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After last month's front page article, it's great to be able to bring you some good news to start the year! West Word has once again been shortlisted for the 'Community Newspaper of the Year' in the Highlands and Islands Press Ball and Media Awards (HIPBMA). West Word is one of three community newspapers shortlisted, alongside Inverness Courier's The Queerier and Rhudhach Magazine. The awards take place on 6th February, so we will let you know next month how we get on!
Announcing the shortlist, the HIPBMA said: "As with previous years, the standard was exceptionally high, which meant we had to make difficult decisions after much debate and deliberation on the finalists and winners in each category."
It's testament to the hard work put in by our Editor and all our contributors, that we have been shortlisted, and it gives us confidence as a Board that West Word is worth fighting for!
On that note, we have been delighted with the response to our appeal last month. We launched a Zeffy fundraising page to raise the funds needed to pay for the first month of outsourcing printing, and this has raised over £2,000, with the total still climbing. It has also encouraged some folk to come forward with various offers of support, and we are grateful for the backing of all those who have donated or offered help in other ways. If you haven't yet donated, but would like to contribute the cost of one edition of West Word, you can do so at https://www.zeffy.com/en-GB/donation-form/make-west-word-full-colour.
We have also written to over 100 local businesses, mainly by email, asking them to consider 'sponsoring' a page in West Word, or taking out advertising, and the response has been positive. Watch out for new adverts and sponsored pages appearing next month. If you have a business locally, and we didn't get to you, or you haven't yet responded but would like to support us, then please get in touch and we will send on details.
We are confident that the support we have received to date will be enough to ensure that West Word operates viably over the next year, which will give us the opportunity to review our operation, including how the new, outsourced, full-colour printing is going. As ever, West Word is about you, our community of contributors and readers, and we couldn't do it without you. We know we have been a bit late to print in December and January, in part because there has been so much going on behind the scenes, as well as the festive hold-up in submissions. Outsourcing the printing will also take a bit of juggling, so we might be a bit later in the shops for the next couple of months than you would expect, but we will try to get back to our regular publishing date of the 10th as soon as we can. If you have any suggestions about what you would like to see in the paper, or would like to contribute in some way, even behind the scenes, we'd be happy to hear from you!
Here's to 2026, and the continued success of West Word, and keep your fingers crossed for us at the Press Ball!
West Word Directors: Ann Martin, Jacqueline McDonell, Kathy Bradshaw, Simon Bradshaw and Claire Wortley.
Hello!
New Year, New Look: Welcome to the first ever full-colour issue of West Word!
A huge thanks this month to YOU, our readers, who, along with local businesses have stepped up to show your support for this publication by chipping into our fundraising campaign. We are so grateful.
I've put together a quick 9-question survey (5 of the Qs are multiple choice!) so you can share your thoughts about West Word in 2026. The survey is anonymous (unless you choose otherwise), so please don't be shy! Visit https://forms.gle/1MnZa4Dt5yXs16uE6 - it should only take 5 minutes to complete.
Please reach out to me if you have any issues.
Until next month!
Ceri Perkins
editor@westword.org.uk
Morar Station Building, Morar PH40 4PB
Mallaig's Pawel Cymbalista added yet another item to his long list of astonishing achievements this month when he completed "Britain's most brutal endurance race", the Montaine Winter Spine.
The race runs the length of the Pennine Way, from Edale in Derbyshire to Kirk Yetholm on the Scottish Borders, tracing a gruelling 268-mile route that includes more than 10,000m of climbing. In the dead of winter, much of the multi-day race takes place in total darkness, with participants running through the night by the light of their headtorches, snatching only the briefest of rest stops in churches or by the roadside.
This year, just 88 of the 153 elite athletes who set out made it to the finish line, with the rest succumbing to exhaustion, injury and the effects of the savage winter conditions in the wake of Winter Storm Goretti.
Pawel had a brush with potential disaster early in the race when he slipped on ice and then down a rocky slope: "I almost broke my shin bone," he says. "I got a big cut on the side of my leg, right next to the bone, which had to be glued and stitched at the next checkpoint."
But Pawel, pride of Mallaig, picked himself up, and somehow kept going. He crossed the finish line in a staggering time of 106h 25m-placing 4th among the men and 5th overall.
"What he has just done is incredible," says wife Ashley, who was glued to Pawel's position marker, 'dot-watching' online for the entire race. "Then again, that's who he is. He gives absolutely everything to everything he does."
Turn to Page 15 to read an interview with Pawel about how the heck he does all this! And look out for his full Race Report in February's West Word.
Pav on the run / STEVE ASHWORTH
December saw Knoydart full of festive cheer to end 2025 and it was magical!
The annual Knoydart Christmas Bazaar took place in our Community Hall, where many of our very talented locals had stalls selling their handmade gifts; a wonderful way to start off the festivities and begin our Christmas shopping.
Inverie Primary school pupils gave a spectacular performance at their Christmas play, leaving the entire audience beaming when Santa saved Christmas! The Forest Trust held a tree picking day, Janey hosted a Christmas movie night and the Knoydart singing group took on door-to-door carolling. Christmas Eve bought the community together with carols by candlelight followed with mulled wine and mince pies and thankfully a successful stop by Santa making Christmas day unforgettable for all!
In the true festive spirit, we have all been consuming lots of tasty treats… Veronika introduced her delicious Sourdough & More to us and the community has been raving about it, The Old Forge threw a fantastic feast at their Christmas party and everyone enjoyed overindulging at both the buffet and the bar! To end an already super month we celebrated Hogmanay with Ape House, who gave us three sets including a New Year Ceilidh!
As a community, we have lots to look forward to in the New Year including Ranger talks, movie nights, Burns supper, pub quizzes, line dancing and Bingo nights. We love to keep ourselves busy and if you fancy joining us, we would love to welcome you too!
Samantha Farthing
December is always relatively quiet for Canna. The shorter, darker days mean we are all home and indoors by 5pm, sometimes even 4pm. There were no visitors to the island until the week of Christmas, when various family and friends arrived.
We were delighted to receive funding to take our Coroghan Barn Project through the design stage. We are working with WT Architecture to bring the barn back to life with a community space, kitchen and 20-bed bunkhouse. We are looking forward to seeing the designs and making progress.
A few of us decided to do a 30-day yoga challenge. The wonders of YouTube meant we could gather in the inverter shed (the warmest space on the island that could fit 3 of us in it) and with a lot of huffing and puffing, hilarity and determination, we set off on our challenge. The festive period interrupted our streak but we are slowly getting back into it now.
No snow for us in December. It was relatively mild and any snow that falls rarely stays around for very long due to the salty air.
The farm team got a Christmas Day surprise in the form of a calf born along by Tarbert. The new Beltie has been named Jeannie, after our youngest resident who enjoyed her first Christmas this year.
Vicki hosted a pub quiz in The Shearing Shed. Three teams of three battled it out and it was a close win with general knowledge questions as well as quite a few Canna related questions including the hilarious blooper reel round.
Best wishes for 2026 from the Isle of Canna!
Margaret Willington
Happy New Year to all!
We were saddened to hear of West Word's funding plight at the end of December, and have galvanised some support from Rum. Donations from a couple of local businesses and a commitment from more people to buy West Word from the shop. Whilst there maybe fewer people buying papers and reading online material, consider your monthly West Word as a mindful pause from scrolling and screen time. Make a nice cup of tea and sit down quietly and catch up on local news and interest pieces.
In December, Christmas festivities on Rum kicked off with the school play. All six children were cast as several roles in the nativity. They were amazing, little Fliss had two solos, Aila made a fantastic cat, Edwin was all three wise men and baby Cailean made his first visit to school.
Guests at Rum bunkhouse during December meant it had to have a Christmas tree. It was truly glorious and very festive, so much so that the community Secret Santa Christmas party was moved from the village hall to the bunkhouse. Always a fun thing, secret Santa; it can be tricky when you're struggling for ideas, but I think everyone looked happy with their present.
Boxing day dawned dry and frosty so a few of us went for a seasonal swim and again on New Year's Day; there were a few hangovers from the previous night's festivities to banish… it worked. On Hogmanay our community gathering turned into an impromptu ceilidh in the hall, accompanied by a Coinny's stepdad and Hugo on guitar. Everyone brought food and much feasting took place, in between dancing and later a bit of karaoke (or singing along anyway). It was fun and happy and hilarious, and a great way to bring in the new year with friends and family.
I asked Sean for any longer-term trends in bird news since he's lived here for a long time, he said Greenfinches no longer breed on Rum and haven't for a few years, but Goldfinches now do. Hen harriers have been breeding here since 2005, and the first breeding greenshanks appeared about 20 years ago.
The Rum ponies wearing their super fluffy winter coats are in the village now, if you have any spare carrots, and there's another gang of stags doing their thing (or it could be the same stags as last year...).
Looking forward to clear starry nights in February for our first Dark Sky Festival, 14th to 17th February. There will be planetarium sessions, expert-led stargazing, poetry recitals, astrophotography and probably more too. Accommodation is still available at Rum bunkhouse, Bramble bothy and the Harbour hut.
Fliss Fraser
December brought both sadness and joy to our island this year. Sadness as we all gathered at Kildonnan on Saturday 10th December to bury one of our own, Sheena Kean, who fought bravely but ultimately lost her battle with cancer. It was heartbreakingly moving to see her family holding arms around her grave for their final goodbye. Sheena had been enjoying a well-earned retirement after serving the community on Eigg in many ways, looking after the island's old folks, working as the Small Isles practice manager, being part of Feis Eige and Eigg Electric: a life well-lived, and cut far too short. Our heartfelt condolences go to Bean, her husband, her children Stuart and Grace, and the rest of the family.
Joy, as the countdown towards the festive break was punctuated by many lovely events. First came the Christmas fair which was particularly well attended and raised a tremendous amount of money (over £1000) for various good causes: the Niamh Jobson Cancer research appeal and the MacMillan Cancer nurses, as well as the Eigg Primary School and Solas Eige... Then it was the performance of 'The Sheep Police', Eigg Primary's Christmas play, which was hilarious and featured fantastic dance moves by the cast, as well as an unscripted borrowing of baby Jesus by one of the angels! Santa's arrival rounded up this very exciting evening for the younger members of our community.
On the night of the winter solstice, our potluck Christmas meal for the whole community gathered everyone for a fabulous feast followed by a fire on the hall patio. The hall looked so beautiful, with the school children's decoration, lots of greenery and swathes of lights, truly lighting the longest night of the year.
The island singing group then led a lovely evening of carols and winter songs followed by mulled wine and mince pies organised by Solas Eige at St Columba's church. The excellent news is that the paperwork for the acquisition of the church by the charity is progressing steadily and that planning permission for an access road as well as water and sewage work has now been granted, which was a great Christmas present for all involved! At St Donnan's church, candle lights were also lit for the customary Christmas eve carol service, with the island children doing many of the readings before placing the figures in the crib, something they all love doing!
With the truly amazing calm weather experienced at the end of the month, Christmas Day was exceptional in the number of people who chose to do a loony dook in the freezing cold waters of Laig bay: twenty people, surely a record for Eigg and the Small Isles!
Photo by Lucy Conway
The festive season concluded with the Christmas shop party before everyone gathered again at the hall for Hogmanay. There a great crew of young people on the dance floor and this year it was a treat to have one of them, 16-year-old Laila, on the decks with some pretty banging tunes to keep the party going in the wee hours… As to New Year's day, it saw some more loony dooks in the waves of Laig bay: ten brave or crazy swimmers braved the freezing weather this time round.
Happy New Year everyone from all of us on Eigg and all good wishes for West Word to continue its excellent job of linking our various communities together through 2026 and beyond!
Camille Dressler
Hello Muck Calling...
Well, that's been a whirlwind of a festive period here on the Wee Isle, and it feels like we've been treading water for most of it, and almost unbelievably we played the shortest game of Hockey in it and on it… What a bunch of nutters we truly are, the conditions were absolutely atrocious and the driving rain and hail was like needles jabbing all over, especially for those in shorts-and to top it off, the hardy core went for the New Year dip in the sea.
Before that we had the usual CalMac lottery of will we be able to sail… it's kind of become part of the Christmas tradition now, along with Panto and a visit from Santa, which we had all of. The School did a very well written and entertaining show and even with only five pupils it was fabulous.
We then held a community Christmas party with the usual shenanigans and games. How funny to see Big Colin being outsmarted and put on his backside during musical chairs, well done Willow! We then had an unexpected visit from a Frantic Hippo, who the kids thought was a giant moving Piñata. Thankfully, they never had the same treatment set aside for Santa, who finally made the long journey with a very full naughty list... fortunately the five on the nice list were very happy to see him.
Eventually we had a light flurry of snow and ice, but so slight we had to outsource snowman building to the Farm kids while they were in Mallaig, not even enough here for snowballs.
Well that us this time, wishing you all a very Happy New Year and hope to see some of you throughout the coming season, our thoughts are with Ewen and wish him a speedy recovery and return.
Thanks and kind regards,
Bruce Boyd
In December's West Word, we flagged that it is 25 years since Mallaig and Morar Community Centre was completed (it had its unofficial opening on Boxing Day 2000). We were planning to have an open day later this month to celebrate, but we now have some improvement works expected and have decided to postpone the celebrations until these are completed.
We've been fortunate over the last year to receive funding from several sources to undertake energy efficiency improvements at the hall. These started with funds from the Highland Third Sector Interface and The Highland Council's Community Regeneration Fund, which allowed us to upgrade all the old storage heating and any lighting that hadn't already been upgraded.
We have since been awarded an interest-free loan from Business Energy Scotland and grants from both the SSE Community Hydro Fund and the CARES Community Building Fund. These monies will be used to upgrade the windows throughout the building and to install solar panels and battery storage, which will power the new heating. We are hopeful that these works will be complete by the end of March, which would allow us to host the opening day 25 years after the official opening took place!
Both the unofficial opening ceilidh and the official opening were recorded in West Word, and you can still read about them in the archives from January and April 2001. The building cost £735,000 and took a year to build. West Word reported:
"Funding came from the National Lottery, Highland Council, Scottish Executive, Lochaber Limited and the Mackintosh Foundation-to name but a few! Partners in the building are the Lochaber Communications Network Ltd. and the Highland Council Library service, and Lochaber College.
Jill de Fresnes, one of the prime movers of the project and the manager of Mallaig & District Community Campus, said they had been overwhelmed by the use already made of the Centre and went on: 'we want to see this facility succeed in what it was built to do-the building is just the shell, it's what goes on inside that will make the difference to the people here. We want to see more opportunities grow for the community from this. To enable us to do that, we are going to have to rely on continued support from all of you.'"
The Boxing Day celebrations included a children's disco by Keith Eddie, music and dance performances from local school pupils and concerts by local musicians:
"There were also appearances from Jill de Fresnes and Shivan McDonell, as well as Viv de Fresnes, Ross Martin, Gabe MacVarish and Duncan Nicolson … 'Blazing Fiddles' gave an excellent performance before joining in with the dancing to Brian and The Boys, who kept everyone on their feet until 2 am. Time ran out for the final Ceilidh set which had to be abandoned."
Postponing the anniversary event means you still have time to look out any old photos, videos or anecdotes to share with us! We'd love to share as many as possible to chart MMCC's first 25 years.
You can scan photos and send them to us by email, or if you trust us with them, we will do this on your behalf! If you have videos, we would be delighted to see them too! You can email mmcca@btinternet.com, or drop anything in to one of the Jacquelines at either Toys and Gifts or Mallaig Harbour Authority. We promise to take good care of anything you lend us, and to return it to you as soon as possible!
Aside: This article is a perfect example of the importance of West Word as a community archive for the area. It was so easy to search the online archive for the original articles on the opening of the Community Centre. West Word is a great resource, and we should be thankful that so many local people, businesses and organisations have stepped up to offer their support to ensure that it can continue into the future!
Jacqueline McDonell
Chair, MMCCA
15th December 2025
The Mallaig lifeboat was requested to launch by HM Coastguard at 9.51pm, in order to transport the Scottish Ambulance Service to assist a casualty on Eigg. The lifeboat arrived at the island at 10.50pm and was met by a local Coastguard member who escorted the crew and medics to the casualty's location. Paramedics assessed the situation on island, and the Coastguard helicopter then arrived on scene at 11.40pm to airlift the casualty to hospital. The crew headed back to Mallaig to refuel and the lifeboat was ready for service again by 1.00am.
30th December
At 11.50am, the Mallaig crew were on exercise at Eigg and about to drop anchor when the call for help came from HM Coastguard. An injured walker at Peanmeanach bothy required assistance to get back from the remote location. The lifeboat arrived on scene at 12.15pm and launched the Y-boat to assess and recover the injured hiker. They were then transported back to Mallaig for onward care. The lifeboat was refuelled and ready for service again at 1.30pm.
With its planned maintenance all carried out, it was a safe passage home for the Mallaig all-weather lifeboat Henry Alston Hewat. It was a mere 8-hour journey for the crew from Girvan back to Mallaig, via Oban for a much needed chippy stop. The lifeboat has been subject to inspections and safety upgrades, including new windows and fire-fighting equipment, keeping it rescue-ready to serve our community. The stand-in lifeboat has now gone on to Tobermory to serve the crew there whilst their lifeboat is away for maintenance.
A couple of thank yous are in order: firstly, to Mallaig nurseries for their amazing donation of £835 to the lifeboat. They took part in a sponsored flag walk from the nursery all the way to the top of the circular walk-no mean feat for little legs! Secondly, to everyone who popped a donation into the bucket at Aldi in Fort William on 30th November. Carol and Juliet from our fundraising team were very happy to speak to everyone and raise awareness of the Mallaig lifeboat crew's life-saving work. They raised a grand total of £222.05.
Jessica Logan
RJ MacLeod had a fortnight off between 19th December and 5th January, so the overnight ferry berth works were put on hold and the crane was lowered for the fortnight. Typically, the period while the work was stopped coincided with the calmest and driest weather that we had had for months-and the snow arrived just in time for the restart! The piling is now complete and the next phase will be to dig out the existing circular cells to allow the new face to be tied into the existing structure.
The Caralisa continued to land Sprats throughout December, but the other local boats were mostly up North fishing, so it has been quiet in terms of landings. Towards the end of the month, two new vessels arrived from the Oban area, the Atlantia, and Lady Nicola. Both are participating in a trial using electrofishing to dive for Razor Clams. The trial originally began in 2018, and was due to complete at the end of January 2025, but was then extended to 2027.
Electrofishing is seen by some as a contentious method for catching razor clams, and is banned within the EU, but the Scottish Government are keen to see whether a sustainable fishery is possible, and the vessels participating in the trial are limited to 110 days per year. If you see a small fishing boat that you don't recognise close in to the shore, particularly in sandy areas, then it's likely that it is one of these vessels, with the divers in the water.
It's the time of year when Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics are published, and the stats for 2024 are now available on the Scottish Government's website. These split the country into 18 port districts, so are not directly comparable with landings through just Mallaig Harbour, but still make for interesting reading. As in previous years, Peterhead and Shetland are the most significant ports in terms of both value and volume of landings. Peterhead is away out in front, with 216,265 tonnes landed, valued at £248.7 million. Landings into the Mallaig district in 2024 were similar to 2023, at 1,807 tonnes, the majority of which was shellfish (1,347 tonnes). Landings were valued at £7.206 million. While this sounds like a lot, it actually placed Mallaig 14th of the 18 port districts, with Portree and Oban districts both landing more by value.
Mallaig's Lifeboat returned from its overhaul in December. The relief boat wasn't due to leave for Tobermory until mid-January, so we had both in the Harbour for several weeks. They tied alongside one another on the pontoons to swap over equipment, which made for a good photo opportunity!
We've had a busy, and varied year at the Harbour! Here's a summary of some of the highlights from each month:
January: John MacPhie joined us as Deputy Harbour Master. We took ownership of Unit 15, (formerly Andy Race's).
February: We had the largest single landing of the year, from the Banff registered Venture.
March: We began demolishing the old Denholms Ice Plant, and signed a contract to install solar panels on the feed shed.
April: The new pontoon fingers were installed and the works to install a shower for visiting fishermen in the Prawn Market were completed. We awarded £4,600 of funding to local community groups in our first formalised application process.
May: Works to strengthen the pillars beneath 'Jary's Wharf' were completed. The lighthouse was painted and the new solar system installed. The FSV Scotia arrived to start sea trials.
June: The solar panels were installed on the feed shed, although they weren't wired and generating until later in the year! We hosted our AGM in the West Highland Hotel.
July: The Eda Frandsen and Provident were back in Mallaig for the summer season. The TS Shtandart was anchored off Mallaig and then at Knoydart, creating a bit of media interest. The vessel is subject to sanctions, having been built in Russia, and was on its way to participate in the Tall Ships race in Aberdeen, but was subsequently refused entry to Aberdeen.
August: Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Transport visited the Harbour to announce the award of Transport Scotland funding for the overnight ferry berth. Milligan Transport's new cargo vessel, Miss Marley, arrived.
September: September was a month of celebrations, with the Marina Fun Day on the 6th, the naming ceremony for the FSV Scotia on the 10th, and RJ MacLeod beginning works on the overnight ferry berth at the end of the month!
October: It was back down to earth when Storm Amy blew the canopy off one of the high tower lights, and caused damage to the pontoon. We had to undertake emergency repair works to a scour hole on the ferry linkspan berth, which resulted in the Coruisk having to relocate for two nights, and no ferry service to Skye.
November: Work continued on the overnight ferry berth, with piling works being the most obvious sign of progress. The first landing of Sprats was on 18th September. We hosted the first AGM of the Sound of Sleat Ferry User's Group.
December: December felt like a lot of background work, putting in place the foundations for next year's projects and progress!
The Ronja Commander was back in the Harbour over New Year, and after no display last year, the fireworks display to bring in the New Year was back, bigger and better than ever! There's a short video of part of the display on our Facebook page for those who are interested.
Jacqueline McDonell ~ 01687 462154
Hello, it's me again… only just! I'm trying to make calm out of chaos this month… is it really only still January?!
In my December column, I hoped for positive news of a commencement date for the 2026 Jacobite season… and I am still hoping. At the time of going to press, bookings "will open in the coming weeks". I suggest you go to www.jacobitetrain.com, or contact 03339 966692, for more details. I am speculating on a Wednesday, 1st April season opener... Only time will tell.
On a more positive note, I wrote last month of Network Rail's overnight track maintenance at Mallaig between 23rd November and 12th December. Now the team is back to replace even more sleepers near Mallaig station. The contractors have possession of the line at night for the entire month of January. The works involve specialised equipment that necessarily creates some noise and requires additional lighting. Network Rail have, of course, apologised for any disruption to line-side neighbours, but it means that the public service trains can still operate during the day-and a safer railway for us to travel on! I would like to hope the works will include platform lengthening, which will give us an extra carriage length-ever the optimist! Change will come... eventually.
ScotRail's 'cheapest ticket' claim is misleading!
ScotRail has been ordered to withdraw claims that it offers the cheapest tickets on its website after a watchdog ruled that this was misleading. In August last year, adverts on ScotRail's Journey Planner claimed it was unbeatable on price and that customers should book direct for the best price. The Advertising Standards Authority upheld a complaint from longtime campaigner George Eckerton, finding that ScotRail had no evidence to back up those claims. ScotRail responded by saying that it has changed the wording on the website and remains committed to offering great value for money.
Mallaig booking office and waiting room and customer facilities
I am pleased to report that, finally, the elongated procedure of appointing a new full time-member of staff to replace the ever-popular Oliver Dean is complete. Ollie (as we know him!) has been in Glasgow since October, training to become a train driver, along with Kelsey MacBeth, previously a conductor at the Mallaig depot. We have been treated to the odd open day thanks to cover from Fort William staff, but in the coming weeks the Mallaig depot should be open for business again.
I swithered as to whether or not to decorate out the waiting room interior for Christmas, but as a 'Station Adopter', I thought: the show must go on... even on closed days. The staff at Mallaig depot enjoyed the effort, I hope.
By the Spring, we should have eight drivers and six conductors covering the services in and out of Mallaig. Thanks to all of you who traverse the line to give us the service that you provide. You are appreciated.
Glenfinnan station news
Through the Friends of Glenfinnan Station Newsletter (number 50, how time flies!), as well as December's West Word, I learned that the station will have fully refurbished toilets available for passengers and others by the Spring of this year. For many years, the hard working team there have been battling with substandard septic tank facilities in the face of extraordinarily high demand.
Network Rail has now secured funding from Transport Scotland for the installation of a new sewage treatment plant and from the Railway Heritage Trust for refurbishment of the toilets. MSP Kate Forbes was instrumental in her role in making all parties work together to find a viable solution, and I know how long and hard Hege Hernaes has badgered behind the scenes to achieve this result. She deserves a round of applause!
Hege has so many strings to her bow, bless her. After the success of her book Building the Mallaig Railway, published in 2020, she is now embarking on a second book project: Glenfinnan: A Station Through Time. This will tell the story of the working lives lived at the station and the railway's impact on the village since 1901. Glenfinnan is currently in a period of rapid transition, and it is important, Hege says, to record our memories before they fade. She would therefore love to hear from readers with stories to tell and/or pictures to share. She asks: "Did you or your parents work at Glenfinnan station? Perhaps you spent a holiday with your relatives in Glenfinnan Camping Coach. Did you play at the station as a child? Did you ever see the goods siding used for its intended purpose? Whatever your affinity with the station, your input could ensure that its story is told in full."
Please, if you can assist Hege, get in touch with her via Friends of Glenfinnan Station, Glenfinnan, Inverness Shire, PH37 4LT, call 01397 722295, or email glenfinnanstation@outlook.com.
The Friends of Glenfinnan Station's AGM will take place on Saturday 31st March at 1pm at Glenfinnan and on Zoom. If you wish to join online or attend in person, get in touch with them.
Mallaig Railway 125th Anniversary: 1st April, 2026
Glenfinnan Station Museum is working closely with Friends of the West Highland Lines and the West Highland Community Rail Partnership on a programme of events to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the West Highland extension. I am also involved from Mallaig, alongside Mallaig Heritage Centre, the Red Wheel Plaque Society, ScotRail, etc. By next month, meetings will have taken place, and I'll be able to divulge more details to West Word readers… Meanwhile, save the date.
The fact that the port of Mallaig and the railway only came together to build and develop and evolve needs to be celebrated. The fish and the need to transport them is the very reason that financing was sought from Parliament and landowners… All of us who live here can only do so because of the "silver darlings". It is going to be a busy year, with a bit of luck!
Crauch snow shed at Rannoch
Built in 1896, this snow shed has now been demolished and removed. I found out on 15th December. Welding repairs were carried out in the summer of 2024, but it wasn't in great shape, and the midgies would eat you alive. It was once Britain's only snow shed on a railway. It was built two years after the line was opened in 1894, following a heavy winter snowfall. Located one mile from Rannoch station, it stretched 209 yards. Rock from the cutting was used to construct the Rannoch viaduct. The upper framework that held the corrugated iron roofing was made from original 1894 rail, leftover from the construction of the West Highland line.
How sad. It had no preservation order on it, and it had not been maintained.
Another date for your diary
Unless a touring train that I don't yet know of sneaks into Mallaig, the honour of being the first one in 2026 goes to the West Highland Pullman on Saturday, 28th March. Arriving into Fort William on the evening of Friday, 27th March, with guests from Rugby and Lancaster.
The train will depart Fort William at 9am. Later that night, guests will need to alter their watches as UK clocks go forward. They'll get one hour less sleep in Fort. William, but the full breakfast and being wined and dined in comfort on the return trip on the Sunday will no doubt ensure the guests will book again.
See you on the train-or at Mallaig station,
Sonia Cameron
Christmas in Mallaig wouldn't be at all festive without a show of some kind, so at the close of last year, Mallaig Primary School decided to put on a Nativity. Rather than follow the traditional route, with shepherds donning tea towels and younger pupils wearing sheep costumes, we reworked the story to fit our local setting.
Mary got a call from Dr Angel from Mallaig and Arisaig Medical Practice, giving her the news that there was going to be an addition to the family. Shortly after this, the famous reality TV star Caesar Saladus informed the world that all former pupils of Mallaig Primary had to travel back to Mallaig to donate to a fund to pay for the new playground.
They had an awful job trying to find accommodation, with the Marine, Chlachain and West Highland all being full up. A little disheartened, they jumped on the ferry to try their luck at the Ardvasar Hotel. What a shock Mary got when she gave birth on the MV Loch Nazareth!
An unexpected visit from Dr Angel prompted the trusty RNLI lifeboat crew to spring into action, and they headed out to the middle of the Sound of Sleat to lend a hand. However, engine trouble meant that they themselves had to send up a flare.
This bright shining light in the sky attracted the attention of a group of eccentric mysterious figures, who travelled out to the ferry to see what was going on, bringing with them some rather odd gifts. Eventually, the lifeboat crew managed to get the engine going again, taking everyone back to safety.
Speaking roles were kept to the P5-7s, but all pupils got a chance to shine and take part by performing class songs. Most were contemporary, drawing on the soundtracks from the beloved Nativity! films, as well as some timeless classics. As usual, the nursery pupils brought the house down with their infectious energy and enthusiasm as mini S Clubbers. GM2-4 grooved their way through Am Balach Beag aig Moire (Mary's Boy Child) while EM1-4 positively swashbuckled their Christmas sea shanty. The P5-7 classes came together to deliver a very sensitive rendition of Nativity!'s One Night, One Moment, and there were some spellbinding small-group choral pieces, including The Carol of the Bells and A Spaceman Came Travelling. The big group pieces, involving all of P1-7, both set the pace for the whole show with Things are Really Cool in Mallaig, and brought it to a thundering close with Sparkle and Shine. Thanks so much to Deirdre Beck for playing a huge part in selecting the music and preparing the children.
We were gobsmacked by the versatility of our pupils. Most parts were written to suit pupils' own personalities but, inevitably, extra wee bits and bobs got thrown in here and there during rehearsals, more often than not suggested by the children themselves. I'm desperately trying not to single out individuals here, but it's hard not to show appreciation for the talents of Keir (narrator and Caesar Saladus) and Annie (narrator and CalMac on-board announcer) who guided the audience through the story. However, it was very apparent, as we watched children on stage, that everyone was well and truly acting, not just reciting lines. This is in no small part due to the expertise of Alison Biddulph, who ran mini masterclasses in stagecraft and character work between formal rehearsals. Someone who needed no rehearsal whatsoever was Avril Trotter, who suggested and enthusiastically jumped into a cameo role, declaring to the audience that her dry robe was the key to preserving her modesty while out wild swimming.
Putting on a production requires a fair dose of dedication, and our youngsters worked very hard indeed to learn lines, songs and staging. Resilience is another quality which was evident by the bucketload right up to the final curtain call. Exemplary tenacity was shown by Cora, who played Dr Angel: she wasn't feeling herself before, during and after the first performance, and we put contingencies in place in case she wasn't available for the second showing the following day. In true the-show-must-go-on spirit, however, Cora managed to do both performances. Fantastic commitment!
Visually, things were kept simple, but simple didn't mean rough-and-ready. Hana MacNeil crafted a drama, singing and prop-making timetable, a document so finely tuned that she'll no doubt have ScotRail planners knocking at her door soon. This allowed time to be dedicated to the painting and detailing of backdrops, and the results were incredibly effective. These were taken on and off as scenes changed, giving the audience a non-fussy context for the drama. They've been stored away safely for future use-far too good to go in the recycling bin. Thanks to our talented staff who supported pupils in their production.
Families, friends and the public turned out in force to see the show, and praise for our children's talents has been uniformly fantastic. It's worth noting that around 200 people either came to see the production or took part in it… that's getting on for 30% of Mallaig's population! Not many theatre companies could boast such a terrific reach!
The community well and truly got behind the production as well, with the RNLI crew loaning gear as props (thanks to Colin Biddulph), and Catherine Young magicking up a real CalMac hi-viz. On top of this, we also borrowed many other items from parents and families which added greatly to the local feel of the show.
What a wonderful way to round off the term!
Dougie Beck
Mallaig-based Ultrarunner Pawel Cymbalista needs no introduction (but see News, P3, if you need bringing up to speed). West Word caught up with Pawel during a rare pause in his training, to find out what drives him and what goes into a race like The Spine...
First of all, how are you feeling?! I saw some pretty harrowing photos of Spine runners' feet-how did yours hold up?
Actually pretty good compared to everyone else! I managed to keep on top of the basic TLC; at every checkpoint taking my shoes and off quick as I could, checking for any hot spots, draining any blisters with a sterile needle, and trying to keep the feet dry with talc. I ended up with just two blisters, a couple of scratches and one toenail coming off-really good for that kind of distance.
What does the recovery look like for big races like this one?
So, the body is going to heal the fastest. It will take maybe two weeks to heal all the wounds and scratches. I'm eating healthy-lots of protein, drinking lots of water-helping my body to recover and fix the damage. That's the physical part. The mental part is another thing though. For my head and my nervous system to recover, it might take up to two months.
Oh wow, tell me about that.
Well, you might start feeling great again after two weeks, and you might start running again, training hard. But it may be too much, too fast, because your nervous system is not ready for it. It's not damage exactly, it's an internal exhaustion of your body. It puts an extra stress on your brain, and that's going to be sending alarm signals to the rest of your body.
I've done it before; I went back to training too early and ended up needing another two weeks off because I couldn't run. I'll definitely have at least two weeks of doing absolutely nothing now. Then I might jump on the bike, which will help get the blood flowing.
CRAIG HANNAH PHOTOGRAPHY
What about the training programme? How did you prepare?
In training, you try to mimic the race conditions. So I was running with my heavy pack as much as I could, running at night, climbing Ben Nevis at 1 or 2am multiple times a night and in all sorts of conditions, carrying all the kit. I had to be sure everything I was going to use in the race was tested. Same with the food, eating similarly to how I would during the race.
What did you eat during the race?
Mostly a mix of flapjacks, [carb and electrolyte] gels, and cherry chocolates. My ultimate favourite was a big block of marzipan though. I was literally biting into it! Two blocks of marzipan!
What goes through your head in the hardest moments of your races? What are your strategies for pushing through the pain?
I like to test my body, my mental strength-to see how far I can go. Each thing I sign up for is more challenging than the last. The Spine was the ultimate test. I've never run that distance before, and it was in the middle of winter, with 15 hours of darkness a day.
I'm driven by wanting to show my kids and my family, and everyone that used to know me, that I'm not the same person I used to be. I used to drink a lot. I used to smoke a lot. I want to keep showing that I have changed my life, that I'm different now and that nothing is going to take me back there.
In the darkest moments-and I had few-I thought: what I'm going to tell to my kids? "Dad got injured. He had a sore knee."? I mean, I did have a sore knee. I almost broke my leg, but I thought: I'm going to show everyone that this can be done. I've put in the training. People believe in me. Why I shouldn't believe in myself?
Do those insights transfer to other parts of life? Has endurance running taught you how to handle other situations better?
Yes. It's shown me that there's always a solution to a problem. I was planning to run a fast Spine race but as soon as we started, I realised I needed to change the plan. The snow was too deep, it was too windy, it was too icy. Sometimes in life we have to slow down or look at a problem from a different angle. And if it looks impossible-try anyway. I don't want to say in 20, 30 years: "I wish I would have done that." I want to be the person who says: "I've done that. I experienced all of that."
What's something that would surprise people about the kind of event you just took part in?
That there's a lot of walking involved in running, especially on the uphill sections. You're carrying a heavy bag, it's muddy, there's snow and ice everywhere. The running is mostly downhill and on the flats, when you have the energy.
Were you always a runner? What got you started?
No, I absolutely hated running when I was younger. I started when I moved to Scotland and I wanted to quit smoking. I used it as motivation: If you want to be a sporty person, you can't smoke!
When was that, and was your first run brutal?
It was 13th December, 2013. My first run was one mile, along the bypass in Fort William, and it was absolutely horrible. I was like: I am never doing this again. I couldn't breathe. My lungs were on fire, and I had to walk back to the flat because I couldn't run.
How long until you did it again?
The next day. And the next, and the next, and the next. I joined a running club in March 2014 and that's when I found like-minded people, nice people. They were inspiring and some of them took me out on group runs and explained everything.
How long before you decided to attempt an Ultra?
In 2019, I did the Tyndrum 24, which is a 7.5km loop that you run for 24 hours. I did 18 or 19 hours before my legs seized up and I couldn't move. I fell asleep eating my soup and dropped out. But by then I had run 124 km-and my previous longest distance was 34 km. After that, I went straight to Ultra distance and then FKTs [fastest known times] and found out I'm a natural.
I used to think I'm not a sporty person at all. I only found out recently that my Mum was a sprinter in high school. My Granddad was a postman in the Polish mountains, carrying letters every day on foot. That was his job all his life. So I think the endurance comes from him and the speed part from my Mum.
You're a certified Ultra coach these days too… but do you have any tips for readers of the 'mere mortal' variety who might be feeling inspired to lace up their running shoes this January..?
Yes! Be consistent. Try to go out every second day to start with. You don't have to run all the way-you can start by running from one lamp post to another, then walk the next length. Write yourself a plan, or ask someone to help you write a plan, and stick with it. After a few months, you'll suddenly find you're getting faster and fitter. Just stay consistent. And believe in yourself!
On 4th December last year, Knoydart local Jackie Robertson joined a convoy of vehicles driving from Scotland to Kolomyia, Ukraine. This was the fifth time in just 12 months that Jackie had completed this journey with the group Jeeps for Peace, which delivers lifesaving vehicles and aid to the war-torn country. Each vehicle was stuffed with medical supplies and warm clothing and will be used by local forces to extract the war-wounded to medical safety. Jackie agreed to keep a diary during her latest trip, to give West Word readers a glimpse of the current situation in Ukraine...
Thursday 4th December
Today was a day of moving convoy vehicles into position: Freelanders, Toyota Hi-lux, Pathfinders, Ford Rangers, Isuzus and Mitsubishis parked up all over Edinburgh, wherever secure free parking allowed, in preparation for departure the following day. These vehicles have seen a lifetime of use and most of them come with a distinct 'eau de farm' aroma; mine had three dead cheese plants in the back to dispose of, others have seen countless lambing seasons and pot holes-but not as much as they will see in a week's time.
The vehicles are purchased at auction, some donated and some privately purchased, but they are all 4 x 4, drivable (questionable!) and will save many lives in the months to come.
Friday 5th December
We rendezvous at our departure point, a shopping centre in Edinburgh, after weeks of prep. We hail from all over the world: the US, France, Belgium, Sweden, Germany, Ukraine-and Knoydart. Everyone has flown, trained, bussed and driven to get to Cameron Toll for 10am. It's a good feeling to get the old team back together and to meet new faces.
It will be a long, snowy drive; dark nights and 2,500 km stretch ahead of us. We'll travel with hand luggage only, to allow for slick travel back from Ukraine where the air space remains firmly closed. Cars are topped up with oil, water and fuel; convoy decals are added to the vehicles; and we listen to a sobering few words from the Ukrainian Ambassador, wishing all a safe passage to his motherland. We set course for Hull Ferry Terminal, start the engines, and begin our mission to bring the 650th 4 x 4 to Ukraine. Tomorrow we will wake up in Rotterdam.
Saturday 6th December
It was a rolling sea overnight and we were delayed by 4 hours to avoid an incoming weather front. With scant sleep behind us, we are already on the back foot. Our next destination is Cottbus on the German border between Poland and Germany and we have already had to scratch getting dinner in Cottbus as we won't arrive until gone 11pm. Ahead of us is an 8-hour drive and, for some, the first time driving on the right. If you've ever driven off the Hull ferry to Rotterdam, you'll know that you turn left and hit your first roundabout within 4 minutes-a baptism of fire. Cars behind you, cars in front of you and throw in a right-hand drive vehicle on the right hand side of the road… you've got it all going on. You need a giraffe's neck to overtake but you soon settle in.
The drive is long, a fuel-up is £100-plus in a big old diesel 4 x 4, and the filling stations' culinary offerings stretch to hot dogs or hot dogs with coffee. Nevertheless, the mood is buoyant and the roads so far are great-even if my playlist is questionable.
Sunday 7th December
After an early rise in Cottbus, we are away across the border into Poland within the hour. Here, the Policja love us; I think we contribute to the local economy en masse. WhatsApp messages pepper the day with pictures of blue lights in rear view mirrors (speeding, overtaking where we shouldn't, headlights out, vehicle doc checks… nothing that can't be sorted out). Meanwhile, we contend with vehicle warning lights popping up for brake fluid, steering fluid, water low, etc. Our dashboards light up like Christmas trees… well it is the Christmas Convoy, after all!
The chat is good, random WhatsApps with: "I'm at the next service station where are you? Fancy a coffee? Any food recommendations between here and the Ukrainian Border?" and the general silliness of 20-plus vehicles travelling eight hours in the same direction, all at different points on the map at any given time. We move as a convoy, travel independently but support each other fully along the way, with a low loader of two Ukrainians that can fix anything, anywhere, with nothing.
Destination reached, we pull in for the night on the Polish border approximately 15 miles from Ukraine.
Monday 8th December
It's a 5am rise and on the road by 6am to hit the Ukrainian border early. It's a lottery how long crossing from Poland to Ukraine takes. We draw up as a full convoy at the Polish border and wait it out. Sometimes they let you through within a few hours; this time we weren't so lucky. First, a 7-hour wait to cross-check that all the aid and VIN numbers matched our papers. Then another 3 hours to get through the Polish border checkpoint. The gap between Poland and Ukraine is only two car lengths and two barriers long, but it took the Ukranian border force another 4 hours to do exactly the same all over again. You just need to be patient, stay inside your vehicle and smile. It helps if you have a large bag of Haribos.
Finally, the barrier goes up and we are into Ukraine. The roads give it away immediately; here, the country needs all its resources for military effort. The drive is punctuated with fields of dried, brown sunflower heads, golden domed churches, women in head squares, tractors, military posters, beautiful forests, more tractors and huge messy twig structures balancing high up in the pylons-storks' nests. Reaching Ukraine feels so heart-warming, it's like coming home for me at this point. This is my 4th convoy, and each time it gets a little further under my feathers.
We make for Kolomyia Town square. Each drive has had hiccups that mean late or delayed arrivals, especially with old 4 x 4's that have driven more in four days than they have in a long time. Usually, we bowl in the door of our accommodation, and head straight to dinner without taking off our jackets. This was the first drive where we made it to the town square on time, and the welcome was special. The military were there to greet us with a cold beer and lots of high fives and bear hugs.
Tuesday 9th December
The night sky in Kolomyia was thankfully peaceful, and we spent last evening with the Ukrainian military who are receiving the vehicles. We saw friendly old faces, back from the frontline-some on leave, some having medical attention, some preparing to go back out. There was an all-round sense of relief that they were alive and kicking back.
Today we go to the factory to see the rebuilds being done on vehicles we delivered in previous convoys, now returned from the front line. One has been seriously shot out by a drone, and is riddled with holes like a sieve. The occupants did not make it but the vehicle has done multiple extractions, saving many lives in its lifetime of use, and will now be stripped for parts. Nothing goes to waste here. People often ask why we don't just take vehicles from Europe but instead drive them all the way from the UK and the answer is simple: right-hand drive vehicles serve as a decoy. Soldiers put a dummy in the passenger seat, allowing a driver to extract wounded many times as the Russians aim for the left.
We leave Kolomyia by noon and travel by minibus to Lviv. Four hours later, we get our first bath of the trip-and it feels like pure luxury. The air raid apps are active on our phone; Lviv is no less of a target just now. Sandbags cover shop windows, sculptures are surrounded by scaffolding, and church windows are boarded up to protect their stained glass.
Restaurants have generators humming and our hotel has a very comfortable bomb shelter in the basement, converted from a wine cellar. Ukrainians have been living side-by-side with the threat of death night and day for four years and their resilience and fortitude is truly humbling. The last of the vehicles are dropped in Lviv and we head out for the evening, fuelling up on Borscht (Beetroot Soup) and Ukrainian food before the curfew kicks in at midnight. At 9am, we observe the daily 1 minute's silence, along with the rest of Ukraine.
Wednesday 10th December
In each drive, we stop to pay our respects at the Field of Mars cemetery-a community parkland that has been given over as the final resting place for fallen soldiers returning home to Lviv. It's hard to convey what it's like to visit. Row upon row of soldiers, mostly male, mostly young but with ages between 19 and 65. Every time I go, the cemetery has grown.
There are now over 2000 buried here and they are running out of room. Graves are adorned with flags and coloured photographs of handsome young lads in civilian and military clothing. The graves have favourite sweets on them, personal treasures that give a snapshot of young life cut short.
As we pay our respects, new graves are being dug. It is relentless. This graveyard is one of hundreds that we see, in cities, towns and villages, as we drive through Western Ukraine. When a fallen hero is taken home, the traffic always slows. Our convoy falls back as nothing and no-one overtakes a funeral procession here, no bus, no bicycle, no-one; the overtaking lane stays silent. All accompany the procession as it carves its way through the villages, where glass candles burn quietly on the pavements and everyone takes a knee while it passes a heroes welcome home until finally it peels off into the church and the pace of traffic resumes.
Our convoy makes its way by bus and train to the Medyka border between Ukraine and Poland. It's a foot crossing with a single turnstile, where all arrivals and departures are processed one-by-one. It's like the 1950s, complete with elderly women selling single cigarettes and bottles of whisky under their coats as you leave. It's a short walk across no man's land, hemmed in by 15-foot barbed wire topped fences, to reach the mirror image turnstiles at the Polish side. On the other side, you're spat out into Poland and then it's like a scene from Race across the World, as the great and the good go on an international scramble to get buses, cab shares and trains for the 2.5 hour journey to Krakow airport-the porthole back home.
Kate Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch
I hope all readers of West Word had a joyous Christmas and New Year, and that you were able to celebrate among friends and loved ones. Now 2026 is upon us, and many of us are back into our usual work routines.
I am continuing to work hard to secure local victories throughout our constituency, and I will do so until the campaign period begins in March. Until then, I remain focused on delivering positive outcomes for my constituents.
I met again at the end of December with the working group dedicated to finding solutions to congestion throughout Glenfinnan. I have been meeting with this group-made up of members of the local community, public bodies, elected members, Highland Council and local businesses-to develop long-term, sustainable solutions for the site.
This work continues, and we discussed the outcomes of the pilot shuttle bus service, aptly named the 9¾, which ran from Fort William to the Glenfinnan community car park. It is hoped that this scheme will run again next summer, providing another measure to help ease congestion. We also discussed progress on the planned works at the Glenfinnan station toilets, which will enhance the facilities available at the station for both locals and visitors. Also on the agenda was a discussion about further plans the community is developing for a shuttle bus service, which would provide an alternative place to park within reasonable proximity to the Glenfinnan site.
The community works tirelessly, year-round, to find solutions to the challenges of over-tourism at Glenfinnan. It has been a huge pleasure to work with them, and I will continue to encourage and support their efforts, doing whatever I can in the coming months to champion this work. It is this joined-up approach that is so important in tackling the issue in the long term, and I commend all partners who have worked together effectively to implement positive change.
Glenfinnan hosts one of Scottish Water's 'Top Up Taps', which is a public tap initiative designed to help reduce plastic waste. Scottish Water has recently announced that this scheme has saved the equivalent of 20 million plastic bottles nationwide. These 'Top Up Taps' in our constituency alone have saved an average of 24,398 (330ml) plastic water bottles each month since their installation.
These taps are an exceptional national resource, and it is brilliant that locals and visitors alike are making use of Scotland's world-class drinking water. You can find the taps at Mallaig Harbour, Glenfinnan and Fort William-with more located in nearby Kinlochleven and Glencoe.
As we enter 2026, I'm aware that many households across the Highlands are concerned about their energy bills. Before the last election, the Labour Party made a clear promise to reduce energy bills by up to £300. Instead, bills have risen, and I am aware that families throughout our constituency are struggling with the rising cost of energy.
Scotland is a net exporter of electricity, generating far more energy than we consume. Yet Scottish households pay some of the highest energy bills in the country. This is especially true in the Highlands, where energy bills tend to be significantly higher than in urban areas.
We produce the energy, but our communities do not see the benefit reflected in their bills.
Independence would allow Scotland to chart a different course. We could establish a publicly owned energy company that works for Scottish consumers, not shareholders. We could ensure that Scottish households benefit directly from the energy we produce through lower bills, rather than subsidising energy costs elsewhere in the UK while paying premium prices ourselves.
The current system sees Scotland's energy wealth extracted while our communities pay through the nose. That is fundamentally unfair, and it does not have to be this way.
I am increasingly convinced that real, lasting change for households throughout the Highlands will only come when Scotland has full control over its own energy policy. Our communities deserve better than broken promises and rising bills, and independence would deliver that.
In May next year, we can elect a Parliament that will put Scotland first. The SNP is on Scotland's side, and SNP candidate Eilidh Munro is the right person to represent Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch. I am encouraging everyone to vote for her in May.
Kate Forbes
kate.forbes.msp@parliament.scot
Angus MacDonald, MP for Inverness, Skye & West Ross-shire
My wife and I went to the Spean Bridge Producers Market before Christmas at the Ben Nevis Auction Mart, the car park was overflowing from the start and the 60 stall holders were delighted with business. People came from all over, I chatted to people from as far away as Strathpeffer and Oban who were loading up their cars with all sorts of beautiful food and gifts. One woman told me that this market was her primary way of selling her home knitted hats. We then went to the lovely Highland Cinema where the Scouts were having a Christmas outing, and that evening with my family went to the Glenuig Inn.
What is the common theme of these three venues? They are community ventures, local people coming together to make things happen. This West Word you are reading now is an important community asset, too.
My wife went to Iain Stewart for their outstanding fish, then Lochaber Larder for meat. I picked up a box of over ready partridge from the Isle of Muck, which they deliver to Arisaig and Mallaig, superb value and delicious. I never miss a visit to the Harbour Shop and the Hub when I'm in Mallaig. We have some great local businesses that hire locally and buy locally. I raised a glass to them at Hogmanay. It was Shop Local Saturday recently, I'm such a fan.
Morrisons, Wetherspoons, McDonalds and the other chains all exist to make profits from us to benefit shareholders from away, they are not in our team!
Hopefully 2026 will see all of us doing things to help other people in our area, whether it's visiting an elderly neighbour, picking litter, volunteering for the many local charities or shopping locally. Let's make this year, the year of the Lochaber community. It's in all of our best interests to help our own area flourish; we can't depend on others to do it for us.
Angus MacDonald
angus.macdonald.mp@parliament.uk
Dear West Word,
Driving into Mallaig on a fine clear morning, we often used to stop at the layby/viewpoint just south of the Tougal/Morar junction to enjoy the view of the Cuillins, the Islands and occasionally a glimpse of the South Uist hills almost sixty miles away to the West.
"Used to", because now, in the summer months, the viewpoint no longer has a view, due to the scrub which has grown up around it!
Perhaps one of your readers knows: Does this viewpoint have a name? It seems to straddle the Community Council boundary between Arisaig CC and Mallaig and Morar CC… Would it not be nice if the view could be restored, making some sense of the information boards that have been so thoughtfully installed there?!
Neil Cameron, Arisaig
Dear West Word,
Since moving in to Arisaig 8 years ago, my wife and I have valued your publication as a rich source of local information; current, future and past. Friends and family who visit us often comment on the quality of West Word, and we would really miss it if it didn't arrive by post every month.
We would like to do what we can to support the future of West Word, and would like to make a donation...
Good luck with your fund raising. Keep up the great work.
Sincerely,
Jeremy Edwards, Arisaig
Dear Editor,
Like, I am sure, many readers, I was sad to read of the financial straits of West Word. I value this publication for its content of local news spiced with local history. In my view it scores heavily for presentation as well as content, a consistent black text font on a white background and a restrained use of colours: black and white photographs do allow character to show through…
Martyn Green, Roshven
A mostly wet and mild month until the last week, which was more settled, drier and frosty. Fairly quiet bird-wise, with nothing out of the ordinary reported.
Three Whooper Swans remained on Loch nan Eala most of the month, sometimes moving to other lochans in the area to feed. Still flocks of Greylag and Canada Geese reported, mostly around Back of Keppoch and Traigh area. There were several sightings of a single Pink-footed Goose feeding alongside the Greylags at Back of Keppoch.
Increasing reports of Goldeneye as the month progressed, with sightings from Loch Morar and Loch nan Ceall. Up to five Goosanders were seen on Loch Morar and there were widespread sightings of Red Breasted Mergansers.
Widgeon were also seen on Loch nan Ceall, Loch Ailort and Silver Sands, Traigh. On Loch nan Ceall, there were regular sightings of both Slavonian and Little Grebe. On the 30th, in calm conditions, at least 14 Slavonian and 8 Little Grebe were counted there. Also on Loch nan Ceall, a single Long-tailed Duck and a Common Scoter were seen on several occasions.
At least two Greenshank were wintering on the Morar Estuary, and a single Bar-tailed Godwit was seen there on the 7th. A Greenshank was seen on the 27th on the shore at Morroch, Arisaig.
Curlews were seen at the Morar Estuary, Loch nan Ceall and in fields at Back of Keppoch. Several reports of Woodcock, mostly roadside sightings from Morar, Arisaig and Loch Ailort.
Jays were reported form Morar and Arisaig.
Great-spotted woodpeckers were seen using garden feeders near Loch Ailort, Arisaig and Morar.
Sparrowhawks were reported from several Morar gardens.
A Merlin was seen in Arisaig on the 22nd. Barn Owls were reported from Mallaig and Morar on several occasions.
On the 30th, a Nuthatch was seen and heard in Arisaig, the first report in over a year.
A Kingfisher was seen on Loch Morar on several occasions during the month.
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