitat. The strategy, developed by Scottish Forestry, underlined the need to deliver community benefits including the creation of rural jobs, skills and training, health, and wellbeing. Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon launched the paper in the shadow of old-growth oaks and hazel in Knoydart's woodland. She said: "Scotland's rainforest is a treasured natural asset. Restoring and expanding our rainforest will contribute to our nature positive net zero ambitions and conserve this iconic ecosystem for the future, as well as securing jobs and enabling green skills development.
"There is fantastic work already being carried out to restore and expand the rainforest here and by a great number of organisations and individuals working across the whole rainforest zone. Much of this has importantly involved communities, such as the case in Knoydart. This new strategic approach published today aims to build on this tremendous work and identify practical steps that the Scottish Government and its partners can take to help rejuvenate Scotland's rainforest."

The Alliance for Scotland's Rainforest have recently highlighted Knoydart as an "excellent example of community-led, landscape-scale rainforest restoration and expansion". The Knoydart Foundation and Knoydart Forest Trust have taken key steps in the past three decades to improve the habitat, including; the near eradication of invasive non-native species Rhododendron Ponticum, effective deer management, the restructuring of non-native conifer plantation woodland which surrounds the village of Inverie and, expanding and linking woodland habitats on the peninsula.
Lorna Schofield of the Knoydart Forest Trust celebrated the connection and interdependence of community and the land in regenerating the rainforest habitat and the community. She said: "A lot of our work on Knoydart's rainforest has concentrated on the eradication of invasive rhododendron. This work has spanned 25 years and is ongoing. It has mostly involved the Trust's staff, backed up by volunteers, local residents and some contractors, and funded through a succession of forestry grants. Twenty-five years of community land ownership in Knoydart strongly demonstrates the benefits of long-term community led rainforest regeneration."
Due to high levels of rainfall and relatively mild temperatures Scotland's temperate rainforests host a variety of rare lichens, bryophytes and ferns. Some of the highest quality examples of this habitat can be found on Knoydart. Speaking at the launch of the strategy on July 16, Julie Stoneman of Alliance for Scotland's Rainforest celebrated the threatened habitat getting the "attention it deserves". She said: "Scottish Forestry's refreshed approach to collaborative, landscape-scale, long term, and community-centric rainforest restoration is key to the future of this internationally important habitat, building on the work of ASR's partners and rainforest communities."

PAWEL COMPLETES ULTRA THREE PEAKS CHALLENGE

In the June issue of West Word we reported that Mallaig ultrarunner Pawel Cymbalista had set a new record for the number of reps running up and down Ben Nevis in 24 hours, completing seven laps in 20 hours and 40 minutes on 12th June. Well since then, he's done the same thing on the highest mountains in England and Wales, completing 11 laps on Scafell Pike on 29th June (in 21 hours and 47 minutes), and nine laps on Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) on 13th July (in 21 hours and 51 minutes)!
Pawel's ultra 'Three Peaks' challenge adds up to an incredible total running time of two days, 16 hours and 18 minutes; a total distance of 335.43 km; and a total elevation gain of 28,571m.
Pawel's runs have been raising funds for the Mallaig Community Hub, and will help the Hub move on to the next stage of their renovations. This will involve creating a multipurpose room, where they will run activities for children, art classes, seasonal activities and bake sales; it will also have a movie projector, and will be useable as a meeting room. If you'd like to donate, the fundraiser is at https://gofund.me/1215571c
Pawel said, 'Thank you everyone that helped, supported in any way, paced me, gave me food, shouted at me, and looked after me! Thank you for supporting us!' Congratulations on such a huge achievement, Pawel!

The Kilmory Crùisle Project

The Kilmory Crùisle Project is an initiative to improve and maintain Kilmory Old Chapel and Graveyard in Arisaig. Recently, I undertook an update of Allan and Elizabeth MacDonald's records of the grave inscriptions in the old graveyard which were done in 2002. This required an inspection of all the gravestones, updating and adding new internments and inscriptions since the initial records. In this effort, it became clear that there had been a marked deterioration in the old graveyard from the initial records. Many gravestones and graves are now either indiscernible or overgrown to the point that inscriptions are difficult to read or graves difficult to find because they are either covered over by moss or bushes. Also, the old roofless chapel is the worse for being open to the elements and the ancient grave slabs attached to the walls are suffering; additionally the triptych panel on the floor of the chapel is covered in moss and also showing signs of deterioration, so much so that very important historical markings are becoming difficult to discern. I believe that without restorative action many of these ancient artifacts will be lost forever.
'Kilmory' is the Chapel of Maelrubha, after St Maelrubha who was a 7th century Irish missionary who travelled up the west coast planting chapels and cells. This cell or chapel was reputedly overlaid by the later medieval building which now stands on the site. The 16th century chapel was probably built by John of Moidart, the eighth Chief of Clanranald and the graveyard by his son Allan, the 9th Chief.
In a forthcoming edition of the West Word I will provide a more extensive history of the Chapel and Crùisle and the project aims. In the meantime I appeal to the communities of Arisaig, Morar and Mallaig to 'get on board' and support the Kilmory Crùisle Project. Ideas and experience are welcome. Contact me on t_keenan@btinternet.com. There is also a Facebook Group (www.facebook.com/groups/916488930207330), the Kilmory Crùisle Group Project.
Tom O. Keenan

BIRD-DETERRING ROBOTIC FALCONS NOW MANUFACTURED IN ARISAIG

Did you know there's a small factory in Arisaig manufacturing robotic falcons?
John Donald and his company, Robop Systems Engineering Ltd, manufacture robotic falcons: robots that look, move and sound like a Peregrine Falcon, turning their heads and flapping their wings. Constructed with over 100 parts, including precision machined components, the robots can be powered by mains, battery or solar. John says, 'It took years to perfect the manufacture so that the falcons last a long time out in all weathers. They are a unique Scottish invention which the company patented after starting the business back in 2001.'
The robotic falcons - R:Falcons - are sold to large companies all over the world and to the public sector here in the U.K. They are used to keep birds off customer premises where the birds have gone beyond being just a nuisance to causing serious damage or risks to staff and customers. If you know where to look, you can see the R:Falcons dotted about all over Scotland, keeping gulls off railway stations, schools and football pitches. Most are exported - there's even some at a famous rocket manufacturer in Los Angeles.
The R:Falcons are also used in conservation, especially in Canada, where they deter migrating birds from drinking contaminated water from shale oil extraction.
This would not be local news had it not been for the pandemic, which caused a drastic drop in turnover and lead to the loss of the original business. Since then, John has moved from East Lothian to Arisaig and restarted the business from a small workshop in Arisaig Harbour. In July, they completed the manufacture of the first batch of six R:Falcons almost entirely made in Arisaig. They are destined for a customer in Fort McMurray in Canada, where they will deter migrating birds from drinking contaminated water.
John says, 'The operation in Arisaig is small as we rebuild after the pandemic, but we hope to create lots of opportunities as the business grows. From small acorns tall oaks will grow!'

A Write Highland Hoolie

8th - 10th November 2024
This year, yet again, we have a stellar line-up over a weekend that promises to be full of stories, music, friendship and fun. It's Scotland's friendliest book festival and everyone is welcome!
The festival opens at 5 pm on Friday November 8th with award-winning poet and writer Don Paterson, who will be reading from his memoir, Toy Fights: A Boyhood, and playing some tunes from his long career as a jazz musician. Don will then announce the winner of the Deirdre Roberts Poetry Competition 2024. After-dinner musical entertainment for ticket holders and hotel residents will be provided by talented duo Ross Martin and Eilidh Shaw.
Saturday's packed programme begins with Linda Cracknell, whose fascinating book Doubling Back: Paths Trodden in Memory charts how places immortalised in writing and memory can allow us to walk in the footsteps of others. Then marine biologist Dr Natalie Sanders, author of The Last Sunset in the West: Britain's Vanishing West Coast Orcas, shares her passion for these incredible marine mammals and her fears for their future.
Booker Prize shortlisted author Graeme Macrae Burnet kicks off an unmissable Saturday afternoon with A Case for Matricide, the final novel in his dark but wryly humorous trilogy set in small-town France and featuring Chief Inspector Georges Gorski. Expect more dark humour from medical historian Dr Suzie Edge, whose book Vital Organs looks at how we've used, abused, experimented on and worshipped body parts throughout history.
Alistair Moffat, a leading authority on Scottish history, brings to life the people and events that have shaped the Highlands and Islands over millennia in his stunning new book The Highlands and Islands of Scotland: A New History, and Dougie Strang, author of The Bone Cave, takes a fascinating journey through folktales and myths to the places in which they're set. Dougie's stories will be accompanied by atmospheric music from Iain MacFarlane and Ingrid Henderson, who will also be providing the after-dinner entertainment for ticket holders and residents.
Debut novelist David Greig starts Sunday in style with his novel Columba's Bones, a thrilling read set on 9th century Iona in the aftermath of a Viking raid. Then intrepid cyclist Jenny Graham takes us on the ride of a lifetime as she shares the highs and lows of becoming the fastest woman to circumnavigate the world by bicycle, an achievement immortalised in her book Coffee First then the World.
Local author Tom O. Keenan, known for the Sean Rooney Psycho-sleuth series centred around a forensic profiler, talks about how his experiences as a social worker specialising in mental health care inform his writing.
Then it's time for the children to take over! Alan Windram leads an all-singing and dancing event based on his latest book, Kevin the Orange, with tea and cake provided by Mallaig Primary School parents and Gaelic songs from the children. All are welcome at this fun event which brings A Write Highland Hoolie to a close for another year.
Tickets are priced at just £8 for daytime events and £14 for evening sessions and are on sale now from www.a-write-highland-hoolie.com. To enquire about hotel reservations, call 01687 462210. We're looking forward to sharing A Write Highland Hoolie with you!

Birdwatch July 2024 by Stephen MacDonald

A mixed bag weather wise, fairly cool and damp at times with some warmer drier days.
A lot more juvenile birds reported during the month. Some species have done well despite the weather. Large numbers of juvenile House Sparrows and Chaffinches reported from gardens throughout the area.
Mixed success for some seabirds and gulls. Few Razorbill and Common Guillemot chicks seen this year in the Sound of Sleat. Cormorants nesting at Traigh had a good number of large chicks at the start of the month. Herring Gulls there had large chicks also, but fewer in number compared to previous years.
The Common Terns at Loch Ailort seemed to have had a successful year, with good numbers of fledged youngsters flying around the nest islands during the month.
Although midsummer, some waders were already on the move. The first returning Sanderling were seen at Traigh on the 20th. Also some small groups of migrant Dunlin seen on the shoreline there, along with Golden and Ringed Plover.
Greenshank were seen at Loch Ailort from the 20th also.
A Sooty Shearwater was seen between Mallaig and Rum from the ferry on the 15th, the first report of the year.
A Jay was reported on several occasions from a Morar garden. In the same garden Blackcaps were seen and several sightings of Redpolls.
A Linnet was seen feeding in a Mallaig garden on numerous occasions.
A Nuthatch was seen on feeders in an Arisaig garden mid-month.
Tawny Owls were seen and heard around Morar throughout the month. Barn Owls were reported from the Mallaig area during the month.

World Wide West Word

Ross Martin took his copy to the Skagit Valley Highland Games in Washington where he hosted the Wellie Wanging competition.
It's believed to be the first event of its kind in North America!

Sheila Mather, wearing her Kinloch Castle Friends Association, fleece, read her West Word at Coll Hotel, in July this year.

David Hurdle from north Norfolk was Going Loco last month with his West Word on the fish and chips special of the heritage North Norfolk Railway (Sheringham - Holt). Ever likely on the West Highland Line?!!

Your Editor read hers waiting for a train in Saint Gervais after a wee bit of walking in the Alps in June!