BREAK IN AT COMMUNITY CENTRE SHOCKS VILLAGE

The Directors of Mallaig and Morar Community Centre were extremely disappointed to learn on the morning of Thursday 29th August that the Community Centre had been broken into overnight. The culprits had forced open the front doors, and then forced a number of internal doors to gain access to locked spaces including the Community Centre office, the bowling club cupboard and the college and library areas. A number of laptops were stolen, some belonging to the college, and one to the Community Centre itself. A small sum of money was also stolen. The office and some of the areas in the college and library were ransacked, and cleaning chemicals poured over everything, including our telephone and printer. Although the main hall and kitchen were unaffected, and the Community Centre is back up and running for the various clubs and groups that use it, there will be quite a lot of work needed to other areas to reinstate doors, replace damaged carpet tiles etc. so please bear with us for the next few weeks while we get it all organised.
It's especially disappointing given how well used the building is by the community. Even on the Thursday morning, a vaccination clinic was due to take place, mainly for the over 75s, and Mother and Toddlers also had to find a new location for the day. The disruption meant that the Library couldn't open, and while UHI students were able to continue their studies in the 'unit' in the Industrial Estate, they had to do so without their workbooks, which were in the main building. Friday saw yoga and scouts having to be cancelled or relocated, and the poor posties were not able to sort their mail at the Community Centre as usual on either day. We're really grateful to those who offered their services to help tidy up after the mess to get the building operational so quickly. We're also in the process of setting up a fundraising page, and will share details of this when it is live. We are hoping to raise enough funds to cover the excess on our insurance and be able to install motion activated lights and a simple CCTV system to prevent something similar happening again.
Police Scotland have appealed for anyone who saw anything out of the ordinary to come forward. The culprits closed all the blinds when they entered the building, so even anyone who noticed this while passing the centre would help to narrow down the timescale.
MMCC Directors

CZECH PIPE BAND PLAYS IN ARISAIG

Visitors to Arisaig on the 15th August were both surprised and delighted to find a pipe band playing beside the sea in the centre of the village. The band played several sets of traditional Scottish tunes beautifully in the warm sunshine. However, given this climate this summer, the weather was not the surprise, rather that all members of the band were Czech.
The Blue Squadron Pipe Band had made the journey to the Highlands to visit the monument erected in memory of their countrymen and women who trained locally in the SOE during World War II. The band are named after 312 Squadron which was set up in August 1940 and consisted mainly of Czech Pilots, and share their motto: Non multi sed multa (Not many but much).
After leaving Arisaig, they went on to Glasgow to compete in the World Pipe Band Championships on 16th and 17th August - as the first ever Czech band to compete, in the company of over 7,000 pipers and drummers from 204 bands. The band said, 'We are extremely happy to have had the opportunity to be there - a place where every bagpiper would like to stand, once in a lifetime.'

Congratulations to the Cornerstone Restaurant!

Mallaig's Cornerstone Restaurant won the Best Seafood Establishment award at the Food Awards Scotland on 26th August. The glamorous event, which took place in Glasgow at the Double Tree by Hilton, saw top professionals come together to celebrate their achievements.
The Food Awards Scotland takes place every year to celebrate the accomplishments of restaurants, cafes, chefs, producers, and other culinary experts across Scotland. These awards highlight outstanding contributions to the food industry and offer a stage to display the skills and influence of those who contribute to the country's culinary landscape.
Pictured are Sharon MacBeth and Rhian Eddie accepting their award.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Horrible to hear the news about the Mallaig & Morar Community Centre being broken in to - who would do a thing like that?
As usual there's been lots going on locally and there's all sorts of things to read about in this month's paper - hope you enjoy it. Thanks to everyone for their contributions!
I'll be away during October holidays so the paper will be going to print a bit earlier - if you want something included in it, please send it sooner rather than later!
My thanks to Morag and Ewen for all their help with the printing over the years. They're stepping back a bit as winter approaches. Thank you to Kathy and Simon who have offered to step in, along with Henrik and Nicky. You are all very much appreciated!
Kirsty Bloom
editor@westword.org.uk

KNOYDART

Well that was certainly the worst, wettest August in a very long time. Actually, I heard it may well have been the worst on record since something like 1912! There were even days it was windy enough for the boat to be cancelled. Kept thinking it would at least dry up when the kids went back to school but no such luck. We had two off to high school this year, Innes and Victor who are doing well, and two moving into P1 from nursery - Ellie and Faraquhar - which means there are nine in the big class and two in nursery currently.
On the 19th the pub had an interesting beer delivery from Eigg, courtesy of sailing tall ship the Grayhound, which provides carbon-neutral deliveries around the world in partnership with New Dawn Traders. Despite the terrible weather conditions the ship sailed from Oban to Eigg, before bringing a pallet of Isle of Eigg beer straight to the Old Forge. This was celebrated with a live music session and some hearty food for the sailors. Not a bad wee Monday afternoon!
The hall had a lively, cheery band play called Wayward Jane, a modern, transatlantic interpretation of American folk and old time traditional music featuring fiddle, clawhammer banjo, double bass, guitar, wooden flute and vocals for an upbeat sound.
There was also a "Meet the emergency services" event organised by the Scottish Fire and Rescue services and had representatives from the Scottish Ambulance Service, Police Scotland, HM coastguard and of course the Fire Brigade. Unbelievably it's almost come back round to tree planting season again, with 60,000 trees set to arrive at the end of September to begin planting from October in the next phase of the Doire Fada planting in the black hills. These trees were actually donated by a company called "Just" as part of a sustainability project, which is great.
Barman Wallace who had been with us a couple of years moved on to a new adventure in Glasgow, and sadly Brendan and Dani, who got married in July, have departed back to Dumfries although for a very good reason as they are expecting their first baby. So big congratulations to them!
Keeping everything crossed for a lovely September (which, as I write this, has started off rather well and finally we are getting some much needed heat and sunshine!)
Heather Robb

ISLE OF CANNA

Our longed-for days of endless sunshine have been dashed this August. The ground is so saturated that Ranger Tom had to issue a warning that the paths are very wet and muddy. A plus side to all this rain has been a great month for our gardens. The hydrangeas have had a bumper year with large colourful blooms popping up everywhere. The honeysuckle is late but is providing a welcome bit of colour and scent later in the season.
We very much enjoyed a day visit to Muck for the Small Isles Games! Canna came third overall; a big improvement on last year when only two of us managed to get across to Rum. We had a good turn out from Canna this year with some of the conservator students from the Canna House Project coming along to boost our numbers. It turns out that Canna women are really good at throwing heavy stuff. Many thanks to everyone in Muck for organising such a great day; it was good to spend time and chat to our neighbours!
We were delighted to learn that we have a new bird visitor to Canna. A Water Rail was spotted in Sanday on one of the trail cameras. This rather beautiful, elusive bird was seen in the marsh area happily going about its business.

Ranger Tom organised a day clearing out the Canna Primary School grounds ahead of a visit by Highland Council. We are very passionate about our little school and many members of the community came together to strim, cut, mow and tidy up the grounds. Our NTS Operations Manager, Angus, even joined in. The grounds now look fantastic. We had to wait for a visiting Corncrake to finish its breeding season before we could carry out the tidy up. Unfortunately, the bad weather postponed the visit from Highland Council but we look forward to welcoming them to Canna very soon!

Photo by VICKI CRIDLAND

Photo by AILEEN COLQUHOUN

On the very last day of August, the Small Isles Community Council launched the Small Isles Snorkel Trail in Muck. For the past two years, representatives from each of the Small Isles have been meeting with Scottish Wildlife Trust to create the trail. The snorkel trail showcases the amazing diversity of Scotland's seas and highlights the wonder beneath the waves. It was incredibly satisfying to finally do the launch in Muck. The weather gods organised blazing sunshine for us and we spent a happy day rock pooling, snorkelling and having a beach picnic in Gallanach Bay. There are six trails in total across all four islands and each trail has a beginners and an intermediate section for those wanting to explore our living seas. Small Isles Snorkel Trail leaflets will be available online to download and there will be printed copies on each island. A huge thanks to Elouise Dalziel at Scottish Wildlife Trust for all her help in setting up the trail and also to Ruth in Muck for hosting such a great day. Thanks also to Arisaig Marine who have been very helpful with boat scheduling and advertising.
It was really great that myself (Canna), Fliss (Rum), Ruth (Muck) and Norah (Eigg) were all able to snorkel together in the same place for the first time since we started the project.
Margaret Willington

Photo by Sean Morris

ISLE OF EIGG

Small Isles Games on Muck
We were blessed with relatively good weather for the games on Muck this year. Although if there was anyone swithering on whether to stay and camp, the Shearwater crossing in the morning certainly cemented the decision that it would be a one way trip. Once stomachs had settled, we jumped straight into the brilliant afternoon of friendly competition that Muck residents had planned. A personal highlight was the obstacle course, and the amazing home cooked food served before the Ceilidh. Thank you to all on Muck who planned, cooked, cleaned, transported and played tunes, and of course to the Shearwater and CalMac for getting us there and home safe and well.

Road Improvements
We are incredibly grateful for the work D&I Bain have been doing on the Eigg Roads which were in dire need of resurfacing and repair work. There is now an actual road out to Howlin, a mini M8 through Cuagach and the Bhealaich Chlithe feels more like a helter skelter and less like a moon crater. In addition to saving our suspension, these improvements are making the road much safer, and more accessible to those walking, cycling, pushing prams and using smaller vehicles or other forms of transport. A huge thank you to the Highland Council and D&I Bain for making this possible, and those who have been doing the logistics in the background.

Back to school
Eigg Primary School welcomed three new pupils into Primary 1 this year, bringing the class up to 10. We are so excited for Jess, Ross, and Ness, who seem incredibly excited to be with the older kids, wishing the best to you all!

Screen Machine
The screen Machine returned for the first time since 2019, when the big layby on the pier was full of the logs from the first harvesting project instead of cold tar for the roads as it is now.

Three Words For Forest
This month we enjoyed a screening of the film 'Three Words for Forest', with some amazing food from Kat. The film explored how trees and forests are adapting to climate change, how our actions impact these processes, drawing on interviews from foresters, policy makers and scientists. Sadly, weather stopped us meeting the filmmakers for some forest craic, but we hope you can visit soon.

French Scouts
In August we had four Breton Sea Scouts staying on Eigg as part of a cultural exchange. Braving some intense rainfall camped near the hall, they were kept busy hosting an event with Breton food, music and dancing, and representing Eigg in the Small Isles Games.

Goodbye to Danny and Aniel
With heavy hearts we say goodbye to Danny and Aniel who have been working in the tearoom over the summer. It has been brilliant to have new energy and new food, we hope to see you back soon!

Community Learning Exchange
A team from Eigg Electric went on a Community Learning Exchange trip to visit Knoydart Renewables. The Knoydart folk were very welcoming and gave great tours and insights into their hydro system. There was huge learning shared between the two communities. Eigg Electric is hoping to maintain the connections made so that the two companies can be a support network for each other.
A team from Eigg forestry joined this trip along with Community Energy Scotland and Carbon Neutral Islands to share their knowledge and to boost future collaborations. Knoydart Forest Trust gave a tour of their sawmills and forestry shed and workshop.
Great food in the Old Forge and great to see Eigg beer there too! A big thanks to everyone in Knoydart from Eigg!
Eilidh MacGilp

ISLE OF MUCK

Hello Muck Calling . . . Well hasn't that been a very quick and extremely wet August? I think here on Muck it pretty much rained every day; the ground was completely sodden, yet never deterred the hardy visitors from calling in.
Highlight of the month was definitely the Island Games which was very well supported and in between the drizzly spells we managed to pack in a lot of events and fun, culminating in the tug o war. Not surprising - and in keeping with tradition - home advantage and pure numbers meant we won ?? Once the Beer tent was dry then replenished, we moved to the hall for the evening Ceilidh which was fabulous and again well attended with ample food and libations bolstered by the Mowi Salmon wagon which added to the overall theatre of the event. Thanks guys, especially as proceeds were donated for community projects. The weather faired up so the campers had it good for at least part of their stay, as Friday was positively monsoon conditions.
School is back and good to see a healthy number of pupils attending. It makes a huge difference to hear laughter and chat coming from the playground, good luck Miss B and Phoebe (I bet summer hols seem an age ago now).
Well with cattle sales in sight now the Farm have finally managed two days of sustained warmth to complete silage and baling . . . relief I'm sure, Colin.
Bruce Boyd

ISLE OF RUM

The best day of the month happened on the 31st, when the sun finally came out and it was also Edwin's (4th) birthday party, which took place in the garden. It was a busy day for locals on the ferry with Ali off to Paris, Aisling off to Arisaig for some theatre and Sean, Eve, Bernie, Joss and I off to Muck to watch birds, swim and launch the Small Isles Snorkel trail - the launch had been postponed from the week before due to terrible weather. Fun was had, group snorkelling took place and there was plenty of cake and hot tea. Rum's snorkel sites are at the old pier and at the wee beach at Port na Caranean further along the track after the otter hide. There's a lot to see beneath the waves; watching seaweed elegantly swaying in the gentle current is especially calming. You can find out more about the snorkel trail and download a leaflet at https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/things-to-do/snorkel-trails/
Big news for Rum was the announcement from Dark Sky International that Rum is now Scotland's first dark sky sanctuary! This is awesome news as we do have very little light pollution. This will help our wildlife as well as boost out of season sustainable tourism. We are making plans for fun and educational events and hopefully a dark sky viewing platform or observatory: you can read more in the separate article.
August is back to School for Scotland and not only do we have a new P1, Zak, but we also have a new Head Teacher, Andy, aka Mr Mac and he's not alone, he has four fluffy golden retrievers as well - looks like he will have his hands full. Welcome Andy and welcome back to Marta too, our class teacher.
Six at Rum primary and with the addition of Dylan Lewis, six at Mallaig high school too!
Another newcomer is a visiting stallion, his proper name is Arisaig Luchag Mhor of Dhubh but little Edwin has christened him Cheeky Boy, so we're rolling with that. He is here to work his magic and expand the Rum pony herd. There are three mares in the castle field with him, so hopefully three foals in the spring. For any visitors to Rum, there are other ponies out in the castle fields to see as well.
And that's all for now.
Fliss Fraser

ISLE OF RUM - DARK SKY SANCTUARY

In a recent press release Dark Sky International announced the Isle of Rum as Scotland's first dark sky sanctuary. There are only two in Britain and less than twenty in the whole world, so quite the accolade.
It's been a journey of over two years; the application process is long and the standards are high with the majority of the work being carried out by Alex Mumford, as visitor services manager. Monthly monitoring and reporting of light pollution levels has taken place until the required levels have been achieved and lots of changes to outside lighting across the village - removal of motion activated lighting, outside lights replaced with down lights or down lights with filters to reduce any residual artificial light. The bunkhouse has had blackout curtains fitted, the NatureScot office, Mowi shore base and primary school have also all amended their lighting to reach compliance levels. We have adopted a strict management plan to preserve and protect the night sky and will have annual reports to file and continued monitoring to carry out.
Dark skies are important for wildlife and on Rum this is especially important for the 120000 breeding pairs of Manx Shearwater who visit Rum each summer. They nest high in Rum's mountains and in September each year, the fledglings make their first flight out to sea and then onwards to the coast of South America. They fledge at night under the cover of darkness but are unfortunately attracted to artificial light, which can lead them to crash land in the village and never make it out to sea. Our dark sky designation will help raise awareness of this behaviour and due to the more responsible use of lighting, lead to a higher number of birds successfully fledging.
Looking up at the night sky over thousands of years has shaped science, culture, literature and religion and art. It is truly wondrous and it's important for us to preserve this special kind of heritage. Future plans include holding events to celebrate the night sky in fun, educational and creative ways and to build a dark sky viewing platform and /or a small observatory. It's an especially exciting time for us, if you have any questions or want to visit, please get in touch and look out for new content soon on our island website and social media.
For more info take a look at https://darksky.org/places/isle-of-rum/

A Write Highland Hoolie
8th - 10th November 2024

We're delighted to announce that the winner of this year's Deirdre Roberts Poetry Competition is Aidan Semmens, for his poem Not Dead.
Aidan is a retired journalist who lives in Orkney. He says, "I've had two pamphlets and six full collections of poetry published, most recently The Jazz Age, published by Salt in 2022 and in the same mode as my winning poem - previous books (and hopefully the next), published by Shearsman Books, have been much more serious in tone. My poems have been widely published over the past 20-plus years in various magazines, most notably Shearsman, Tears in the Fence, and Long Poem Magazine. I was also the English-language winner, earlier this year, of the Scottish Poetry Library's Julia Budenz Commemorative Prize."
Congratulations, Adrian! We're looking forward to meeting you in Mallaig in November.
The Hoolie team
facebook: awritehighlandhoolie
www.a-write-highland-hoolie.com

Ahead of his appearance at A Write Highland Hoolie in Mallaig on 10th November, author Tom O. Keenan chats to Angela Finlayson about crime fiction, folklore and how moving from Glasgow to Morar has influenced his writing.
Tom O. Keenan is excited to be making his Highland Hoolie debut at this year's Mallaig book festival.
"It's a great place to have a festival," he tells me. "I'm looking forward to being part of things - and to talking to writers like David Greig and Graeme Macrae Burnet, who are some of my heroes. It's also really nice to be going somewhere that's local to me, and which showcases local writers. Quite a few folk from around here have said they're going to be coming along."
Though he's originally from Glasgow, Tom moved to the West Highlands in 2016.
"These days, I write in my home village of Morar, Glenancross, near the famed Camusdarach beach," he says. "I wrote The Son here, which was influenced in no small part by the folklore of the area, in particular the Grey Dog of Meoble. It's a book about partners in crime who move from Glasgow to the Highlands to escape their past, and in a way it mirrors the step I made from living and writing in Glasgow - where most of the Sean Rooney Psychosleuth Series is set - to Morar." Tom's early novels drew on his experiences of working as a social worker in Glasgow for many years, but he has noticed his writing evolving since his move to the Highlands.
"Glasgow was the main inspiration for my writing: the gritty, criminal underworld of No Mean City; the dark, threatening atmosphere of the pubs and streets.
"I took many of these influences with me when I moved to the Highlands. This Lowland dark combined with Highland dark when I discovered local folklore such as the faire chlaidh, the graveyard watch, which guarded a graveyard from the devil until the next inhabitant arrived, and the ghost dog which appeared when a MacDonald of Morar died.
"The Son epitomised this transition from the criminal underworld of Glasgow to the mythological underworld of the Highlands."
Tom has found a wealth of stories, myths and inspiration in his new home.
"I'm becoming immersed in the local mythology and the supernatural," he says. "Recently, I've been involved in updating the inscriptions in the old Kilmory graveyard in Arisaig, which has confirmed the myth of the faire chlaidh. To learn that the graveyard was opened in the late 1500s by a local chieftain to prevent his son becoming the long graveyard watch at an even older 12th century graveyard really did tug at my literary heartstrings."
Tom's event at A Write Highland Hoolie on Sunday 10th November will give a fascinating insight into the mind of a crime noir writer.
"One of the main themes will be how I go about writing extremely dark fiction in such a stunningly beautiful place. I also want to talk about why I set The Son in a Highland coastal village, and I'll touch on the other writing that I do - poetry, plays and songs. So I'll try to provide a broad context because it's all part and parcel of the kinds of things I write. I also want to talk about my interest in the local mythology, which hopefully people will find interesting."
Tom O. Keenan's event is at 2 pm on 10th November 2024 in the West Highland Hotel, Mallaig. Tickets cost just £8. To book, visit www.a-write-highland-hoolie.com, where you'll also find full details of all the authors appearing at this year's festival.

News from Mallaig Harbour

August began with Pimmy and I recording a radio interview for Farming Today about changes in Mallaig as the fishing industry has changed, and the impact of new industries using the Harbour. It was broadcast on 22nd August so you might just catch us on BBC Sounds if you are interested. The piece was quite short but Kathleen and John from Yamal, who recorded us, have promised a slightly longer edit, which we will share on our website and social media when we have it. The weather has continued to be mixed, with much more rain than would be expected for August. The unseasonal weather, and the visiting vessels all heading off elsewhere has seen a drop in landings in July and August compared to May and June. However, the Harbour has continued to be relatively busy with other vessels.

We had hoped to have the MV Loch Fyne back in Mallaig prior to the Lochnevis heading off for refit, but the latest information is that she is unlikely to return this season. This means that for the period while the Lochnevis is away (2nd to 21st September) the Coruisk is operating the Mallaig -Armadale route as a single vessel, and the Loch Bhrusda, supported by the Sheerwater and Larven, will be servicing the Small Isles. The Lord of the Isles suffered an engine fire on 6th August, which led to engine failure, and her having to be removed from service for repairs, returning on the 22nd August. Thankfully no-one was injured in the fire and the vessel was able to make her way to Armadale to await a tug to escort her south for repairs. This did mean, however, that the Armadale berth was out of service and so the Mallaig/Armadale ferry couldn't operate for a couple of days.

August's unsettled weather has sent most of the yachts south early, so the Marina has quietened down a bit. We said goodbye to Kenny at the end of July, but welcomed Ruaraidh Fothergill and Katie McCaig, who kindly stepped in at short notice to cover some hours for us for the month. We've had some plans drawn up to add five new fingers to the pontoon, which we hope to be able to do over the winter months. The Eda Frandsen has left to begin her trips south for the winter, but as I mentioned last month, the Grayhound has been in a couple of times. Her first trip was delivering Isle of Eigg Brewery Beer from Eigg to the Old Forge in Knoydart!

We had another unusual visitor to the harbour this month, in the form of Tom McClean's whale, Moby, which was in transit from Loch Nevis to its new home in Fort William (below). It was in the Harbour for a couple of days, having been towed in by Milligan Transport, and was quite a talking point! I just happened to be in the right place at the right time (returning from West Word's AGM!) to get some photos.

Unfortunately, our Deputy Harbour Master has resigned from the post, having been on unpaid leave since the beginning of July due to family issues. We are obviously disappointed that he is unable to continue in post, but wish him all the best for the future. As a Board, we are going to have a think about exactly what is required before re-advertising the position.

We were also disappointed to learn that Harland and Wolff are likely to dispose of the Mallaig Boatyard as part of their restructuring. Our understanding is that works to bring the boatyard up to a modern operating standard were estimated at between £2 and £3 million, which will be challenging for anyone hoping to re-open the site as a boatyard.

We were all surprised and saddened to hear that Gillie (John Gillies) had been made redundant from his post managing the MOWI Harvest Station in Mallaig this month. Gillie had been at the Harvest Station for over 20 years, as well as being instrumental in setting up Shinty training locally and getting involved with various other community fundraisers.

Gillie and friends arriving at the Harbour after a sponsored cycle to raise funds for the Mallaig Mission and the Mallaig & District Shinty Club, on 30th June 2014. Gillie had cycled the 145 miles from Armadale in Skye to Mallaig via Kyle of Lochalsh, visiting all the Marine Harvest fish farms and units on the way. Some of the local children went out to meet him and cycled the last mile with him. The children are: L-R Murdo Morrison, Ruairidh McDonell, Megan MacLeod, Callan Griffin, Alexander McDonell and Megan Morrison.

In more positive news, we had a visit from Finn Buchanan, whose family have a house in Morar, and who recently graduated with a Masters Degree in Architecture in Denmark. Finn chose Mallaig Harbour as the basis for his thesis, and has kindly given us some of the models he made as part of this. Finn is going to write a bit more about this for West Word himself, so look out for that.

Finally, while we always try to be accommodating, new rules from The Highland Council about the disposal of soft furnishings containing persistent organic pollutants (POPs), which includes sofas, chairs and beanbags, mean that we cannot accept any soft furnishings in the skip. We have put up signs to this effect, and would remind people that the skip is monitored by CCTV. If you do try and dispose of something on the list of POPs, it will be taken out of the skip and returned to you for disposal through the Council's bulky waste uplift service.
Jacqueline McDonell

Mallaig Lifeboat Log

13th August 2024
Launched by Stornoway Coastguard at 16:10 to the assistance of a yacht experiencing engine problems south of the Sandaig Islands. The yacht was making very little headway owing to an overheating engine in strong south-westerly winds and increasingly building seas. Once the skipper applied power the engine would overheat; enough power was at hand to keep the vessel head to sea. On-scene at 16:40, the yacht was requested to follow the Lifeboat into the calmer waters at the mouth of Loch Hourn. The train of thought was not to lose the engine and the decision was made to tow the yacht to Mallaig and once inside the harbour the yacht could motor on to the Marina. Tow commenced at 17:05 into a strong south-westerly wind and 4 to 5 metre seas. On passage a steady 4 to 5 knots was maintained so as to keep the tow as comfortable as possible for those aboard the yacht. Off Mallaig the tow was shortened for the last leg into the harbour. Once in the basin the tow was released by the yacht and they motored to the Marina and moored up at 18:46. Lifeboat fuelled and ready for service at 19:30.

14th August 2024
A yacht on passage to Mallaig requested assistance via the Coast Guard to enter the harbour. The vessel reported that they thought their propeller was missing or fouled. Although the winds were favourable for sailing to Mallaig they were not familiar with the port and were not comfortable in attempting to sail in. Coast Guard tasked the lifeboat at 15:43 and launched at 15:50. On-scene at 16:05, the yacht was asked to continue sailing in to towards Glasnacardoch bay to quieter conditions. Once in the bay the tow rope was passed over for the last mile into the harbour. Once within the confines of the harbour the casualty was brought alongside the Lifeboat and berthed at the Marina at 17:00. Lifeboat squared away and back on the pontoon at 17:10.

18th August 2024
Requested to take Scottish Fire Rescue to a suspected barn fire at Ardintigh on the shores of Loch Nevis. A resident in Inverie had called 999 to inform the SFR that they had observed a fire at the former training centre at Ardintigh. Once the local Fire Brigade had mustered and boarded their necessary equipment onto the Lifeboat, the Lifeboat departed at 14:48. On passage to the scene the Fire Brigade and Lifeboat were informed from a third party that they had been in contact with the owners of the centre. It transpired that the owners had deliberately set fire to an old shed at the centre in order to dispose of it. With that, the Fire Service, having established that there was no threat to life or property, stood down the local team. At 14:55 the Lifeboat was also stood down and returned to base. Lifeboat alongside at 15:05 and Fire Brigade and kit disembarked. Conclusion! False alarm with good intent.
MIC

On and Off the Rails

Hello, it's me again - going straight in at the deep end to clarify that I was well and truly stitched up over the new logos and wording on the now newly named 'West Highland Pullman - luxury trains to the Scottish Highlands' five car Pullman train that visited us on Saturdays 17th and 24th August. The dedicated logo, with an image of a mountain range above it, is tastefully imaged onto the Nanking blue painted carriages. The train is operated by Locomotive Services Limited. A selection of products will follow to enhance the brand name, the first of which is a highly glazed, limited edition mug, navy on the handle and inside, with the West Highland Pullman logo on the white exterior, boxed and available from the waiting staff in exchange for a Scottish £10 note! And yes I do have one and it is ideal for a warming hot chocolate!
The attention to detail in the interior is to a high standard. The staff are attentive and delight in hearing Allan (the Piper) strut and play the pipes to welcome the guests to Mallaig. The two visits to date have both been in dry weather with the second one in warm sunshine!

Photos by ALLAN MACKENZIE

More dates to visit us are scheduled for this year. These are into Mallaig on Saturdays September 21st; October 12th, 19th, and 26th; and November 2nd. Each one departing from various locations in England on a Friday, with guests spending two nights in Fort William, returning on a Sunday.
The next one, on the 21st September, departs from Watford on the 20th. Top and tailed with HSTs. We will be glad to welcome them back.

The Belmond Royal Scotsman luxury touring train visits us several more times yet this year. The guests on board, as I have mentioned before, alight at Arisaig and have a coach trip with Shiel Buses along the coast road whilst the train continues onto Mallaig to take on water, and messages, returning to collect the guests 50 minutes later. This is a top of the range four day and night luxury tour departing from Edinburgh on many Fridays throughout the season. Each night the train stables up in a siding, e.g. Spean Bridge on a Friday night, where guests are entertained by visiting musicians, storytellers, etc whilst dining on board, before retiring for the night to their sleeping quarters.

The West Coast morning Jacobite continues to visit us seven days a week until and including the 25th October, under steam, at 12.26. Crossing each day at Arisaig with the incoming afternoon Jacobite which is also running seven days a week and this year scheduled to finish on Friday 27th September. The coach parties use the morning and afternoon services to pre book as part of a package. We can have up to five coaches on the West Bay carpark. I believe that the coach parties swap over the passengers in order that they get to experience one journey by road and one by coach.

Meanwhile, in my garden . . .
I cannot believe how many photos and requests for names of shrubs/trees in my 'grounds' I have supplied this year. Now my 'wrap around the house' garden is just beginning to look a bit tired. Living so close to the Atlantic, albeit the Minch, and with all of the named gales seeming to be westerly straight off the ocean, means that salt laden rain hits my Rowan trees, ferns and this year Ash and Oak even. They look as if they have been scorched by a fire, but it's just salt!! Luckily I have had success with good old standard fuchsias and Gunnera. Strangely I have not seen one butterfly - but the moths have doubled. Hostas have done well and herbs a-plenty. I've lost my lupins - roots and all - and yet at the railway station garden, they have survived. Rhubarb all gone!!

Documentarian releases new film about West Highland Line - on YouTube
Before starting to write my column on Thursday 5th September - and if I am honest, looking for a reason not to - I was reading the Lochaber Times and discovered a half page report with the above title, written by Owen Wild.
Owen has interviewed Gordon Webster, a documentarian from Helensburgh, on his latest challenge, this being a two year project which is now available to watch as a two-part documentary on his YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/@GordonDWebster. He decided to mark the 130th anniversary this year of the opening of the West Highland Line between Glasgow and Fort William, in an unusual way, on YouTube.
He said, 'My video concentrates largely on the era following the 1960s Beeching cuts on Britain's railways, as that was the era of my book, The West Highland Lines: Post Beeching, published by The History Press in 2014. So that was one particular angle I went for. I also wanted railway enthusiasts to be able to discover more about what we would refer to as more modern history of the route, even post-Millennium, including the period of rationalisation under British Rail, which saw major changes operationally, such as the loss of a lot of freight traffic.
'And of course, it is hard to beat the sight of steam (and diesel) locomotives working flat out on the torturous gradients of the West Highland Line.
'The main challenge I had though was actually with the editing software I was using! Some sort of glitch with it meant video and sound clips I had inserted, cut etc, would be randomly deleted for no reason, and I had to spend many hours re-doing the same work all over again.'
This video must be worthy of watching if only for Gordon's perseverance! Congratulations Gordon - I hope your work is appreciated - and I only found out because I didn't want to start my column!!

Bang up to date news
Drones and 'leaf busting' trains will help keep Scotland's Railway train on track this autumn - pun intended!
Network Rail is investing £7 million in a range of measures to improve performance by running more trains on time - including clearing leaves on the line. I say 'what about the weeds and huge clumps of grass in the four-foot of the railway lines on our branch line, and tree branches scratching the paint work on our touring trains this year?' But I digress.
True, it does make for speed restrictions on services a lot in our area. Now: drones will be used to inspect lines and look for overgrown vegetation, to pre-empt problems (P.Way workers used to report them) and seven specialist 'leaf-busting' trains will use high-pressure water jets to clean the rails before coating them with a 'sandy gel' that sticks to them, that will improve wheel adhesion, and grip!
Ross Moran, route director at Network Rail Scotland, said yesterday, 'Leaves on the line are dangerous, affecting trains like black ice affects road vehicles. To prepare for this, we're using tried and tested techniques, as well as some innovative technology, such as drone inspections and hydrophobic sand, that will help break down leaves and improve traction for trains.'
Some say we will be visited by these trains this autumn/winter. I look forward to that. Good call, I say.

Overhauls for ScotRail Sprinters
Gemini Rail Services has begun a programme of C6 overhauls on ScotRail Class 156 diesel multiple units. (Hope they'll fix the heating on ours? - Ed!)
All 42 sets allocated to the operator will travel to Wolverton for the work, with attention being given to key systems including cab controls, doors and toilets. Bodywork repairs will also be carried out. ScotRail says the units will receive exterior repaints and light interior refreshment.
No 156456, the first to go through the programme, returned to service in early August.
Progress will be dependent on the repairs required, but it is expected to take an average of two months to complete a unit and ScotRail anticipates that the Works will be dealing with two at a time from the end of the year.
The second of the operator's 42 Class 156s to go for overhaul at Gemini's Wolverton Works, ScotRail no. 156457, departed Corkerhill on 6th August.

Muggles disappointed as station 'Back To Hogwarts Day' did not happen!
The 'Back to Hogwarts' tradition, which usually takes place on 1st September each year at London's Kings Cross railway station, did not happen this year! The event marks the day when young witches and wizards board the Hogwarts Express back to the school of Witchcraft and Wizardry for the start of a new school year in JK Rowling's books.
In past years, fans have gathered at the station where rail staff have made a tannoy announcement for the fictional train to depart from platform 9 3/4 at 11am, and displayed it on the departure board, followed by a rendition of the Harry Potter theme tune.
Network Rail, which manages King's Cross, said, 'Having begun as a small number of fans waving off the departure of the Hogwarts Express, celebrations have grown significantly in popularity and last year's event saw thousands of people at King's Cross, which made it challenging for us as station operator. This year there was no in person event but there were online celebrations which could be enjoyed by people right across the country.'
Of course, Harry Potter fans still turned up in their hundreds. A video posted on social media platform X showed an expectant crowd counting down to 11am - and then being disappointed when nothing happened!
There were, however, many fans on The Jacobite that day in full uniform to celebrate 'Back to Hogwarts Day'. Bless.

Finally for this month, ASLEF, RMT, Unite and TSSA railway unions have now balloted members again with a revised offer that they are recommending members to accept. The results of this revised ballot will be announced on the week commencing Monday 18th September. Hopefully the travelling public, all staff and ScotRail can settle down and hope for a predictable October!
See you on the train,
Sonia Cameron

August 2024 Birdwatch by Stephen MacDonald

A mostly wet and windy month, with just a handful of dry sunny days.
A lot more birds on the move this month as the breeding season draws to a close for many species. Plenty waders and seabirds on passage, with a variety of species reported from around the coast.
There were regular reports of Golden and Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Sanderling, Redshank, Oystercatchers, Curlew and Whimbrel from the shoreline around Traigh and the adjacent fields and golf course. On the 17th, three Ruff were seen on the golf course at Traigh, the number rising to five from the 23rd until the 30th. A single Black-tailed Godwit accompanied them as they fed along with a large flock of Starlings and Oystercatchers.
Turnstones were seen at Traigh and West Bay, Mallaig throughout the month, with Knot also seen resting on the rocks at the latter site on several occasions.
On the Morar Estuary, Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Oystercatcher and Curlew were seen along with small numbers of Redshank and Greenshank.
Still good numbers of Kittiwakes, Gannets and Manx Shearwaters to be seen offshore. Several reports of Stormy Petrels, Arctic and Great Skuas. The first newly fledged Manx Shearwaters were found grounded in Mallaig during the last couple of days of the month.
Red-breasted Mergansers were reported from Loch Ailort and Loch nan Ceall. Red-throated Divers were seen offshore from Traigh and Camusdarroch on several occasions, some now with juveniles in attendance, having moved down from the hill lochs where they breed.
Some large flocks of Goldfinches and Linnets around Traigh and Back of Keppoch, containing a good proportion of juveniles.
Chaffinches seem to have had a good breeding season with large numbers of juveniles seen at garden feeders. Numerous reports of Sparrowhawks from around the area. A Peregrine Falcon was seen harassing the waders at Traigh on the 23rd.