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Chocolate Dave, Drama Dave, Vegan Dave... David Matthews goes by many names in and around Inverie, but as of last month, all official correspondence should rightly include the addendum MBE.
David spruced up and travelled to Holyrood to receive his Honour from HRH King Charles, in recognition of his dedicated history of service with the Samaritans.
For the past 15 years, David has been a 'Listening Volunteer'-someone who picks up the phone at a Samaritans branch (or opens an email on Knoydart…) and offers a gentle, non-judgmental ear to people in the midst of mental and emotional crisis. Inspired by a friend who volunteered in his 20s-and by a painful memory of the moment where, as a young man, the depths of his Grandfather's arthritis suffering came suddenly into focus-David describes this work as meaningful and essential. "You don't give advice. That's not what we do," he says. "We just listen, and give people that space."
In April 2019, David decided to take his service to the Samaritans to a new level, by setting out on foot to visit, and do a telephone shift in, each of the Samaritans' more than 200 branches across the UK and Ireland. The idea was to raise awareness and funds for the organisation, but somewhere along the 6,100-mile route, it became much, much more.
"People you pass in the street see your t-shirt saying, 'walking 6000 miles' and within five minutes, you're in this deep conversation about their life and what they've been through," says David. "It was fascinating and tragic and heartwarming."
David has spent the last year or so writing about his experiences on The Listening Walk, and the impact they had on him, and is set to publish these as a book later on this year. In fact, this writing task nearly caused him to miss the official letter from St. James's Palace notifying him of his nomination for an MBE.
"I went away for a few months in my motor home to try and spend some time finishing the book, and right as I was loading the car my neighbour arrived with the post," David recalls. "When I saw 'On His Majesty's Service', I thought it was a joke!"
After a couple of summers hosting a runaway success pop-up vegan café in Inverie, David is once again lacing up his boots and packing his waterproofs, as he endeavours to repeat the Listening Walk-setting out next month on September 9th. You can follow his progress via X and Instagram (@listeningwalker) and donate to the Samaritans, via his website: www.thelisteningwalk.com.
Hello!
Hope everyone survived Storm Floris in one piece! Full coverage next issue; please send us your tales and photos...
It's a bumper issue this month. As well as a full report from July 31st's Arisaig Highland Games, reader Niall Blackie turns his hand to book-reviewing and Aly McCluskie plays roving reporter while hanging out with Fanny Lumsden's band (I hear swimming was involved). Elsewhere, a pair of excellent features from Thomas Krebs and Laurie King will transport you from your armchair, and I got to pick the brains of thriller writer Douglas Jackson.
A big shout out to friend and former Editor Kirsty Bloom-who stepped in to set off this month's print run while I was needed overseas-and to my long-suffering Mum, Jane Rushton, and good friends Taz, Jules, Caroline and Richard for stuffing hundreds of subscriber envelopes, hauling the mail bags, dropping the island copies to the boats, and more.
Truly a community effort this month!
Ceri Perkins
editor@westword.org.uk
Morar Station Building, Morar PH40 4PB
Our committee had a lot to discuss at the AGM on 16th July, held in West Word's office at Morar Station Building. It's a difficult time for the printed press, whether newspapers or magazines, as more and more people prefer to use streaming services, read online, and use social media for delivering and receiving information.
The result of course is falling sales and reduced income from advertising revenue and subscriptions. Add to that increased overheads! West Word is facing all these challenges to keep going and keep growing.
We have made plans to help us mitigate the problem and will be putting them into place in the near future.
You can all help! Buy West Word for its reports on everything local, celebrating successes, giving answers to questions, and showcasing events-but just as importantly, send us articles and notice of events; not everyone uses social media and so many opportunities to include those who don't are lost. Community news, birthday shouts and celebrations are all free to include in West Word too!
Since last November you can now subscribe to a digital West Word for £25, so if you get the rest of your news delivered to your inbox, you can now do this with West Word too!
We are intending to outsource our printing in the near future. It won't save us money as such but we won't have to worry about buying a new printer every five years or so, or machine breakdowns. The result will be in full colour too! Hopefully it will encourage more advertisers and sponsors. If you run a business locally, please get in touch about advertising with West Word. It's an affordable way to get your business offering out there each month, as well as supporting your local newspaper to continue.
We are also hoping to put together an A4 poster with a QR code to scan to purchase a digital subscription. If you have a business, and would be happy to display one of these posters, then please let us know.
West Word has become a wonderful archive of local news for the last 30 years; our website can be searched for information, and we are often told it is the only place some answers are found. A couple of small examples: where else will you find the origin of the man and child statue on Mallaig pier? The old plaque from the Nurses' Hut was lost and re-found by someone searching our site, and it now hangs proudly in Mallaig Surgery as intended. As Directors, we recognise how much our readers appreciate the monthly dose of news from around the area, and we hope that in another 30 years, people will be looking back on the issues being produced now as just as important an archive!
To make this happen, we need the support of the wider community to help us get back on a sustainable footing. If even a small proportion of those who regularly holiday in the area took out a subscription to West Word, either digitally, or as physical mailed copies, then it would make the paper profitable again. If you are a regular reader, thank you, and please spread the word among your friends and family!
At the AGM, long time director Camille Dressler stood down after 10 years or so on the Committee. She has been involved with West Word for most of its 30 years and we give her tremendous thanks and good wishes for all the many things she's involved with. One busy, talented lady!
West Word Committee: Ann Lamont, Jacqueline McDonell, Claire Wortley, Simon Bradshaw, Kathy Bradshaw
Highland Council has been given the green light to build new permanent homes for teachers at Rum's five-pupil Primary School. The plans include a three-bedroom detached house for the head teacher and a one-bedroom studio for ancillary staff, located next to the school in Kinloch village.
Highland Council currently provides a temporary static caravan for staff, which has been in use since the old schoolhouse was demolished in 2022. At the beginning of July, the Council applied to extend its temporary planning permission on the caravan until the new homes are completed around this time next year.
In a statement, the architects said: "Much consideration has been given to the materials, design and construction of the homes to ensure that the building sits cohesively within its environment."
A milestone project to create a visitor hub on the Isle of Canna is now complete and open to visitors. The whole community turned out on 23rd July to celebrate the official opening of the Hub, which includes toilets and showers, public laundry facilities, a room for visiting NHS health workers and other professionals, and a base for Ranger Tom.
The Visitor Hub will serve as a focal point for visitors as they arrive at the harbour. Like most of our area, Canna continues to welcome an increasing number of visitors each year, putting pressure on scant existing infrastructure. The new building was constructed using environmentally conscious materials and runs on the island's renewable energy infrastructure, to align with the island's vision for environmental sustainability and community-owned tourism.
"By providing facilities at the Visitor Hub, we hope to encourage people to stay on the island for longer, moving away from short visits and towards longer stays, and more engaged visitors," says Isebail MacKinnon, Director of the Isle of Canna Community Development Trust (IoCCDT). The Hub will run on an honesty basis, welcoming donations from visitors in return for the use of its facilities.
The £771,000 project, operated and managed by the IoCCDT and led by the National Trust for Scotland, was funded by the Scottish Government, VisitScotland, The Highland Council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and the IoCCDT.
Glenuig Community Inn has been awarded £352,800 from the Scottish Land Fund-officially securing the Inn for community ownership. On 6th August, shareholders, the local community and guests including Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes descended on the Inn for a good old fashioned Highland knees-up to celebrate rural resilience, collective action and what's possible when a community comes together.
The team is continuing to raise funds to support essential next steps. Get involved at: www.glenuigcommunityinn.org/support-us.
A new weekend bus service (no. 9 ¾ - or 934) has been launched to encourage more of Glenfinnan's 600,000 annual visitors to leave their cars behind. From now until Sunday 7th September, the weekend service will run four times per day and help relieve pressure on local car parks, which fill up fast at this time of year, often leading to hazardous roadside parking and traffic congestion along the A830.
The move is part of a local action plan that combines a carrot-and-stick approach to address long-standing challenges with parking capacity in the village, which has become a must-see destination for visitors to the Highlands in recent years as a result of the Jacobite Steam Train and Glenfinnan Viaduct featuring in the beloved Harry Potter film series.
In 2024, bollards and double yellow lines were introduced along the carriageway to physically discourage illegal roadside parking. This was reinforced in summer 2025 when Highland Council Parking enforcement officers were granted powers to issue penalty charge notices.
The new service, which will be operated by Shiel Buses, is designed as a pilot scheme to gauge public appetite for a car-free day out. Glenfinnan businesses will also offer 'green rewards' as a thank you to those visitors who show them a valid bus or train ticket.
A wide range of community partners banded together to help fund the new weekend service, including The National Trust for Scotland (NTS), Glenfinnan Community Council, Glenfinnan Community Facilities Charitable Trust (SCIO), Glenfinnan Station Museum and HITRANS.
A timetable and ticket prices for the new service (plus all other buses and trains running between Fort William and Glenfinnan) are listed in the "Guide to visiting Glenfinnan without a Car" at: www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/glenfinnan-monument/planning-your-visit.
Brought up on a family farm, Murdo soon realised it was not the life for him and, after leaving the Royal Academy in Inverness, he went to the Scottish Hotels School to learn catering. After two years in the RAF Catering Corps, he used his skills in many places, until in 1964 he leased his own business: the Arisaig Hotel. He bought the Hotel in 1972 and continued to run it until 1980, when he bought Arisaig Marine, just over the road. From here, he ran the much loved MV Sheerwater daily to the Small Isles and Skye.
He was an active member of the community, including volunteering for the local Coastguard, and worked hard at whatever he did. Often called a true Highland gentleman, he was always smiling and well groomed, well known for wearing a shirt and tie even under a boiler suit.
While at the Hotel, he met and married Helen, who became the locum GP, and they had children Malcolm, Susan and Magnus. Helen died in 2004 and Murdo soon moved to Inverness, where he lived on a boat called Cockney Rebel in the Harbour and established a storage company.
He had known Dr Shina Grant for a long time, both being residents of Arisaig, but their paths crossed again and in 2007 they were married and moved to a house in Inverness.
Murdo passed away in Raigmore shortly after a bad fall. He leaves behind Malcom, Susan and Magnus and their partners, and five grandchildren.
Shina (née MacDonald) grew up in Corpach and attended Lochaber High School, from whence she left to study Medicine at Aberdeen University. She began her career at a GP practice in Crieff and then was a locum in a number of places, before joining the Kinlochleven Practice for five years. In between times, she spent a year in Canada, where her brother Donald had moved and made lifelong friends. It was while in Kinlochleven that she married James Young, a local building contractor. They moved to Ballachulish, where daughters Eilidh and Ishbel were born.
In 1989, with James' health failing, they moved to Arisaig where Shina became the full time GP, in a house attached to the surgery. Shina was an active member of the local community-a member of the Gardeners' Club, a Trustee of the Astley Hall and a willing baker for countless fundraising teas and events. James died in 1996.
The new Arisaig surgery opened in December 2003 and Dr Shina enjoyed three years of having her house to herself until she retired in 2006. She didn't slow down though, and spent some time working for the Vines Trust in Peru on the Amazon River, aboard the ship Amazon Hope. She wrote a wonderful article about her experience for West Word (go to our website and look at the May 2006 back copy).
In 2007, she married Murdo Grant and they settled in Inverness, where she was involved with Mental Health Highland and the World Mission Group, among many other things. She made quilts, filled shoeboxes for Blythswoods, attended ballet and opera at Eden Court and enjoyed gardening.
She passed away in the Highland Hospice after a short and unexpected illness. She leaves behind Eilidh and Ishbel and their partners, and five grandchildren.
Eileen was born in May 1946 in Glasgow, the first child of Fred and Mariah Boyle and the eldest of eight siblings-a role she took on with pride, responsibility and deep affection. When the family moved to Mallaig for Fred's work, and later returned to Donegal, each new sibling was welcomed into a growing circle of love.
Eileen once dreamed of becoming a bán-garda-a policewoman-but life had other plans. Family came first, as it so often did with Eileen. She left school, which she dearly loved, to care for others. That sacrifice was the first of many selfless acts that would define her life.
Back in Mallaig, Eileen came for a visit and discovered that her Uncle Neily had arranged a job for her before she'd even arrived. She worked in local hotels and shops, forming strong bonds and lifelong friendships.
Ian and Eileen married in St. Cumin's, Morar, in October 1972, and welcomed their daughter Colleen in 1975, followed by their son John in 1978. Life brought joys and challenges, but together, Eileen and Ian built a home rooted in love, hard work, and resilience. They built their house in Mallaig Bheag in 1981-a home full of warmth and welcome.
As her children grew up and began their own journeys, Eileen never stopped giving. She was a constant, steadfast support to Ian, to her late mother-in-law Betty, and to Uncle Neily. She volunteered at the Mackintosh Centre, sewed beautiful bedding for the cottages she managed on her own for years, and poured kindness into everything she touched. Guests came as strangers and left as friends-many returning year after year, not just for the scenery, but because they felt something special in her presence.
She always made time to return to Ireland, to Loch an Iúir and Burtonport. Being back among her family, hearing the familiar sounds of home, walking those quiet Donegal roads… it brought her such peace and joy. It was where she recharged her soul and where we know part of her soul will always be.
Eileen built strong, loving relationships with her children's partners, and her joy and pride in her family's happiness was unmistakable. From the moment her granddaughter Àine arrived in 2012, she had Eileen wrapped around her little finger. Their bond was something truly beautiful-full of songs, stories, cuddles and laughter. As Àine grew, and dementia began to change Eileen's world, it was Àine who gently returned the care, walking with her through the fog, always with love. Together they sang Daniel O'Donnell songs-over and over again-much to the despair of the rest of the house! Even in her final hours, the house was filled with the familiar songs and voices she loved so much.
Her wit, her humour, her delight in a good story or a visitor-all remained. Her place at the Mallaig Lunch Club was a highlight of her week. Even when she struggled to recall the names of those around her, her prayers were steady. Her belief was constant.
In her final hours, Eileen continued to be surrounded by love. The carers who came into her home became part of the family. They laughed with her, sang with her, spoke Gaelic with her, and-importantly-always made sure she was dressed to the nines.
Eileen adored Mallaig Bheag with all her heart. It was where she belonged. And it's where, on the 8th of July, she said her final goodbye-surrounded by love. Eileen left this world in the same way she lived in it: with love, grace and quiet strength. Eileen was a rare kind of soul. She gave her life in service to others-with joy, with humour, and a heart as wide as the sea outside her window.
To know her was to love her. And to love her was a gift we will carry forever.
Go raibh suaimhneas síoraí uirthi. May she rest in eternal peace.
Dawn MacPhie & Gavin Boyle
The wonderful sum of £928 was raised in Eileen's memory and will be shared between St Cumin's, Morar and Mallaig Lunch Club.
7th July 2025
Our new Coxswain, David, experienced his first shout when the pager sounded at 1.37pm. The lifeboat was tasked with assisting a yacht that was unable to start its engine. Upon arrival at the scene, two crew members went aboard and successfully helped to restart the engine. The yacht was escorted to Mallaig Marina, where it berthed safely for further inspection and repairs.
8th July 2025
At 1.16pm, the lifeboat crew were tasked with searching for a possible person in the water off the West side of the Isle of Rum after a kayak was reportedly spotted adrift with no one on board. After a thorough search and assessment of the scene, it was determined to be a false alarm, so the crew returned to Mallaig harbour.
The crew didn't have to wait long for the pager to sound again. At 6.35pm on the same day, they were tasked with aiding another yacht experiencing engine failure. With weather conditions deteriorating, the crew decided to tow the stricken vessel back into Mallaig harbour where it berthed safely for onward repair.
13th July 2025
At 7:50am, the lifeboat was tasked to assist a walker with a suspected broken ankle at Peanmeanach Bothy on the Ardnish Peninsula-an area approximately 13 miles South of the station and inaccessible by road. The lifeboat arrived on scene at 8:50am and the Y-boat was launched with two crew members onboard to assess the casualty. The injured person was recovered to the lifeboat, where their condition was monitored throughout the return journey. Upon arrival back at Mallaig harbour, the casualty was handed over to the Scottish Ambulance Service for onward care.
16th July 2025
An alert from the Arisaig area was received by HM Coastguard. At 9.54pm, the Mallaig lifeboat was dispatched to Loch nan Ceall to search the area for signs of a person in distress. After a thorough search and check in with the yachts in the area, nothing was found. With no further transmissions received the lifeboat was stood down at 11:45am and returned to base.
26th July 2025
At 12.19pm, during an afloat exercise in the Sound of Sleat, the lifeboat crew were tasked with responding to an incident involving eight hillwalkers on the South bank of Loch Nevis; one of whom was reported to have a potentially serious injury. Upon arrival, the casualties were quickly located on the shoreline and the Y-boat was launched to assess the situation. Fortunately, the injury was found to be minor and although all eight individuals were exhausted, they were otherwise ok. Everyone was then transferred to the lifeboat and returned to Mallaig without the need for medical treatment. The lifeboat was refuelled and ready for service again at 2.55pm.
27th July 2025
After a send off at the station for temporary Coxswain Andrew Stewart, the crew were paged out of their beds at 3.49am when the lifeboat was tasked with assisting the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service over to Inverie. A report had come in of a fire alarm that had been set off but upon further inspection of the premises involved, a faulty sensor was discovered to be the trigger. The lifeboat was returned to Mallaig, refuelled and ready for service at 5.50am.
The big excitement this month around the Harbour has been the pods and pods of dolphins, which have been seen throughout the month, all around the area. Those of us lucky enough to live in Mallaig have even been watching them from our houses. They have been very playful, and it's been easy to see where they got their Gaelic name 'Leumadair', which is from leum-to jump! Such large pods of dolphins are always a good sign of lots of feeding in the water, which bodes well for our local fishing fleet.
A few months ago we had a film crew around the Harbour, filming local fisher(wo)man, Erin MacKenzie. The result is a new documentary: 'Female Fishermen-Beyond the Buoys', part of the BBC's 'Our Lives' series. Catch up on iPlayer if you missed it!
Those of you familiar with the ice plant will know that it has never worked as successfully as we hoped, and that over the years, we have had various issues with it. However, we suspect that this month's issues will not be recurring very often. During the heatwave over the weekend of the 12th and 13th July, the compressors could not cope with the heat! Despite Hugh and Danny's best efforts, knowing that we had 12 tonnes of ice due to go out on the Monday, we had to admit defeat and call in the Engineer, who reported several similar issues throughout Scotland that weekend, all caused by the heatwave!
The Marina has continued to be busy throughout the month, with 427 overnight stays, almost the same as last year's 423. I mentioned a few months ago that Scottish Seafarms had installed a public access defibrillator at their offices across from the Harbour Office, and that we were relocating ours to the Marina to provide some coverage at that end of the village. Thanks to Colin and Callum King, this is now installed in a prominent position on the front of the Marina office, and is accessible 24/7. By the time you read this, we will hopefully have both the Coruisk and the Lord of the Isles back in service from Mallaig. The Coruisk returned to service on Friday 25th July, followed by the Lord of the Isles on Saturday 26th, and both are due to operate their normal services throughout August and until 7th September. Details of which services will operate from then to the end of the summer timetable in October will be published in early August. We hosted another meeting of the Sound of Sleat Ferry Users Group on 9th July, and there's a wee article on Page 31 about the group and what it aims to achieve. There is also a link to a short survey, which we are encouraging all local businesses and organisations who are impacted by ferry disruption to please complete. This will give the group evidence to strengthen our voice in discussions with CalMac. I was able to meet with Kate Forbes MSP on 22nd July, and one of the topics of our discussion was the ferry services, and the infrastructure required in Mallaig going forward to support them.
On 13th July, some of you may have seen the Tall Ship Shtandart sailing past the Harbour and into Loch Nevis. She was built in Russia, as a replica of the 1703 Frigate commissioned by Peter the Great, and launched in 1999. She was originally making her way to Aberdeen to join the Tall Ships Race. However, due to sanctions imposed when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022-which were extended to include replica ships in June 2024-TS Shtandart is not permitted to dock in British Ports, including Aberdeen, and therefore was refused permission to formally participate in the Tall Ships Race. If you want to read more about both sides of the argument, you can access the TS Shtandart website at https://shtandart.eu and the 'No Shtandart in Europe' website at https://bernardgrua.net.
The ship's berthing in Loch Nevis did result in a morning of seeking advice from various sources and a bit of a moral dilemma for us in Mallaig as to whether we would allow them to berth and take water if requested. In the end we were thankful that the request did not come, and that Shtandart sailed off North.
The Screen Machine is due to visit from 18th to 20th August. Both the Harvest Station and the FSV Scotia have been very busy discharging salmon, in the evening and overnight. This means that there are 20+ Ferguson's tankers each night, and much activity in the area where we would normally park the Screen Machine. As a result, we are looking at alternative spots for the August visit, which will be safer for those visiting the cinema-and much less noisy! Keep an eye on our Facebook page for updates…
Finally this month, a wee reminder that we still have some funding left in our Community Fund. Funds are available to groups based in the Mallaig area, who operate on a not-for-profit basis, are either constituted or incorporated, and who have a dedicated bank account for the organisation. The project being supported should have demonstrable community benefit for the Mallaig area. We can consider support to organisations who are open to a wider community area than purely Mallaig, as long as these organisations can demonstrate benefit to the community in Mallaig. There is a little over £1,000 left, and the closing date for applications for the September Board meeting is 15th August 2025. For the December meeting, the closing date is is 7th November 2025. If you would like the link to the form (which is very simple to complete) please email me at jacqueline@mallaigharbourauthority.com.
Jacqueline McDonell
01687 462154
TS Shtandart at Inverie / Photo by Judy Bailey
Hello, it's me again!
This month's column should really be titled: "On, Off and Under the Rails," as I continue to be visited at low tide by three large deer who use the underpass above which the railway track runs to gain access to my garden. They frequently chomp trot and stand like statues. They know no fear, and eventually, having had their fill of holly leaves, herbs, wild garlic and shrubs, they twitch their ears as the tide turns and leave. Pity that they don't seem to like ant nests, of which I have plenty...
Reminder of scheduled line maintenance
From 1st September to 5th September inclusive, the railway line will be closed to passenger traffic in both directions between Mallaig and Fort William. This is due to essential line maintenance, scheduled to give Network Rail full control of the line. This work is absolutely needed, following many surveys these past few months, in order to keep Britain's railways safe for us to travel and give staff confidence too.
'Bustitution' will take place between Mallaig and Fort William in both directions, running to the ScotRail current timetable. Each departure will consist of two buses: an express service, which will travel directly from Mallaig to Fort William without making any stops; and a second service that will take the coastal route to pick up and set down passengers at all other stations along the way. Please, if you are travelling on the closure dates, allow yourself extra time in order for your luggage to be loaded into the bus ahead of departure. You must have a ticket before boarding the bus. These will be available from Mallaig or Fort William booking offices.
Regretfully, the line closure means the twice daily Jacobite service cannot operate. Customers will have had notification that tickets will not be available for some time now, so are well aware of the situation.
Inevitably, this will badly affect tourism travel for West Coast Rail Company, and businesses in Mallaig and along the route. However, in these changing times and weather patterns, safety on the rails is essential, as is the safety of the many teams of workers, who can only work safely knowing that they have full possession of the line.
News has just been released that there will also be rail replacement services between Dingwall and Kyle of Lochalsh during a three week period from 19th October to 10th November 10, 2025. This is to allow for 4.5 miles of track to be upgraded between Achnashellach and Strathcarron. Worn rails, sleepers and ballast will be totally replaced. Network Rail also plans to inspect all bridges and culverts, and clear line-side ditches and drains to help prevent flooding and reduce weather-related delays. Details about rail replacement services will be provided closer to the time.
Suddenly, five days of our branch line being out of action in September doesn't seem too bad!
Now then, make a cup of tea and read on...
The former station cottage at Beasdale near Arisaig, at the head of Beasdale Bank is to have a major transformation!
The cottage, which stands adjacent to the West Highland extension to Mallaig line will be given a significant makeover to give it a new life as a three bedroom home. The application for planning permission was lodged at the end of June 2025, and has now been validated by Highland Council. It is currently under consideration and can be viewed on Highland Council's website under reference 25/02399/FUL.
It was submitted by Mr. R Aramayo, with architectural design by Kearney Donald Partnership Ltd., who are based in Fort William. The cottage once formed part of Beasdale Railway Station, which was built in 1901 as a private request stop for Arisaig House. It opened to the public in 1965 and remains an active request stop.
The plans include two extensions: one to the North, which will form a new entrance and utility room; the other, replacing the Eastern gable, is said to be inspired by traditional railway signal towers. Existing features such as the slate roof, rendered walls and dark green timber windows will be preserved or replaced as needed, and vertical timber cladding will be introduced to mark out new additions while respecting the cottage's historic character. A platform-side doorway will be replaced with a window to increase privacy for future occupants.
Internally, the layout will be simplified to suit modern living standards and needs. The total site area is 0.04 hectares and lies entirely within the applicant's own ownership. A culvert will be installed to improve drainage and access to the Eastern garden ground. This work has been discussed with Network Rail to ensure it aligns with existing maintenance requirements.
Now, Network Rail, can we finally please have progress on extending Mallaig Railway Station's island platform to allow travellers to board and disembark from five car carriages???
Scotland's Railway to help fund inspiring community projects
Scotland's Railway is launching a £40k Community Fund to help support the development and delivery of inspiring local projects across Scotland. According to a press release, the new initiative "reflects Network Rail's commitment to building stronger, more resilient communities beyond transport infrastructure by investing in the people and places the railway connects."
The Fund is designed to help local groups by bringing their ideas to life, particularly those that might otherwise struggle to secure financial backing, "whether it's refreshing community spaces, supporting young people or launching environmental initiatives."
The fund will be managed and awarded through Foundation Scotland, and is being supported by partnerships including Story Contracting Ltd., AmcoGiffen, QTS, Siemens, Volker Rail, Taziker, Rail Systems Alliance and SPL Powerlines. The first application cycle opened on 28th July, and the first awards will be announced later this year, in early November.
To be considered in the first application round, community groups should submit an application via Foundation Scotland's website before 1st September 2025. Grants between £500 and £3k will be considered, and must be spent within one year of being awarded.
Personally, I know what an abundance of kind-hearted community groups we have in our area. Please follow this up in the next month. It could be you that is lucky! If you need advice on projects and ideas that might qualify, give me a call on 01687462189.
See you on the train,
Sonia Cameron
It is the summer of 1910 or thereabouts, and Sir George and Lady Monica Bullough are entertaining in the Great Hall in Kinloch Castle. They have come to their hunting lodge on the Isle of Rùm for the season and may well have brought friends and relations to stay with them.
An observer would hear the voices of people engaged in conversation, the clinking of glasses and, rather more unexpectedly, well-known tunes of the time, such as the Toreador's Song from Bizet's "Carmen" or a medley from Gilbert and Sullivan's "HMS Pinafore" and "The Pirates of Penzance", being played-almost as if there was an orchestra in the room...
In fact, it is an orchestrion, a mechanical musical instrument with a 'music leaf' playing system of punched manila paper rolls that makes it possible to play tunes of up to 15 minutes in length, producing the effect of a 40-piece orchestra.
In those days, almost the only possibility to have music in the house was if you played an instrument yourself or engaged musicians-there was no radio yet, the gramophone had only just been invented, and of course the idea of streaming music would have been utterly alien. House music was much more common than today, and those who could afford them had music boxes, or, if they had the means, a reproducing piano. The largest and grandest option was an electrically driven orchestrion. From the beginning, the castle was lit by electricity from its own hydro-electric scheme, powered by water from a reservoir in Coire Dubh. And so the orchestrion could be operated as well.
With the gallery upstairs, the stags' heads, the Steinway grand piano, and with artefacts such as a huge bronze monkey eating an eagle atop the Japanese incense burner, the Great Hall would make a huge impression on anyone lucky enough to see it today, now that the castle has been closed to the public for several years.
Ten years or so ago, visitors would have had the opportunity to see this Edwardian time capsule on a guided tour, and they would have heard the unique sounds made by the largest artefact in the Great Hall, the orchestrion.
It was built by Daniel Imhof and Leopold Mukle, instrument makers from the Black Forest in Germany. Imhof, born in 1825, left home as a young man, around 1845, and went to London. There he met Mukle, and together they formed their joint company, Imhof & Mukle, in 1855. There were numerous instrument and clock makers from the Black Forest living in London at the time, but soon Imhof & Mukle had become one of the biggest in the business. In its heyday, the firm was the largest manufacturer of music works in the Black Forest, with around 50 employees. All instrument parts were made in Germany because wages were lower there, but the company headquarters remained in London. In 1874, Imhof returned to Germany, and in 1889 he and Mukle went their separate ways. The company name remained, however, and the London business became a sales office.
Eventually the company went out of business after the 1929 economic crisis.
It was in the Imhof & Mukle showroom in 1906 that George Bullough bought the orchestrion for his castle and had it transported to Rùm and fitted under the main stairs off the Great Hall. As one of only a handful of such instruments, it still stands in its original location today. This and its sheer size make it unique among such instruments.
In 1957, the Isle of Rùm, including Kinloch Castle, was sold to the Nature Conservancy (today's NatureScot) by Sir George's widow, Lady Monica Bullough. About 15 years later, in the early 1970s, Patrick Banks, who was employed by the Nature Conservancy and lived in the castle with his family, set about repairing the orchestrion and had recordings made of several of the music rolls, with a reel-to-reel tape recorder. These recordings were digitised and can be listened to in the Kinloch Castle Isle of Rùm Topotheque: kinlochcastle-isleofrum.topotheque.net
Overall, the instrument has aged remarkably well and is still in good condition, but lately it has suffered since the castle is no longer used. Most serious is an outbreak of woodworm infestation which requires urgent treatment. Recently, an expert organ and orchestrion restorer from Germany was able to investigate the instrument and make recommendations. Naturally, these measures have their price.
Thomas Krebs, Kinloch Castle Friends Association
Dear Ceri,
I noticed some inaccuracies with a few of Angus Macdonald's comments in his 'View from Westminster' column last month. I have corrected them below and provided some clarity. Mr MacDonald clearly has enthusiasm for Kinloch Castle but at no point, to my knowledge, has he ever actually contacted the local community on Rum to ask for their views about it.
The initial proposed sale of Kinloch Castle was set up without any local community involvement at all; we only found out about it via a hasty email sent out prior to a press release. The heads of terms he refers to were signed prior to this, and included in the sale were the island (and community's) power supply, upon which we are entirely dependent, and part of the main road through the village in front of the castle. The plan was for this to be a private road, despite the Rum community having legal access rights on this road-something we are completely dependent on for day to day life and heavy vehicles.
The Perth-based development manager he refers is actually the development officer for the Isle of Rum Community Trust (IRCT), and only acted on their instruction.
Lorna Slater, then Minister for the Green Economy, was involved at the request of IRCT, because she was the minister who oversaw NatureScot-not because she was covering anyone's maternity leave. She was asked to pause the sale because the sale conditions set up in the heads of terms were not seen to be in the best long-term interests of the resident community. Lorna Slater acted responsibly to ensure that meaningful sale conditions could be put in place, and she asked the Scottish Land Commission to help with that. It was Mr Hosking who pulled out of the sale; his agent found the nuances of Scottish land reform difficult to grasp and struggled to understand how the idea of inserting a private estate into the middle of a community-owned village was alarming to the local community.
Mr Macdonald talks a lot about the many jobs and accommodation opportunities that a restored Kinloch Castle could provide. We simply asked-and continue to ask-for more detail on this, including a business plan. Not unreasonable requests. It is clear that Kinloch Castle could contribute to the island's already thriving economy, and asking for clarity on how a new owner could do this is a responsible action.
The recent report he refers to did indeed survey the island's residents, but not the Isle of Rum Community Trust, who are the representative body. IRCT did ask to be included in helping to set up the survey in the hope that it could actually be more meaningful, but were refused.
Most residents on Rum are looking for a successful outcome for the future of the castle, but in terms of the long-term viability of the resident community, there is still disagreement on what that could mean. It is a much broader question than just selling a castle to be renovated, and we simply ask that it is considered and sold responsibly.
Fliss Fraser
Dear All,
The time has come for me to step down from the West Word board. I therefore offer my resignation and would like to extend my congratulations to Ann, the Chair of the Board, who has done such an excellent job of steering it in what seems to be an increasingly difficult situation for the written media. I am comforted by the fact that we have a new editor who seems to be very dynamic and on the ball, and that the new members of the board as well as our stalwart Jacqueline are strong supporters. I would like to wish the very best to the whole team going forward!
West Word is an important part of our West coast life. As to the Eigg column, it looks like there are a couple of younger people on Eigg that will take up the mantle, though I can still see myself putting in a few words form time to time, which I really enjoy.
Good luck to you all, and wishing you all a good year ahead.
Camille Dressler
Dear Ceri,
Your front-page article (July issue) on the efforts of the Mallaig Primary School children, staff and parents was inspirational and the award of the KSB eco award fully deserved.
Perhaps a suitable motto for the school's initiative could be the words of the sign that is/was displayed on the gate to the boatyard: "The ground is not the bin" .
Martyn Green
Douglas Jackson is the author of seventeen historical novels and mystery thrillers. Originally a journalist, he was Assistant Editor of The Scotsman, before leaving to become a full-time writer in 2009. Douglas's new book, Blood Vengeance (see review, opposite), out on 14th August, is set in and around Arisaig during the Second World War. West Word called Douglas at his home in Stirling to chat about the new book and his journey from newspaperman to author...
The book features Arisaig prominently. Talk to me a bit about that and your connection to this area?
You go down a lot of different avenues before you decide what to write, but something I found back when I first started out, probably 18 years ago now, was a single paragraph from a local newspaper up there. It said that the body of a Polish servicewoman had been discovered in unexplained circumstances on the foreshore in Arisaig. That immediately raised questions for me, because there's a mystery there: Who was she? How did she die? What was she doing in an area of such significance and potential danger at the time? Arisaig was probably the most dangerous area in Britain at that point of the war, between 1941 and 1944. So that was when this book was sparked. It wasn't written for another 15 or 16 years, of course!
Tell me about your research process-what did that look like, after finding this first little nugget?
Once I had the idea for the book, I went and stayed at the Arisaig Hotel for a long weekend. I spent a fair old time in the Land, Sea and Islands Centre too, and picked up a lot of detail in there about the types of training that were happening in the area back then. The thing that really intrigued me was, you've got this dead woman-and everybody within about 20 miles was a trained killer...
I probably researched it for a couple of months in earnest, but the way I work is that I write and I tend to research stuff as I'm going along. It was when I found that I didn't really have a handle on the terrain and the whereabouts of each school that I decided to come up to Arisaig. And it was well worth the trip.
One thing I found was the police log for Arisaig Police Station, which must have been a temporary station during the war. There were crashes, there were rifles being stolen, there were cows being shot, people poaching for salmon with dynamite… and there was an entry about four students having broken into a large, remote lodge house. They left behind their fingerprints or something-evidence of some sort, that led the Sergeant to Swordland Lodge [Morar]. He went up there and tried to interview the students, but because they were actually trainee SOE agents, the conducting officer refused to let him speak to them! So he went to the Colonel at Arisaig-and he also refused to give their names. So the Sergeant ended up reading the Colonel his rights! It's that kind of stuff that feeds into books.
Besides Arisaig and its history, is there something about the West Highlands that lends itself in particular to this kind of story?
Well, there's the ruggedness of it all. It's a fabulously beautiful place and you can make the landscape as much of a character as the people that are in the book. You turn a corner and it takes your breath away, the scenery. That motif is a part of the cover of the book, actually. When you look from Arisaig Hotel to the Northwest, you see this mountain. It's like a shark's fin [An Sgùrr, Eigg]. When I saw that I thought: I've got to get that into the book!
What do you hope that people will feel while they're reading-is there anything specific you hope they'll take away from the book?
Well, I want them to become engrossed in the book! It's a work of fiction, but there's so much fact behind the fiction. So I'd like them to be drawn into that. The best thing sometimes after writing a book is you'll get a review, and somebody says: "I was really triggered to read the actual history around it, it fascinated me that much." That's the kind of thing I hope to achieve with this book.
The people who trained at Arisaig were incredibly brave people, who trained knowing that they would probably die. And they would die in the most horrible of circumstances-in Gestapo cellars or worse.
The book deals with themes pertinent to today's global politics. Was that on your mind when you were writing?
It has been basically throughout this entire series, yes. But you can't be influenced by what's happening now when you're writing about something that happened in 1944. It's obviously in your mind and yeah, that probably affects your approach at some points. But you have to try and create a division between the two and just live in the era that you're writing about.
You're one of several Scottish ex-newspapermen-turned-thriller-writers. Do you have any insights about what it is about that path that's either so alluring-or what about the newspaper experience cuts a person out for writing thrillers?
Well, it cuts you out to be a writer, because you know the inside-out of words and sentences and you know how to tell a story. That's the main thing. I spent most of my career in national newspapers as a sub-editor, and one thing I found when I started writing fiction was that I had control over a story in the same way that I had control over sub-editing a spread; I knew where everything was without actually having to think about it.
So, in a 100,000-word book, I can pick up a part of it just by just singling out one word that I know that I used only in that paragraph. Which is an odd skill, but it is a skill, and it's handy one to have when you're writing fiction-to know that you have a handle on everything that's going on. Because it's a big beast, and a complex story with many, many facets to it.
The other thing was, I was bored out of my skull with newspapers. After 20 years in national newspapers, you realise the stories just come around in cycles. You get to the morning conference and get the young guys coming in saying, "I've got a brilliant idea! Never been done before!" And it'll be something you've seen five or six times, and you think, Oh God, here we go again. I did most of my writing for my first book on the train between Bridge of Allan and Edinburgh and the tune that was going around inside my head was The Great Escape.
Were you still doing your day job at that point?
Yeah, I probably started writing the first book in 2004 or there abouts. Another journalist I knew at the Daily Record-Nicola Barney-was doing a Masters of Literature course at Glasgow University. She said to me one day: "You should write a book, I bet it'd be really gritty." So I went home that night and just thought: Right, I'm gonna write a book.
After that, I wrote every day. My job ended about 10 o'clock, and I was going home at night and I'd sit down at 11 and I'd only be able to write about 500 words. It's going to take you a long time to write a book when you write at that pace. I thought, I need more time if I'm going to do this. So I borrowed my daughter's laptop and started taking the train and writing for an hour on the way to work and an hour on the way back. I swear I was half asleep most of the time, but when you've worked in open plan offices for years upon years, with all that noise and shouting, you can sit on a train, and even if there's a large gentleman beside you, or screaming kids, you can zone them out.
That's impressive! Last question: Thinking back to writing that first book, what's something that you know now that you wish you'd known back then?
The thing with the first book is that you never know if you're going to be able to finish it. It feels never-ending. And even if you do finish it, the chances of you being able to actually have it published are minimal. I wish I known that I'd be here now-having been my own boss for 16 years and having had the freedom and the privilege to be a writer. If I'd known that, it would have made things much, much, much easier during the tough times.
[Ed's note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.]
BOOK REVIEW: Blood Vengeance by Douglas Jackson
Published August 14th 2025 ; Canelo
Blood Vengeance is the third book in what will eventually be a quartet of detective stories by Douglas Jackson, set during World War ll. Polish detective Investigator, Jan Kalisz is brought (via resistance fighters) from war-ravaged Warsaw to Arisaig, on the express instructions of Winston Churchill, to seek the killer of a Polish Special Operations Executive agent-who has been found hung in the midst of the protected area. There is plenty enough background about Kalisz in the first part of the book to allow it to be read as a stand-alone novel. It is a gripping story.
In 1943, Arisaig and environs were filled with people being trained to kill, to hide, and to deceive; any one of them having the 'means' to commit murder. Kalisz works through the potential suspects (that is, everyone in the ten local training houses!), applying his methodical, forensic mind to sift through the evidence and find the right link as to motive and work out where the opportunity lay.
Needless to say, Kalisz does not have an easy time of it. So many people have possible motives: love, betrayal, hatred, deception.
Douglas Jackson is a writer of historical and crime novels who knows how to transport the reader not just to the place, but back in time as well, and to convey a sense of reality. This makes it a particular treat to read. For those who live here or holiday here today, the book brings in many evocative descriptions of local places, of houses that were involved in the training of the agents, of familiar hillsides, of weather-even the local roads and train line.
A prolonged investigation would risk compromising the agents' missions, allowing Jackson to keep a fast pace. At times it is breathtaking, but he ensures that Kalisz explains some of the plot twists with his "minder", for those who might not keep up! The fact that every witness, and every suspect, has a legitimate reason for having a gun and a Sykes Fairbairn knife, or indeed can break a neck noiselessly, adds a certain frisson to his work.
The book also conveys the horror of what the agents were working to confront; indeed the horror of what Kalisz had been through in Poland. As he says: "I am a Pole, and for the last years my country has been eviscerated by the Nazis, my people tortured and murdered." He has seen first-hand the barbarous techniques of the Gestapo, the indiscriminate killings of innocents.
However, his work necessarily threatens to compromise the missions for which the agents are training, and some of those in charge would really prefer him not to be there. Meanwhile, the suspects all know that they will face death or worse on their missions. Kalisz knows that the closer he gets to the murderer, the more danger he is in. The personal stakes could not be higher. As the story draws to a conclusion, there are several cleverly managed plot twists that keep the reader guessing right to the end.
The story is told over less than three weeks, at the end of which Kalisz is parachuted back into Poland to return to his life as an agent for the Polish government in exile, tasked with working within the German occupation force.
If you do read Blood Vengeance first, I would wholeheartedly recommend going back and reading the first two novels. They are set in Warsaw, first in the aftermath of the Blitzkrieg, then during the Annihilation of the Warsaw Ghetto, in which Kalisz has to tread a path as a supposed collaborator whilst all the time being an agent for the resistance. In Blood Vengeance, Jackson conveys the cold precision of a criminal investigation, but in these earlier works, he combines that with an important description of the horror of how the Nazi war machine operated, and how people behaved in the face of it.
Today, 80 years or so later, we are again witnessing one country being invaded by another in Europe; we are seeing bullies around the world intimidating and threatening sovereign nations. The first three books of the Warsaw Quartet make the reader confront difficult questions: How would you react if you were conscripted and ordered to do evil; how would you respond if your country needed you to step up to the plate and risk your own life, or those of your family, in the name of resisting fascism? Could you live up to the poem at the start of Blood Vengeance (used by Violette Szabo, a real life SOE agent)? "The life that I have Is all that I have, And the life that I have is yours."
Niall Blackie
The remarkable Fanny Lumsden rolled into Arisaig on Friday, 1st August-to put on a show at the Astley Hall as part of her Country Halls Tour-all the way from New South Wales in Australia. While Australia might seem like an unusual place for a country music star to hail form, there is actually a huge scene Down Under; Australia is the world's third largest market for country music. It all makes perfect sense, as Fanny describes her background in the wild open spaces of the bush, riding horses and camping out, singing harmony songs around the campfire with her family. Country music was a natural fit.
As was her sense of family and community, which has informed her subsequent career. From her origins on the family sheep farm, two hours travel to the nearest town, Fanny has had a remarkable career. She is a brilliant vocalist and song writer, whose songs are often intensely socially and emotionally literate. She has won a whole host of awards, including two ARIAs (Australian Recording Industry Association) and nine Golden Guitars (Country Music Awards of Australia) and three AIRs (Australian Independent Record awards). She has toured extensively, performing at giant arenas and festivals, including the famous Avalon Stage at Glastonbury. So what brings her to the Astley Hall?
Photo by Tom Stanier
As Fanny developed as an artist, she became involved in fundraising for three county halls in Australia, and so began a passion for these small, community-led places. In the areas associated with the halls, there was little opportunity to see big shows without long travel and hotel stays. So, she thought why not bring her big arena show, and personality, to these smaller places?
The shows were not about her, they were about the communities she performed for, and the shows she put on were inclusive to everyone, reflecting the openness often found in these community spaces.
Having had success with the country halls tours in Australia, she had a feeling it might work in Scotland's village halls too. She brought the tour to Scotland last year, including a gig at the Mallaig and Morar Community Centre. The Astley Hall was a natural venue for the next tour, hosted by Fèis na Mara.
On the night of the Arisaig show, there was a huge buzz of anticipation in the Hall, where several generations of locals had turned out for the spectacle. After a personal, heartfelt supporting set from Lewis McLaughlin, the crowd was primed and ready for Fanny. She burst onto the stage, all gingham and giant grins. She has a huge on-stage persona and massive energy that instantly made the crowd smile, cheer and dance, with the youngest at the front throwing the fanciest moves. Her set includes everything and everyone, not least the synchronised dancing, swingball competition and merch fashion parade-all provided with humour, high kicks and harmonies. This was big arena fun transported to the most intimate stage.
The joyfulness of the performance doesn't detract from the high level of musicianship. Not only is Fanny a great singer, she also has her crack band, the PrawnStars. For this tour they included the incredible fiddler and mandolinist Pepi Emmerichs-already a legendary star of the Arisaig Americana Festival. On bass is husband Dan, highlighting the family vibe of the night. Completing the lineup are Travis on guitar and Riley on drums. Fanny tours with her two boys, and usually her brother Tom as well, and though he was unable to join this current tour, his presence was felt as a giant cutout that danced with the band and audience. The Prawnstars perform as a big happy family. As well as the high-octane fun, there were more pared back moments, with Fanny singing her own songs, either alone or accompanied with harmonies and mandolin by Pepi. The evening finished joyfully, and everyone left the hall grinning and laughing. Fanny was fantastic!
Aly McCluskie
On 27th June, the community of Eigg were honoured by a visit from Wampís Nation Leaders Pamuk Teófilo Kukush Pati, the elected president of the autonomous region, and Tsanim Evaristo Wajai Asamat, the Director of Justice. They inspired us with their stories of self-governance and protection of the Amazon rainforest, where their ancestral lands cover more than 1.3 million hectares in north-eastern Peru. In turn, they were introduced to a historical perspective of land struggles in Scotland and Eigg and were shown around local initiatives like the upgraded pier centre, tree nursery and the brewery as well as our eco school and Eigg Electric. The Wampís leaders told us they felt very at home on Eigg and were overwhelmed by the friendly reception.
The aim of the visit was to share stories and visions, and to foster solidarity among the two communities, whose values align in terms of environmental stewardship and self-governance. This was part of a larger tour of Scotland for the Wampís leaders, facilitated by Forest Peoples Programme and Grassroots2Global. Along with other communities, the leaders visited the Scottish Parliament ahead of COP30, to call on politicians to end illegal logging links with the UK's largest floating offshore wind farm.
The leaders also presented a position paper to Martin Whitfield MSP on behalf of Douglas Alexander MP, urging the UK to develop a corporate accountability law, which would require businesses to consider the wider impacts of their activities on the environment and local communities.
Photo by Owain Wyn-Jones
During the Wampís visit to Eigg, we heard about their long struggle to develop a distinctive model of self-determination in face of territory fragmentation and threats from extractive industries. Like the people of Eigg, who rallied for a community buyout, the Nation established the Autonomous Territorial Government of the Wampís Nation (GTANW) in 2015 to unite to foster self-determination.
Since 1997, the people of Eigg have reaped the rewards of self-governance-being able to decide for themselves which companies are active on the island, what they invest in, and how a large portion of the island's common lands are managed. Being an island, with a very clear boundary, it is possible to have oversight of the land territory. However, there are still issues with trawlers and dredgers coming very close to the island and damaging the seabed-which can take as long as 20 years to restore.
Likewise, the Wampís Nation face the constant challenge of trying to protect their territory, which is accessed through the river systems, from exploitation and extractive industries. They station guards along the river as check points, to monitor activity throughout the region. The main focus of their work in the UK is illegal logging. This allegedly forms part of the supply chain of a Chinese company called Mingyang, which uses the ancient balsa wood to build wind turbines.
The Wampís leaders realise that the transition to renewables is part of the global strategy to mitigate climate change, but they urge us to think about investing in small-scale community projects, like Eigg Electric, rather than large companies. They also encourage us to think about the procurement of the resources and new infrastructure we build, since these inevitably involve mining happening elsewhere in the world.
Photo by Owain Wyn-Jones
Communities need to be supported to be able to steward their lands in ways which is beneficial for people and planet-communities who understand the value of an in-tact ecosystem rather than one monocrop or commodity.
Extractive industries, like logging and mining, damage the ecosystem in which the Wampís communities live. These communities rely on the health of the rainforest for their own health; it is their source of foods, medicines, clean water and materials to build their homes. This is also how we feel on Eigg; the health of the environment is integral to the wellbeing of the community as a whole.
Community scale governance, for the Wampís Nation and the Eigg community, means that those making the decisions about how land is used, and which resources are taken, are those who live closely with their local environment and can feel and see the impacts. In this way, self-governance allows for decisions to be made about the state we want to leave the environment in for future generations.
Yet, the Wampís Nation face violence from mining companies for protecting their land. Just two weeks after the leaders' trip to Scotland, a GTANW delegation who had carried out a jurisdictional action against illegal mining, were attacked with firearms by miners as they travelled on the river back to their homes. The Wampís government has denounced the attack and say that they will continue with greater force to eradicate destructive mining in their territories. They are bravely fighting for environmental justice on behalf of not only themselves, but everyone on the planet.
Overall, the Wampís Nation visit to Eigg was both inspiring and concerning. Their commitment to protecting their land in the Amazon provided us with hope-although it is clear that communities like the Wampís need support in this endeavour. Governments and companies who truly want to make a positive change and impact would do well to invest and support these land stewards directly. If green colonialism takes hold, whereby companies buy up large areas of land in aid of large-scale renewable energy schemes, moving people away from their homes, then the problem is not getting better, but worse-repeating the age old marginalisation of the very people who tread the most lightly on the planet. If there is continued investment in the resources and companies who are illegally mining in the Amazon, it will continue to be destroyed. To show our solidarity now, we must educate ourselves about their struggle and speak out about it to our governments.
Laurie King
Mallaig FC proved too hot to handle for Sleat & Strath FC, who were defeated by 5 goals to 3 in a Championship Group league match-the first post-split-played at Mallaig Park on Saturday 26th July. It was a big win for Mallaig, putting them at the top of the table with 23 points, one ahead of Sleat & Strath, and was a statement of intent for the upcoming home and away matches against Fort William FC, plus the return fixture v Sleat & Strath FC.
Mallaig goalscorers were: Andrew Sneddon (2), Aaron MacBeth (2) and Michael Doherty.
There were five different goalscorers for Mallaig FC as they enjoyed a comprehensive 5-1 win over their counterparts from Fort William on Saturday 2nd August. Connor MacKinnon, Jaimie Young, Freddie Patterson, Archie Gillies and Michael Doherty all found the net as Mallaig FC ran out winners in the match played at Mallaig Park.
Goalscorer Michael Doherty celebrates with teammate and new dad, Archie Gillies / Photo by Arthur Campbell
Bird-wise, July was par for the course. Lots of juvenile birds reported. Some species of finches doing well, with good numbers of juvenile Green, Gold and Chaffinches reported from gardens with feeders. Mixed flocks of Linnets, Redpolls and Goldfinches containing many fledglings were seen around Back of Keppoch, Invercaimbe and Traigh.
Good numbers of Razorbills and Guillemots with chicks were reported from the Sound of Sleat. Plenty juvenile Herring Gulls reported also.
Newly fledged Jays were reported from several gardens in Morar, and juvenile Great-spotted Woodpeckers were reported from garden feeders in Arisaig and Morar.
Wader passage increased as the month progressed, with Redshank, Greenshank, Curlew and Dunlin reported from Back of Keppoch, Traigh and the Morar Estuary.
On the 16th, the first returning Sanderling was seen at Traigh, with another two seen at Camusdarach on the 20th, On the 22nd, a wet and misty day, 30 Sanderling were at Traigh boathouse, along with 20 Knot plus smaller numbers of Dunlin, Redshank and Ringed Plover. Turnstone were seen at Traigh and West Bay, Mallaig on the 23rd.
Large numbers of Manx Shearwaters feeding in the Sound of Sleat at times, along with Gannets and Kittiwakes. Great Skuas were also seen regularly and reports of Storm Petrels increased as the month progressed.
There were several sightings of Great Northern Divers offshore from Camusdarach and further out in the Sound of Sleat. Normally winder visitors, it may be that these birds "summered" locally or they are very early returning birds.
On the 28th, a Water Rail was seen and heard near Sunisletter, Kinloid.
Ringed Plover chick. Photo by S. MacDonald
The 87th Arisaig Highland Games were another success and the large crowd that gathered at Traigh Farm were rewarded with a day of top-class competition, which not even the arrival of some damp conditions could spoil.
After an opening parade led by Mallaig, Ardnamurchan and District Pipe Band, the Games were officially opened by Andrew Macdonald of Boisdale, younger son of the Captain of Clanranald.
The piping competition attracted a top-quality entry with Angus MacPhee emerging as the Premier piper of the day in a strong field of 12 senior pipers. Angus won both the Piobeareachd and Light Music competitions, with the junior piping title going to Seonaidh Forrest from Skye.
The dancing competitions were won by Hamish McInnes in the adult section, with the junior trophies going to Grace MacPhee, Eilidh Smith and Ella Jeffrey.
A highlight of the day was the appearance of Vlad Tulacek in the heavy events. The winner of our competition back in 2019 and 2022, Vlad has been racking up wins at Highland Games across Scotland all summer. The culmination of a dominant performance saw Vlad breaking his own Arisaig record for the 56lb weight over the bar at a new mark of 16'9". He also came very close to breaking the record for the 16lb hammer. Calum MacDonald claimed the Whitehead trophy as the leading local heavy competitor.
The track & field competitions were very popular-to the extent that we had to run heats for some of the races to allow everyone a chance to participate. Matt Waterston from Lochailort and Andrew Sneddon from Mallaig emerged as the most successful local athletes. Matt also teamed up again with Games veteran Jason MacDonald to successfully defend their title as winners of the ever-popular Barrel Race.
Our sponsors, Ardnamurchan Distillery, had a busy day in their marquee, talking to visitors about the Distillery and offering samples of their newly-bottled products. The Heritage tent hosted by the Clanranald family had a busy afternoon, too. As well as fielding questions and providing information on Clanranald history and wider clan genealogy, the tent also displayed entries for the annual Boisdale Prize-an art competition for young artists from Mallaig High School. After a successful day at Traigh, the annual Games dance was held later that evening in the Astley Hall, with music from the popular Beinn Lee Ceilidh Band.
We must say thank you to the huge list of people who make Arisaig Games possible. The Shaw-Stewart family for hosting the event at Traigh Farm; our headline sponsors at Ardnamurchan Distillery for their ongoing support and sponsorship of the Games; our event sponsors Highland Confectionery and the Highland Society of London, along with all the local businesses that advertise in our Games programme; and last but not least the Church of Scotland ladies for stocking and running the tea tent with their takings going to various charities.
As ever, our biggest thanks must go to the loyal band of helpers who turn up each year and donate a portion of their holidays to our event. Without them, Arisaig Games would not be possible and the Committee are very grateful to you all.
See you next year, on Wednesday 29th July 2026.
Fraser MacDougall, Treasurer, Arisaig Highland Games
Throughout July and August, the Scottish Parliament doesn't meet in Holyrood-these summer months are a time of parliamentary recess. This means that I will be spending time out in the constituency.
I'll be at surgeries, where I'll meet with constituents to discuss a variety of local issues, and I'll also be visiting businesses, charities and community groups. Having the privilege of representing one of the largest constituencies by landmass means that my summer months are spent travelling throughout the region, covering as much of the constituency as possible. This is all such a vital part of being an elected member, and every year I find recess helps to keep me informed about the real challenges and concerns that my constituents face on a daily basis.
At the end of last month, it was a joy once again to spend some dedicated time in West Word's 'patch,' visiting Arisaig and Mallaig, as well as the Small Isles of Canna and Rum.
Crossing the sea on the ferry from Mallaig, I'm always blown away by the unique beauty of the Small Isles. Getting to champion the cause of rural communities is a privilege, and I was keen to take the opportunity to meet with the Isle of Canna Community Development Trust (IoCCDT). This is a group of residents on the island comprising local business leaders and community representatives, and I met them to discuss local issues. The IoCCDT, among many things, works to stimulate local growth, and provide employment opportunities and facilities on the island; they even put on an annual 10k run! They do vital work and bring a lot to the island.
Any and all Canna residents are encouraged to get involved and to share in the work, and it's great to be able to work with community bodies like this to solve problems and work on local issues.
There are few places as special as these islands, and my visit to the Rum Bunkhouse was another reminder of this. The Isle of Rum Bunkhouse provides quality accommodation for up to 20 people in five bedrooms, and has outdoor cabins and camping options available. The bunkhouse was funded by the National Lottery and Highland Council, with its profits invested by the Isle of Rum Community Trust to develop and maintain further visitor attractions on the island. It's another example of the extraordinary community spirit of these islands, with people working together to build a unique and sustainable community. For this reason, visits to the Small Isles are always special, and I am already looking forward to my next visit.
I continue to work with the B8008 working group, which is a collective of public bodies and community groups who work together to resolve congestion and tourism issues on the road. Recent years have seen tourist numbers increase significantly nationwide. Unfortunately, this has led to a rise in irresponsible wild campers, who too often end up damaging the beauty spots they come to visit.
As a result of the combined effort of the working group, Highland Council Rangers have been on patrol throughout the Highlands since June and are active on the B8008. These new seasonal rangers will seek to promote and advise on responsible access to the countryside, and have been active recently on the beaches and beauty spots of Traigh and Silver Sands during the spells of hot weather.
This has seen good numbers of tourists engaged, with nearly 200 people chatting to rangers across a recent weekend of good weather. This saw people educated about the impacts of littering, irresponsible fires and poorly parked vehicles. This proactive approach has so far seen good results and positive encounters with rangers frequently led to more responsible use of these beauty spots. Along with many others from the B8008 group, I'll be following the impact of these seasonal rangers closely and look forward to seeing the big picture stats at the end of the season.
I realise there is a lot more work to be done to reduce the challenges caused by irresponsible tourism, particularly around parking and vehicle congestion, and I'll continue to work with the communities throughout the region to deliver solutions to these issues.
As ever, if there is anything I can do to help, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
Kate Forbes
kate.forbes.msp@parliament.scot
The West suffers from unintended consequences
Yes we live in the prettiest part of Scotland, but there is a real cost to us.
A Scottish Affairs report in January '23 pointed out that those in remote Scotland had living costs 30-40% higher than those in urban Scotland. My constituency flat in London costs 6p per kW to heat using imported carbon fuel mains gas; my constituency office in Fort William costs 24p per kW using home-produced renewable electricity, largely because our environmental tariffs are on our electricity. Our food in the convenient Co-op costs more than in Lidl, a visit to Raigmore costs £50 in petrol, we pay a premium for courier costs.
I cannot think of anything cheaper in Mallaig than in Inverness.
I have been noticing the comparative lack of tourists around this summer (OK, campervans at Traigh and Glenfinnan are the exception). CalMac only running one ferry to Skye has hit bookings, says the Old Library in Arisaig. Two years ago, the traffic queued up the A82 to Inverlochy Castle Hotel in early evenings, this year that queue doesn't exist.
The cost and hassle of the short-term letting licence resulted in many people deciding to withdraw from B&B's and therefore reducing bed capacity, which in turn hits the revenue of restaurants and shops. The Highland Council has temporarily withdrawn its plan for a Visitor Tax following significant resistance from the hospitality industry. Keir Stammer increased employers National Insurance by 8.7% from April, which, combined with other payroll hikes, means restaurants, hotels etc. have a 12% increase in staff wages, almost 4x the rate of inflation.
In England and Wales, Westminster offers 40% business rates relief for hospitality and retail. Meanwhile, the Scottish Government has decided not to do the same for all but the smaller outlets.
I don't believe that the Highland Council or Government Ministers actually set out to disadvantage remote Scotland, we just aren't front of mind. A tourist tax might be appropriate in Edinburgh or Inverness, where they have a year-round tourist season, but here we have 12 months of costs and 8 months of tourists. We have longer, darker, colder, wetter winter nights than London-that is why stopping the winter fuel allowance hurt those around here more than those in the City.
I believe we should have a Minister for the Highlands and Islands in Holyrood saving us from badly directed taxes, ensuring we have enough care homes, that ferries are commissioned when they need to be and not a decade later, and that couriers are not allowed to charge a remote surcharge. I'm doing my best to carry out the equivalent role in London.
Angus MacDonald
angus.macdonald.mp@parliament.uk
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