Pawel bags Ultra podium dream at Jacobite 100

Mallaig ultrarunner Pawel Cymbalista realised an almost decade-long dream in September, finally getting to top an Ultra podium after finishing the Jacobite 100 race 15 minutes ahead of the pack, in an astounding 11 hours, 37 minutes.
The race unfolds over one of the UK's most demanding courses, combining 100km distance with more than 2400km ascent. It begins at midnight at Bridge of Orchy and winds through rugged glens, the remote shores of Loch Etive, and steep mountain passes beneath Ben Nevis before finishing near Fort William. With unpredictable weather and treacherous footing, it's a test that draws only the hardiest endurance runners.
"Almost every step was a lottery," says Pawel of a particularly hairy stretch just 8km into the race. "I twisted my ankle three times, fell twice, and got my leg stuck in a wire from a collapsed fence."
Eventually he found his rhythm and by the half way mark he realised that he was in the top five. By the time he reached the final checkpoint at Glen Nevis, he was in second place-just minutes behind the leader. Here's where Pawel's history of doing laps up and down the Ben really came into its own...
Keeping a close eye on the runner ahead of him, he hung back and waited for his moment to strike. When he saw his opponent struggling to navigate stepping stones at a river crossing, Pawel knew this was it. "That was my sign," he says. "Time to make a move."
He overtook the front-runner with less than 7km to go and never looked back, even as his entire body started shaking and his quads and calves began cramping. Finally, the finish line appeared. "People are screaming. Bells ringing. Tape in front of me," Pawel recalls. "I thought, 'keep it cool, don't fall, focus on your legs, breathe!' I was in tears." Pawel's wife Ashley, daughter Freya, Mum Marzena and sister Julie rushed him at the finish line, Pawel overcome by cramps and emotion, and the entire family weeping. "I couldn't believe it," he says now. "I dreamt about this moment for so long. I am so happy I could share it with them-I am so happy that they could see me win!"

Storm Amy: Power cuts, tree carnage, travel chaos

Much of the West Word catchment area is still recovering from an October storm that escalated far faster than anyone anticipated.
Southwesterly winds started picking up around 5:30pm on Friday 3rd, and within the hour power was out across mainland Lochaber and beyond. At the peak of the storm, wind gusts on Eigg hit 88mph, with sustained winds of 74mph, and in Mallaig, the High School weather station clocked gusts of 83mph and winds of 56mph-which eventually robbed it of its wind vane entirely. Overnight, hundreds of trees were ripped from the ground, including at least 30 that partially blocked the stretch of road between Mallaig and Corpach.
There was disruption across the CalMac network with ferries cancelled and port offices closed. At Inverie, the Lord of the Highlands had to be asked to leave and shelter further up the loch, because it was lurching so dangerously at the pier that its passengers couldn't disembark. Scotrail reported a total 480 incidents across its network, including trees on the tracks, flooding and damage to overhead power lines. The Mallaig to Fort William line was cleared to open by the Monday morning, but the line to Glasgow remained closed, with bus replacement services in effect.
In Mallaig, damage to the High School roof forced the building closed for two days, and the Boat Yard doors were blown clean off.
Widespread outages on the mainland lasted until Sunday morning for most, with four more Sunday evening, and a fifth Monday night as crews worked around the clock to repair damaged power lines. Out on Arnamurchan point, cuts extended into Wednesday in some spots, and in Glenuig power wasn't restored until Thursday 9th.
The heroes and heroines of the past week or so are far too many to name here-from the people who jumped up to help chainsawing to the businesses that offered shelter and free hot drinks-but suffice it to say the kindness, ingenuity and resilience displayed throughout our communities has been truly heart warming.

Scots pine, Arisaig; heroic effort by Duncan Currie made it safe by Sunday

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Phew! Made it to press on time, despite Amy's best efforts at sabotage. Special mention this month to my neighbour Richard, who brought his generator out of its 22-year retirement to juice up the West Word laptop so I could keep working through the weekend power cut! I've loved hearing everyone's stories of neighbourliness and resourcefulness this past week. Good job, all!
Highlights this month: journalism graduate Georgia Dennis profiles Arisaig legend Tommy MacEachen and student journalists at Mallaig Primary interview their new teachers; The Highland Bookshop's Kelsey Ward shares her experiences as a beginner forager and Eigg's Owain Wyn-Jones takes us on a fungi-spotting woodland wander; and we debut our new Gaelic page Eadarain (which means "between us" and carries nuances hinting at inclusivity and bridging, according to the inimitable Dougie Beck, who came up with the title and provided the translation).
I'm hoping to take my first week off in 8 months in early November so please, please, please be prompt with your submissions (October 25th)!
Ceri Perkins
editor@westword.org.uk
Morar Station Building, Morar PH40 4PB

KNOYDART

It's been a busy September here in Knoydart! At the beginning of the month we waved off Dave Matthews, who is walking 6000 miles to visit all of the Samaritans branches in the UK whilst raising money for the charity. This is the second time Dave is doing this walk and we wish him good weather and as few blisters as possible! G'wan Dave! We also had The Canny Band performing in the Hall at the beginning of the month, they blew our socks off!
We welcomed James Rainey from Trees For Life who hosted a Biodiversity Bingo for the Knoydart Forest Trust at the hall and we had a wonderful BBQ beforehand too.
After that we had Knoydart Pride, a weekend of events including a pride march, a talk and walk from Dr Em May Armstrong and a big pride party at The Old Forge. The party in The Old Forge saw high standards of clientele embracing the dress up theme: "Wow! You look unrecognisable!" A series of special guests appeared at the party including: David Bowie in two different eras; a t-rex; Violet Beauregarde; Freddie Mercury; a Pink Pony carrying a club; Patsy and Eddie from Ab Fab; even Billy Connelly turned up! No locals were spotted all night... The bakers of Knoydart came out in full force creating various bakes for the sessions in the Hall, including scones, polenta lemon cake, fruit pies and apple cake! The village was decorated in full colour, and the love and kindness in Knoydart over the weekend was heartwarming.

We had a limited edition run of Knoydart Pride 2025 t-shirts made by Grace Ferguson, and we still have a few left-so get in touch if you'd like one! Thank you to everyone who supported the weekend. We were raising money for LGBT Youth Scotland and for future Knoydart Pride events and raised a total of £1280.
The following weekend the Land Justice Walk from Skye to Glasgow stopped by and shared stories and a play in the Hall. The Hall hosted the Highland Good Food Partnership AGM the following day.
At the end of the month were the AGMs for Knoydart Foundation, Knoydart Trading and Knoydart Renewables. Davie Newton stood down as Chair of Knoydart Foundation, along with board member Reagan Carnwrath. Tom Harris stood again and got voted on, and joining the board of Aaran Watson (Chair) and Calum Wilson are Ben Ruddle and Matt Porter.
Iona Lane

ISLE OF CANNA

As we start to tilt away from the sun and the days get noticeably shorter, we are turning our eyes to the skies. We have begun doing our light meter readings again for our Dark Skies Sanctuary application and we are already enjoying spectacular views of the Milky Way streaking across our night sky. It really is a wonder to behold and we have a front row seat.
After probably one of the craziest summers we've had for a while, September has offered a bit of calm. The turning of the season has been reassuring and September really was a beautiful month in Canna. The island was quieter, there were less demands on time and preparations for the coming winter could begin.
Gardens and polytunnels are now being put to bed, spring bulbs are being planted and the grass needs less mowing. The near steady breeze means washing dries quicker. The lambs finally made it off the island towards the end of the month, too. It has been a frustrating time for the farm but they are relieved the lambs are on their way at last. Thank you to CalMac for putting on the special boat service to enable this to happen.
The curlews have appeared again. Chunky and swift and distinct from the Whimbrels whose elegance has left these shores. The Belties are occupying Sanday Beach; they didn't invite us to their beach party but they are a fine sight to behold enjoying the sands.
Jane and Aileen did a sterling job of clearing out the brambles from the old smiddy building. It is quite a substantial space… perfect for storing the kayaks!
Cafe Canna has closed now for the season and with it extra sadness as it means we are saying goodbye to Gareth, Indi, Hector and Sorley… but not quite yet! We've still got them for a month or so before they head off to the Isle of Coll for their new adventure. Fear not, the cafe isn't closing for good. New owners are in the pipeline… watch this space for an announcement in the coming months.
Margaret Willington

ISLE OF EIGG

A busy month of September for celebrations: Eric Weldon tied the knot with Seonaid on 6th September at Kildonnan. Marie Carr officiated-one of the last two local registrars in the Highlands and islands! This was followed by a lovely party at Galmisdale Café bar for the newly weds. It was also Eilidh MacGilp's birthday and friends gathered for a birthday lunch al fresco before the wedding celebration. Then it was Maggie Carr's 16th birthday in the Snug bar at the pier; the theme being come as you were at 16! A lot of wigs were in evidence, and guests of honour, 6-month-old twins Solas and Morvern from Achiltibuie had their first taste of an island party, giving their parents a chance of a rare lie-in the next day! Frances and Colin both had their birthdays at the end of the month: a busy time for the Carr family!
Otherwise, the month has been busy with visitors from the Eigg diaspora: Ron MacEachen, whose family hailed from Arisaig and is the Editor of a local paper in Nova Scotia, and the McKay family, whose ancestors John and Isabella left Galmisdale in 1843. After corresponding all these years with Maureen Mckay, it was lovely to catch up with her and her family in person. Now living in Alberta, she managed to track the Nova Scotia McKays by systematically going through the phone book until she eventually found an aunt of her husband's! The family had originally settled around Lake Ainslie until the second generation looked for better opportunities in Truro with the Canadian railways. Great to reconnect with our Eigg Canadian diaspora!
The recently announced success of Solas Eige SCIO in their purchase of St Columba's church of Scotland through the Scottish Land Fund means their archive project is now coming closer to becoming a reality! The island archive, (which is currently mothballed as the community learning room in the primary school is waiting to be transformed into a facility for younger children) will offer a base to our overseas visitors to research their family histories in more detail. Well done to Solas Eige SCIO for finally getting their funding through after three years of efforts!
Solas Eige SCIO, now a member of the Highlands and Islands Climate hub, also organised its first climate workshop as part of this month's festival on Sunday 28th September. The workshop was all about re-using ropes collected from the Eigg beach cleans. Led by Rebecca from Skye's "shore to floor" on Zoom (as ferry disruption made it impossible for her to come as planned), the participants managed to produce a fairly decent Turk head mat between them all! Practice will make perfect and Rebecca promised to reschedule her visit to show us more intricate patterns!
Last but not least, a new project is taking shape to provide sea-grass friendly moorings on Eigg, led by the Marine Conservation Society and the Eigg Environment Action Group. We had such a number of yachts coming to the island this summer and there is a real worry that the seagrass that is growing back around the island will be destroyed by indiscriminate anchorage. More on this next month!
In the meantime, with all the issues we had with CalMac this month as MV Loch Nevis was being repaired, came back and got into trouble again, we have to show our gratitude for the Mallaig office staff who have had such a hard time organising charters and delivering a service in very trying conditions! Well done you all! Camille Dressler

ISLE OF MUCK

Hello Muck Calling...
Well here we go again with the merry-go-round that is post-Loch Nevis dry dock... Magnus even drew a picture to celebrate it coming back into service; didn't have the heart to let the wee fella down. Even Dre, the Lodge lab was on constant lookout for it. She may be in that pose for some time to come... lucky Pheasant season is upon us to distract her. The School organised a beach clean on part of the Island and what a fantastic job they did by filling a trailer full of debris....they even found washed up seeds from the Monkey Ladder vine plant, which had travelled all the way from the Caribbean.....if only they brought the weather to accompany.
The season has well and truly wound down. With the Tearoom closed until Easter and the Sheerwater sailings over and back-to-back storms on the horizon, it looks like a very wet and windy autumn is in store. Just hope the Farm can get a window for cattle to get off to market, as they missed the last market due to cancellations… fingers crossed! Well folks, that's our wee snippets for this month, hope we have more to report next time. See you then, kind regards, Bruce Boyd

The show must go on! Storm Amy no match for the Fèis!

Well, what an epic rollercoaster of a Fèis na Mara it was this year. We hoped and prayed that the weather forecast would turn out to be wrong but when it still looked bad on the Friday, we knew there was a high likelihood of a power cut at some point. After a quick brainstorm we decided Josh Kingswood would know what to do, and we were right-sort of. "Phone Pimmy!" he said.
Pimmy very kindly let us borrow a generator. Unfortunately, this amazing plan couldn't save the day, as the risk of it destroying thousands of pounds worth of sound equipment was just too high. We decided to try thinking positive instead, and there was plenty of chat about Arisaig rarely getting power cuts these days… and the weather never being as bad as you think it's going to be… As the storm got going, we decided to get to the Hall early and open up for anyone who just needed somewhere to shelter, and all was going well at first with the electricity zinging and the bar well and truly open. DJ Dolphin Boy and the first band, Ape House, braved the storm on foot from the pub and arrived a little wet and windswept but keen to play… just as we lost power.

Photo by Owain Wyn-Jones

There followed a tense half hour or so of indecision and nail-biting, until we finally agreed that the best plan was to go ahead. The pub closed and the festival goers arrived in droves, ready to party on-no matter what. Ape House, The Finlay MacDonald Band and Fras went on in turn to perform brilliant acoustic sets, with Fras joined for their opening number by Poppy Geddes on fiddle.
The atmosphere in the hall was incredible and the craic in the bar was mighty. At some point, our trusty technician Dave Town managed to track down two battery packs in Glasgow that we could borrow, if we could just find someone to pick them up and bring them to Arisaig. A flurry of calls and messages followed from the kitchen and eventually between Sophie, Grace, Heather Thomson and Shona Michie we had a plan that just might work. Cassie, Bob, Gareth and Diane kept the bar going with the energy of a hundred Duracell bunnies, but after the emergency lighting finally died and it really did get quite hard to see anything at all, we closed up for the night, happy and buzzing for the next night.
Saturday saw a truly incredible graft by the Sound Bites team, serving burgers and Bloody Mary's and more to dozens of people all day, thanks to Laurie's electric hook-up and a gas stove. The Hall must have been in a terrible mess as it had been too dark for us to clean any of it but Ilona and Inese did an absolutely amazing job as usual and, with the pub still shut, Murray the Mountain Goat led the crowd back to the Hall and hosted a fantastic all-day session there. After a heroic drive through the storm Shona and Ivàn delivered the battery packs. We quickly hooked the first up and-Hallelujah!-we had power. The Fancy Pants Dance Band then played for what was definitely one of the best danced ceilidhs ever, followed by a euphoric set by DJ Dolphin Boy. Unfortunately, the first battery pack ran out around about this point, but the second one was hooked up and the mighty Fras went above and beyond by coming back to play a blistering powered-up set. The last band of the night was the brilliantly irrepressible Falasgair, who had been absolute troopers all weekend, but they were only about 20 minutes in when the second battery pack died. Undeterred, they carried on acoustically, and the crowd got right behind them.

Not long later, thanks to Felicia Greene, we discovered that Eilidh MacGilp had brought a battery pack over for Stuart McCarthy to use to chill the Eigg Beer. There was some disbelief that this would be enough to power up the PA again, but thanks to Dave Town's expertise, his Black Box Audio team and Eilidh McGilp's app, there was success, and Falasgair got another half hour or so of their set in before we were out once and for all. The late-night bar continued through the darkness, with the Friends of the Swimming Pool at the helm-a fantastic effort by Kate Mundell, Michelle MacDonald and Thomas MacKinnon.
In Snippets style I've highlighted everyone who pitched in and made this year's Fèis na Mara such a success, thank you so much to you all. A massive thank you too, to all the punters who kept the faith, braved the weather, showed up, and gave it everything they had. And finally, the biggest thanks go to the amazing committee, volunteers and all the random helpers who pitched in: Paul, Donald, Deirdre, Mhairi, Tia, Lauren, Katie, Sophie, Carrie, Grace, Sheila, Euan, Ross and Sooz.
Cheers awbody, see you next time!
Eilidh Shaw

Blas Festival brings world-class trad musicians to Arisaig

The Blas Festival, now in its 21st year, is one of Scotland's foremost traditional-music initiatives. Modelled somewhat on Cape Breton's Celtic Colours Festival, it focuses on Highland talent and celebrates Gaelic culture, but attracts like-minded performers from across the globe. A Fèisean nan Gàidheal and Highland Council partnership, Blas works closely with venues across the Highlands, giving communities the opportunity to hear world-class music on their doorsteps. As part of this year's festival, September 9th saw Astley Hall host an evening of contrasts-which came together to create a brilliant whole.
Bláithín Mhic Cana, Piaras Ó Lorcáin and Lauren Ní Néill are a collective of singers and instrumentalists from Armagh and Derry. Advocates for Ulster's Irish-language music and oral culture, their set was a distillation and blending of countless hours of in-community transmission supplemented by archival research. Their songs, all but one (if I remember correctly) in Irish, were stunning. Effortless and chilled, yet passionate and crafted, simple arrangements were enhanced by bouzouki, shruti box and harp, and a brief cultural context was explained for each piece. Their passion for the Irish language shone through at all times, as did their excitement at discovering that Ulster Irish shares a great many similarities with Scottish Gaelic.
I had met the musicians earlier in the day at Mallaig Primary and was immediately struck by what downright nice folk they were; on stage, they were no different-little bits of humour, just the right amount of chat… they knew how to treat an audience. Their encore was one of my favourite Irish songs, made famous by Clannad and Altan: Dúlamán.
If the Scottish traditional music world was a parliament, Black-Isle-raised fiddler Lauren MacColl would certainly be in the cabinet. She won the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award at the age of 18 (the descendant of the BBC Radio 2 Young Tradition Award, won by a certain Ingrid Henderson when she was 5 years younger than that!), and has since then added a multitude of accolades to her CV, including various MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards for solo and collaborative work.

Although billed as Lauren MacColl and friends, she opened her set alone before inviting her buddies on stage. And what a set of friends they were! Anna Massie is one of our preeminent traditional string players, has played with more bands than most of us have mugs in the kitchen, is a Scots Trad Music Award winner and a BBC Radio Scotland presenter. Calum McIlroy won the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year award in 2024, previously lifting the Scots Trad Music Award for Scots singer of the year, and is currently collaborating widely.
This bunch of heavyweights gave us a spellbinding second half, with much of the material drawing on Lauren's albums, particularly her recent album Haar. While the first half of the evening saw the audience skillfully drawn progressively closer to the stage by careful interpretation within a traditional genre, Lauren and friends took us on a musical journey. Traditional norms were pushed but never breached, time signatures and keys blended seamlessly and music became story. To see three top-tier traditional musicians working together so intuitively and cohesively was gold.
Inevitably, with the community's heart elsewhere that night, after local Lorne MacMillan was laid to rest, it was an intimate concert for both acts and there was a nod of respect to this. Thanks to Ann and Astley Hall for facilitating a wonderful evening.
Dougie Beck

Eigg charity snags funds for new Community Hub

Solas Eige has been granted £92,703 from the Scottish Land Fund, enabling the residents of Eigg to acquire St Columba's Church, carry out essential repairs, and begin transforming the structure into a bright new Community Hub.
"The project will ensure a much loved island building will stay in public use as it is developed to tell the story of this beautiful place and its people," says Ailsa Raeburn, chair of the Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust. Besides acquiring and restoring the church for the community, the funding also will enable the group to build an all-ability access road; provide essential water, drainage, and sewage facilities; and hire a consultant to help guide the project's next steps. Solas Eige, which means "light of Eigg" in Gaelic, was established in 2022 to save St Columba's Church and bring it into community ownership for the benefit of both islanders and visitors. Chair of Solas Eige, Catherine Davies, called the award "the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the building and for the island."
"This funding is a major milestone on our journey to breathe new life into this unique historic building, and create a vibrant space for culture, heritage, climate literacy and pilgrimage on the Isle of Eigg," she says.

Highland Cinema now charitable trust

Fort William's Highland Cinema officially transferred ownership to a charitable organisation (SCIO) on 24th September. In a press release, the organisation wrote: "The new status underscores the cinema's commitment to exist first and foremost for the benefit of the community, and will help it to reach more audiences … and ensure a thriving future as a cultural home for all."
The new charity's initial trustees are local MP Angus MacDonald and his wife Michie, who funded the building, and Sally Macdonald, the current Chair. "Becoming a registered charity gives us access to more sustainable funding opportunities and new partnerships, allowing us to better secure our future and continue reinvesting in its operation" says Sally Macdonald.

The transition will not affect the cinema's day-to-day operations; all staff will be retained and regular screenings and activities will continue as usual.
The move happens almost five years to the day since the cinema first opened its doors, with two screens and a café bar, bringing cinema back to the heart of the Highlands for the first time in 15 years. It won the Big Screen "UK Cinema of the Year" award in 2023 and is the only brick-and-mortar cinema serving the West Word catchment area-the next closest being in Inverness.
"The cinema was always built to be a community asset, and this transfer to a charity now formalises that," says Angus MacDonald. In an email sent out to staff ahead of the announcement, MacDonald wrote: "Instead of the best cinema in Britain being owned by [my wife and I], it will now be owned by you, your family and friends… I hope you will be as proud of it as I am."

News in Brief

The vote to elect a councillor to represent Ward 11, Caol and Mallaig on The Highland Council was won by Sammy Cameron (Independent) at the by-election held on 25th September. Mr Cameron was one of eight candidates who stood for election. The turnout on polling day was 33%. Voting was by single transferable vote and Mr Cameron emerged as the winner at stage 8 of the count (see voting breakdown summary, below). Ward 11 is a 3-member ward and Mr Cameron will join existing councillors Liz Saggers (Scottish Conservative and Unionist) and John Grafton (Scottish Liberal Democrats) in representing the ward. West Word reached out to Mr Cameron following the election, inviting him to address this part of the constituency in a regular column (alongside Liz Saggers, Kate Forbes and Angus MacDonald) but has not received a reply.

The Highland Council is encouraging all local residents to fill out a survey that seeks to understand existing housing needs and households' future aspirations. Through the survey, the Council hopes to gain better insight into the housing needs of communities across Highland-and to use the information to plan new housing and services that best meet those needs. In a press release, Housing and Property Committee Chair, Cllr Glynis Campbell Sinclair urged people of all ages (over 16 years old) and living in all types of housing to take part. "This will ensure a robust and accurate data set is captured for all types of housing need and not just Council/rental demand," she said. Respondents must be aged 16 or older and be a main householder. Visit: www.researchresource.co.uk/AJHighlandHNDA.html.

Coastal communities in Scotland are being invited to apply for new grants to support local marine and coastal protected areas. The Protected Areas Foundation's Community MPA Grants will provide up to £5,000 per group to help organisations strengthen conservation, improve local well-being, and support community-led action. The grant scheme is open to formally constituted community groups working on designated coastal or marine protected areas, from ecological surveys and conservation to education, communications and day-to-day management. A total pot of £25,000 is available, with applications closing at noon on 31st October Projects must be completed within twelve months. For more details, visit www.protectedareasfoundation.org.

A new online scam detection tool has been launched by Internet safety website Get Safe Online. If you are suspicious of a text, email or message and you want to check if it is legit before responding, you can upload a screenshot to Ask Silver (www.getsafeonline.org/asksilver/) and it will identify whether the communication is safe or a 'red flag' for fraud.

Mallaig Lifeboat Log

No shouts in September! Nada! So strange!

Mallaig Station News

Although there were no shouts last month, the Mallaig crew were kept busy with their training. Congratulations are in order for Calum King and David Fergusson, who both passed their Navigator training. Their assessment involved a trip North to Ullapool to retrieve the temporary lifeboat The Margaret Joan and Fred Nye-which is now here in Mallaig while our Sir Henry Alston Hewat is in Girvan for scheduled maintenance. A big thank you to Western Isles Cruises, who took part in a joint exercise with the lifeboat crew to practice some navigation training.
The Mallaig RNLI Fundraisers are hosting a Soup and Sandwich Afternoon at Mallaig Community Centre on 15th November, 12-2.30pm, to raise vital funds for the RNLI and we'd love to see you there. Any donations in the form of home baking would be greatly received! It's also a good chance to chat to our crew if you're interested in joining the station-there are roles (both on land and at sea) for everyone.
A huge thank you to artist Malcolm East, who has kindly donated an original painting plus five signed prints of the Mallaig lifeboat to help raise funds for the RNLI. Our fundraising crew are running a 100 Square Prize Draw for one of the signed prints, which you can enter in the Mallaig RNLI shop (open Monday-Friday, 12-4pm). It's £2 per number (cash only) and once all 100 squares are sold we'll draw a winner. Thanks for supporting your local lifeboat, and good luck! Finally, we are in the process of taking in all collection boxes before redistributing them. If anyone has one that hasn't been collected, please get in touch with the station or message us via our Facebook page.
Jessica Logan

News from Mallaig Harbour

It's been a busy month for us at the Harbour. Works on the overnight ferry berth have started. RJ McLeod are on site, their compound has been set up, the temporary lighting etc. is all in place and the initial works to remove the concrete wall above deck level have been started by Corecut. In general, working hours will be from 7.30am to 7pm. However, we have come across an issue with a scour hole on the linkspan side of the berth, which needs to be filled in before the crane can be taken onto the breakwater for the piling works. This work will have to be done overnight while there is no ferry on the berth. It will involve bringing in a long-reach excavator and up to 20 lorry loads of gravel and infill materials, and will last just over a week. There should be no more noise from these works than there is for general operations overnight on the Harbour. The overall works are due to be complete by 10th April next year, and RJ McLeod have set up a time lapse camera, so we will be able to share progress on our website. We will also issue Notices to Mariners for various aspects of the works, and share these widely, including on the MHA website and Facebook page.
The intention is that the works will commence with the concrete wall being cut to deck level, and the scour holes on the linkspan berth infilled to prepare for the piles arriving in mid-October. Piling works will then take place from mid-October to mid-December. In December, the anchor block works will start, and these will continue right through to early February. This will require each circular cell to be dug out, the anchor blocks inserted, and the cells refilled. When this is complete, the area between the existing cells and the new piles will be backfilled, before the quayside works can begin-installing the new concrete deck and then bollards etc. before the quay lighting is re-installed.

We hosted the Marina Fun Day on Saturday 6th September, and we are very grateful to all those who helped in the preparations and came along on the day to volunteer their time to make it all run smoothly. There are too many to name, but we are grateful to you all. This year, the format was slightly different, as we couldn't get a bouncy castle or bucking bronco for the rearranged date. Instead, we organised our own entertainment, and raised some funds in the process. Between the barbecue, bottle stall and children's activities, we were able to donate £500 to MAaD Pipe Band, and almost £900 to the RNLI. Both organisations contributed to the day; the local lifeboat relocated to the Marina for the afternoon, and we had performances from MAaD Pipe Band members throughout the event. The date coincided with MHA-sponsored Mallaig FC winning the League title once again, so for some the celebrations continued beyond the Marina Day itself!
August at the Marina was slightly quieter than July, with 447 overnight stays by 194 vessels. This compares well with last year's figures of 390 overnight stays and 152 vessels. However, it has quietened right down now. Ruaraidh has gone back to University, but Jake will stay on with us until the end of October, when he is off to join the Navy.

The naming ceremony for the FSV Scotia took place on 10th September. Ferguson Transport had set up a couple of lorry trailers as a makeshift marquee for the day, and had even rolled out the red carpet! Rosie Curtis, who is Site Manager for MOWI at MacLean's Nose was the 'Godmother' and had the honour of smashing the bottle for the official naming. Despite having one leg in plaster, Rosie did a great job, and spoke about how the vessel would be a gamechanger for remote sites like MacLean's Nose. Some of the statistics about the vessel were incredible, and it was good to get a tour of the state-of-the-art processing plant aboard. The vessel has capacity for 350 tons of fish, can load at 100 tons per hour and chills the fish quickly after harvest to preserve the quality. Thankfully, the rain stayed off for most of the afternoon. After the official ceremony, we were treated to an amazing buffet at the West Highland Hotel, and music from An Cù Geal, who went on to open 'Lochaber Live' on the Friday evening.

MV Scotia ahead of the official naming ceremony

We also hosted another meeting of the Sound of Sleat Ferry User's Group on 3rd September. To date, we have only had 13 responses to the business survey that we circulated previously. If you have a business locally, please take a few minutes to complete the survey, as it gives the group evidence to make a stronger case for change to CalMac. The survey can be accessed online at: https://forms.gle/naKm14UNExXidYMX7 or by searching 'Sound of Sleat Ferry Users Group' on Facebook, where the post with the link to the survey is pinned to the top of the page. The AGM for the Group will take place on Wednesday 12th November, so we will provide reminders of this, as well as a link to access the meeting remotely, on the Facebook page nearer the time.
Like the rest of the village, we were battered by Storm Amy on Friday 3rd October. Thankfully it was well forecast, and we were well prepared, with all but the well boats moved from the Outer Harbour to the Inner Harbour. This included the Loch Bhrusda, which had made its way back from the Outer Hebrides to restart ferry services in Mallaig, and which had to berth on the landing berth for the night. We had a bit of damage around the Harbour, including losing one of the covers from our high tower lights, which took out part of CalMac's fence on the way past, and damage to our feed shed doors. We also lost a lot of the empty feed bags. We have tried to recover all of these, but if you come across a large white tonne bag, let us know and we will retrieve it!
Compared to some of the buildings locally, including the Boatyard Shed, we got off relatively lightly! We have generators which ensured that there was lighting throughout the weekend when the power was off in the rest of the village, and enabled CalMac to work on Saturday when the weather calmed down a bit. I could see the waves and swell running around the corner of the Outer Breakwater into the Harbour from home on Friday evening, and Pimmy reckons it's one of the worst nights he has ever seen in the Harbour. Despite it all, we did have some hardy souls who had battened down the hatches and were berthed on the pontoon; check out our Facebook page, where I have shared a video of the scene taken by Snow Bear Sailing.
Jacqueline McDonell
01687 462154

On and Off the Rails

Hello, it's me again!
We were blessed with a second spring at the end of September. The plants regrew, as did the rhododendrons that are trying to flower again. Along the line, a four foot holly bush emerged from the dead bracken that protected it until now. On the other side of my line-side fence, wild garlic regrew, along with dandelions, groundsel and nettles, whose seeds are carried along the track by the vacuum as the passing trains create a vortex.
The Royal Scotsman visited Mallaig on three of September's four Saturdays, top-and-tailed by GB Rail freight locomotives in livery matching the 12 high-end luxury carriages. Leading in was Class 66747, and leading out was Class 66746. As they run top-and-tailed, there is no requirement to shunt at Mallaig, which would not be even remotely possible on such a long train!

Autumn upgrades on the West Highland Main Line
Major engineering works, representing an investment of nearly £15 million, will mean a nine-day closure of the line between Crianlarich and Fort William, from the evening of Friday 7th November until the morning of Monday 17th November. Alternative travel options will be announced nearer the time, and Rannoch and Tulloch stations will be used by Network Rail as temporary compounds. While the line is closed, around 6.2 miles of track and 9100 sleepers will be renewed. A railway bridge near Carrour, as well as Feith footbridge will also be renewed, and vegetation management will take place. Five culverts will be renewed too, improving drainage and structural stability.
As I write, approximately 100 Lego type plastic sleepers are stored at Mallaig sidings. The seagulls are loving it! Outside my house and others along the line at Mallaig, spray paint numbers have been used to mark (I presume) which sleepers are to be replaced.
On our branch line, engineers are already hard at work, in between timetable movements. Currently, there seem to be concentrated efforts between points at Glenfinnan, with lots of scotching and clamping of points, depending on the direction of ongoing trains.
Ross Moran, Route Director of Network Rail Scotland, said: "This is a significant investment in the future of the West Highland Line, helping to ensure it remains safe, reliable and resilient for years to come."
Keep the faith, I say! In the meantime, travellers by rail will be kept moving with rail replacement transport in place. ScotRail and Network Rail urge travellers to check and check again on ScotRail's engineering plans during the Main Line closure, and speak to them for alternative travel options. Good luck!

Network Rail gears up for intensive seasonal operations
Network Rail is preparing a £6.4 million programme this autumn to combat leaves on the line across Scotland's railways. Specialist leaf-busting trains and multipurpose vehicles will be deployed to tackle build up of leaves on the railway line. High pressure water jets will clean the rails, with 155 tonnes of sand used to boost traction. In total, nearly 400 circuits of treatment will be carried out, covering 82,000 miles of track.
In the meantime, at Mallaig railway station and every other platform to Fort William, from 5am each day, sacks of quick-acting snow melt and shovels will be deployed to deal with any icy, frozen conditions on the platforms. Oli at Mallaig used to have a push-along ice removing spinner, but the wheels kept falling off! So it's back to the bucket and shovel for him!

Caledonian Sleeper to link Scotland with Birmingham
The Caledonian sleeper will link Scotland with Birmingham from January 2026 in the biggest timetable change in 30 years, according to the overnight train's operators. Passengers will be able to travel between Fort William (and Inverness) and London via the city in the West Midlands. All intermediate stops, including Glasgow and Edinburgh, will continue as normal. Caledonian Sleeper's Interim Managing Director, Graham Kelly, said journey lengths and departure times would not be affected by the change.
I first wrote about this four months ago… It just takes time to be given approval! The service will arrive into and depart from Birmingham International Station-perfect for avoiding London, if you're travelling to Oxfordshire (other counties are available!!), as I have done many times, common sense out the window.
Many moons ago, the sleeper train arrived and departed from Birmingham New Street Station… Sometimes we have to look back to see how far we have come. Hopefully, Mallaig departures by sleeper train next!

ScotRail attempts to move on DMU and EMU replacements
ScotRail is undertaking a market engagement exercise as part of its longstanding plans to replace its oldest Deisel Mutiple Unit (DMU) and Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) fleets. Under a manufacturing and supply agreement, the operator could acquire 41 EMUs and 28 battery EMUs to be operated via continuous electrification with potential additions to the to the order. ScotRail is also seeking to engage the market about supporting the replacement fleet via a technical support and spare supply agreement.
ScotRail says the new trains will offer better accessibility, more space onboard for bikes and wheelchairs and greater comfort via improvements to ride quality and seating. A contract notice was due on 29th September, but so far has not appeared...
ScotRail says it "hopes" the new trains will offer better service, but if we cannot increase capacity, we stagnate… I say: In the interim, why not extend the platform length between Fort William and Mallaig to allow the introduction of five-car trains to traverse the line as promised by Network Rail Scotland TWO. YEARS. AGO.

ScotRail axes controversial AI announcements
You may remember the kerfuffle when AI announcements were introduced on trains and platforms. Well, worry no more! Transport Scotland has confirmed that these have now been removed from all ScotRail services. A spokesman said that ScotRail is "going back to the drawing board to implement changes."
Sleep soundly now, dear passengers, as you, like me, doze on your journey!
See you on the train (or bustitution…),
Sonia Cameron

Ewen's Room initiative teaches research skills and the value of the outdoors

Over the past nine months, Ewen's Room have been leading on a project called Building Natural Capital, with funding from The Ideas Fund. As Ewen's Room Education Officer, I have been working with a group of students from Mallaig High School who showed interest in training to become a peer researcher.
The youngsters undertook training designed by Kinlochleven High School projects, spending two days training in peer research skills at Space 2 Be, learning about green and blue health, and exploring the factors that impact our mental wellbeing. They also learned what research is and why it happens, before getting to grips with the details. They learnt about methods of research and the difference between quantitative and qualitative data, which then led them to designing their own methodology to collect data from their school peers.
The training was completed interactively and mostly outdoors with creative ideas enabling the students to really engage with the training.

Next, the newly-trained peer researchers completed interviews, surveys and questionnaires within their school-all themed on the role that being outdoors can play in mental health. The last method of data collection was observation and experiential, with the young researchers completing outdoor activities with their peers. This was a memorable day spent canyoning and river bugging at Vertical Descents, with feedback and observations recorded.

After all the data collecting and active research, it was on to the analysis stage, where the young people took part in a writing retreat. They spent two nights on the outskirts of Stirling, analysing data, making reflections, drawing conclusions and putting into words some of their findings.
A huge thank you to the pupils' teacher Mhairi Jessup, who was thoroughly engaged throughout and helped guide the teens with their work. Ewen's Room staff have watched the young people grow throughout the nine months, not only in knowledge and skills but also in confidence and self-belief. There will be a report coming soon with all their detailed findings and they will also be giving a short presentation in the hope that they can gain enough support to enable some peers in their own school to continue the project next year.
Jenny Willens

Tommy MacEachen: A giant in his community

Sitting in his conservatory watching his hens potter around the garden and a palm tree swaying in the breeze, Tommy MacEachen wears the kind of smile only nine decades of rich and wonderful life can bring. One of Arisaig's elder statesmen, recently turned 90, he's keen to share stories-both funny and fierce-all infused with the quiet charisma that has made him something of a local legend.

A life of service
From Glasgow Police Sergeant to Arisaig Post Master, Tommy has spent over 60 years of his life in dedicated service to others. Equipped with a sharp wit and an even sharper memory, he's happy to reflect on a life that began right here in Arisaig.
As a youngster, Tommy used to toddle down to the farm at Ach na Skia hoping for a cup of warm milk straight from the cow. In his schoolyard days, he'd take the train to classes in Fort William, apart from the day when Iain Stewart fell into a mud puddle before the bell rang. Tommy joined Iain in taking the rest of the day off. The next day, he received "12 of the best" across his hands from the stern Headmaster, saving Iain from the beating. A month later, after a heavy snowfall, Tommy vengefully scooped up an icy ball and threw it straight at the Headmaster's head! The Head roared and went straight for twelve-year-old Tommy, but pushed him aside and grabbed Iain instead, who was bent double laughing. "My turn!" smiled his good pal, as the Head dragged him away.
After school, Tommy grasped the first chance of freedom that came his way. At 16 and a strapping 6ft 2, he took a job at the Arisaig sawmill, before being called up for National Service at 18. There, a knee cartilage surgery kept him from an expedition to South America-and instead landed him back in the barracks with a hot-headed officer.
"What kind of person are you?" Tommy recalls him asking. His reply: "Private MacEachen, Sir."
"He marched me to the guard room to fetch a knife and fork to clean between the cobblestones right round the front of the base," says Tommy. "Afterwards he marched me into a cell and locked the door. He came back two hours later and said 'If I had my way, people like you would be locked up forever, but I'll let you out because I have to.'"
However, as an old colleague once told Tommy: "Don't fret if someone gives you a bad turn, he'll come right back to you."
Turns out his colleague knew what he was talking about...
"A couple of weeks later, the Company Sergeant Major came up to me and asked my weight. I told him, '15 stone, Sir.'," says Tommy. "He said, 'Right, you're our heavyweight boxer.' Later, when I sat down to see who I was about to fight, the officer who said he'd lock me up forever was there."
And did Tommy win? "Oh, aye!" he chuckles, a grin from ear to ear. "He ran for his life… normally, you would've gotten six months for punching an officer. I got all the chances in the world that day... He ran and he ran, the referee had to catch him and say 'now you've got to box... oh, it was great!"

Police service to Postal service
After leaving the Army at 20, and a brief job in forestry in Morar, Tommy made a break for the city of Glasgow, where he joined the Police force.
He spent the next 25 years patrolling the South-side's streets. Of all the criminals Tommy captured over the years, his "best arrest" by far was the notorious 'King of Nitshill', a feared gangster whose final assault was "smashing a bus conductor's face with a builder's brick." Hot on the scene, Tommy sprang into action, pursuing the mobster on foot through woods and closes before finally catching him and putting an end to his reign.
Tommy also holds an unbroken record in the Glasgow Police force: most single arrests at a football match. He once arrested 30 Rangers fans for their sectarian chanting, at the request of the football club itself, as the fans were costing their own team a million pound TV contract. "It was quite a busy day," Tommy grins.
Promoted to Sergeant in 1979 after 22 years service, Tommy's responsibilities increased but the wage did not. With rising bills and dwindling overtime opportunities, he and his wife Rosie returned home to Arisaig, built a house, and Tommy took over the Post Office from his aunt.
"An American came in one day and said: 'How in God's name can you make money running a business in a little village like this?'," Tommy recalls. "I told him, 'We don't make any money, we just run a business!'"

The heart of the village
For 40 years, Tommy managed the Post Office-an essential link between Arisaig and the world beyond the Road to the Isles. From pensions and allowances, to returns and running a newsagents, the wee stone building was at the heart of the community.
At times, the office safe held up to £17,000-a tempting target for some… One day, a pair of thieves from Glasgow came to try their luck, expecting Tommy's elderly aunt behind the counter, not a towering ex-police sergeant. The pair panicked and asked for directions to Mallaig, and Tommy sent them trembling on their way. A few nights later, the thieves returned to steal the safe, but their poor planning meant there was only £300 inside.
After four decades as Post Master, Tommy passed the torch to his daughter Joanna. In 2014, the Post Office merged with the village's SPAR shop, marking the end of an era-and the start of Tommy's well-earned retirement.

Tommy's secret?
As the first man in his family to reach the age of 90, Tommy credits a simple piece of advice that received as a child:
"To avoid the flu, eat blackcurrants." Every morning, Tommy starts his day with a few blackcurrants, or some blackcurrant jam if they're not in season. "I get my jam from Mrs MacKenzie, she makes wonderful jam," he smiles. "I like to stock up in the summer to make sure I have enough to last through the winter."
Given Tommy's humour, resilience and faith in blackcurrants (and jam), there's a lesson in his longevity for all of us-and not a complex Keto diet or expensive supplement regime in sight!
Georgia Dennis

FOOTBALL REPORT

The curtain has come down on another successful season for Mallaig FC. The final game of the year was a disappointing 4-1 defeat to Sleat and Strath in the Ross Cup Final. Obviously, this wasn't the ideal end to the season, but it doesn't detract from what has been another great season as the club regained the League title with a final day win against Sleat in Broadford.
After the final game of the season the Association presented the end of season awards, and it was Mallaig's Sam MacKenzie who was awarded player of the year for the league in 2025. The striker scored 16 goals during the season and was a pivotal part in bringing the league title back to Mallaig.
Mallaig manager Jamie MacGregor was delighted to see his side regain the title.
"2025 was another successful year for the club. We were all over the moon to become champions once again. We would have liked a cup or two to add to the league, but it sadly wasn't to be," he said, adding: "It's been a tough year, and we haven't had it all our own way, but the lads showed great character and fight to find a way to win the league title again."
Most of the team will now take a well-earned break from football before getting ready to go about retaining their title next year. Some of the squad however will continue playing football throughout the winter, with Andrew Sneddon, Connor MacKinnon and Niall MacBeth all signed up to play for Fort William in the North Caledonian League.
The Club will also be looking forward to having a new playing surface in Mallaig next season, with the long-awaited improvements to the pitch in Mallaig now well underway.
David Buick

VIEW FROM HOLYROOD

Kate Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch
The beginning of September marked the start of a new session in the Scottish Parliament. This brought an end to my constituency summer tour, where I met with a wide variety of individuals and community groups, both at surgeries and during visits across the constituency. This included some time on the west coast, where I spent some time in Glenfinnan, Mallaig, Glenuig, the Small Isles, and the surrounding area. I wrote about these visits in last month's edition of WestWord.
This year during these visits something struck me. I've been increasingly amazed at the power that relatively small community-run initiatives can have on their communities.
Community companies, trusts, councils, or charities can have a very significant effect. And it feels as though they're increasingly creative and bold in their activities-often taking on large, ambitious projects. Due to the passion and dedication of the people who are leading these initiatives, they often punch far above their weight.
Recently, I've seen community powered initiatives build affordable housing, take ownership of dilapidated properties to restore them to community use, run local services to help those in need, and build creative community hubs for the benefit of both visitors and locals. The individuals making up these not-for-profit groups don't necessarily reap huge benefits themselves, but they do give their time and talent-leaving their communities all the richer for it.
The west coast has its fair share of these groups, and I've been privileged over the years to get to know them and to help them thrive wherever I can. This included meeting with many of them this summer.
Glenfinnan Community Facilities SCIO is one example of an excellent local charity that works to serve the region. I've worked with the charity for many years now, and have had the pleasure of being able to help them wherever I can to secure funding, and to work with the many different organisations in the Glen to tackle the issues arising from overtourism. I was able to visit them again this summer, where they took me around Glenfinnan for a tour of the site. It was a hot and exceptionally busy summer's day, and I again saw the community hard at work managing the car park and controlling a near-constant flow of traffic.
They are doing an excellent job operating the site. It's a place that has attracted the attention of national media for its busyness. But this summer at Glenfinnan, I was reminded that it's members of the community who are working hard to preserve the beauty of the place, to provide an accessible experience for everyone, and protect an area of historical significance.
This is local people working hard to the benefit of their community. I know they'll keep pushing for positive results, and that the months and years to come will feature more of their dedication, and innovation, in their ongoing effort to ease the pressures caused by the volume of tourists.
I don't have enough space to mention all the amazing initiatives and people working hard to make our community life better, but I would pay tribute to the Isle of Canna Community Development Trust and the Isle Of Rum Community Trust. These are more examples of great local groups that work solely for the benefit of their communities. These, too, deserve our support and appreciation.
These examples go to show that when people band together, they can have a sizeable and lasting impact on their communities. Change and progress can be made. You have the power to impact your community, enhancing life for everyone. It's one of the many privileges of the job-getting to work with local community groups, joining their community-powered initiatives to help them thrive as best they can. If you're part of a volunteer effort or community company, then please reach out to me. I want to help any way I can to see your project succeed.
Kate Forbes kate.forbes.msp@parliament.scot

VIEW FROM WESTMINSTER

Angus MacDonald, MP for Inverness, Skye & West Ross-shire
Care Home concerns
Last week, I sat down in Holyrood with Kate Forbes and Tom Arthur, the Minister for Social Care and Mental Wellbeing. They had both read my comprehensive report on the issues facing care homes in the Highlands.
Fortunately, both were sympathetic and keen to address the extreme shortage of care bed capacity in the rural Highlands, which has seen many elderly family members sent hours from their families in Skye, Lochaber and Wester Ross to Inverness or central Scotland.
My report called for four large care homes to be built in Skye, Ullapool, Fort Augustus, and Fort William, providing 200+ beds to accommodate the increased demand that is already upon us. These would follow a 'care cluster' model and include staff accommodation, to help solve the crisis in housing in the Highlands which particularly affects healthcare workers. The Scottish Government are fully aware that our hospitals are full of elderly awaiting care packages, which is failing both our elderly, who should be close to home, and our hospitals, which cannot get on with their primary purpose. NHS Highlands has repeatedly had the worst level of delayed discharges among rural health boards in Scotland.
When I first published my report earlier this year, it attracted widespread media coverage and prompted many families to share their personal experiences with me. Their testimonies were often heart-breaking: people in their eighties and nineties being transported hundreds of miles from the communities they have lived in all their lives; carers forced to work punishing rotas because there simply aren't enough staff; and families left unable to visit loved ones on a daily basis. These are not just statistics but human stories, and they underline why urgent action is essential. I've continued to gather evidence from frontline staff, trade unions, and local GPs, all of whom are clear that the system is at breaking point.
The problems are repeatedly in the news. Last week, a new report from Highland Council and NHS Highland warned that social care provision in the Highlands faces "catastrophic" loss of "swathes of social care provision" due to changes in policy. This week, it has been reported that Castlehill in Inverness, a 90-bed care home, has had new admissions suspended "until improvements are in place".
The Deputy First Minister and I are co-hosting a Care Summit in late October in Fort William, bringing together an outstanding collection of authorities on the subject, including Dr Donald Macaskill from Scottish Care and Professor Andrew Elder from the Royal College of Physicians in Edinburgh. The summit must not become another talking shop. I will be pressing Ministers and officials to commit to a timeline for delivering new capacity, supported by clear funding streams. The Highlands deserves a social care system that is fit for the future, one which values its workforce and gives families confidence that their loved ones will be cared for locally.
Unfortunately, Tom Arthur cannot attend, but will be sending senior civil servants to represent the Scottish Government. Hopefully, our conference will mark a positive route map for the future-the benefits of cross-party collaboration.
Last week, councillor Andrew Baxter put forward a clear plan for the Highland Council: strengthen care at home, build new care homes, and call for funding from Holyrood. Yet SNP councillors blocked it, refusing to face reality. Their decision ignores the crisis in delayed discharges and abandons those Highland families who need real support. I urge them to attend the care conference I am jointly hosting with Kate Forbe-where they can propose an alternative plan if they have one.
Angus MacDonald
angus.macdonald.mp@parliament.uk

Birdwatch September 2025 by Stephen MacDonald

A mixed bag, weather wise, with some strong Westerly winds at times and mostly mild, although there were a couple of days when the higher hills had a dusting of snow.
Wader passage continued throughout the month, with a steady trickle of the more usual species noted.
Golden Plover were seen all month around the Traigh Golf Course. On the Traigh shoreline, Knot, Dunlin, Sanderling, Ringed Plover, Turnstone and Bar-Tailed Godwit were regularly reported. Small groups of Sanderling were seen around Camusdarach and occasionally on the Morar Estuary near Tougal.
The Morar Estuary had frequent sightings of both Redshank and Greenshank.
The first Purple Sandpiper of the Autumn was seen by West Bay, Mallaig on the 13th.
The first Pink-footed Geese of the Autumn were seen over Arisaig and Loch Ailort on the 17th. Over the following three days, thousands of Pinkfeet were reported flying over the area, part of a massive influx reported over the North and West of Scotland. A single Brent Goose was seen resting on the shore at Traigh on the 2nd.
The first Whooper Swans of the season were seen on the 19th, with five over Arisaig in the morning and three over Mallaig late afternoon.
Still impressive numbers of Gannets to be seen throughout the month, with feeding frenzies close inshore at times. Also in the mix, large numbers of Kittiwakes, Guillemots and Razorbills. Manx Shearwaters were also in attendance but numbers dwindled rapidly by the month end. Both Great- and Arctic Skuas could be seen harassing the Gannets and Kittiwakes.
After some prolonged onshore winds, a juvenile Sabine's Gull was seen close to the shore by Traigh Golf Course on the 11th. A high Arctic breeder, this gull normally winters far out to sea in the South Atlantic, but after Northwesterly gales can get blown closer to shore. On the 27th, another was reported between Rum and Skye, from the ferry. On the 4th, an Osprey was seen fishing on Loch nan Ceall.
A Kingfisher was seen on the Morar River upstream of the hydro dam mid-month.