A SORRY START TO THE SEASON

The Easter holiday and the start of April usually mark the beginning of visitor season here in the West Word area with the Jacobite steam train bringing large numbers of people to Mallaig ready to enjoy the local food, drink, ice creams and gifts on offer. Meanwhile the ferry port should be bustling with people heading to and from the Small Isles, Lochboisdale or over the sea to Skye. But not this year. As this issue of West Word went to print there is still no update from West Coast Railways about a Jacobite timetable and the uncertainty caused by Calmac needing to play 'musical ferries' with their fleet creating disruptions and cancellations to vehicle and passenger services means businesses in Mallaig are reporting the quietest start to the season for many years, despite the spring sunshine. One Mallaig business shared the uncertainty for the season ahead stating "We rely heavily on the customers who arrive on the Jacobite, so not knowing when the service may start makes it impossible to plan stock levels or staffing requirements." We hope to share cheerier news in the next issue of West Word and in the meantime please do support our local shops and cafes and remind visitors that the train journey from Fort William to Mallaig is just as beautiful on a Scotrail train!

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Hello and a very warm welcome to this issue of West Word.
I would like to start by thanking everyone who has extended such a warm welcome to me in my role as Editor, from the committee to our outgoing Editor Ceri, to our many regular contributors and to you - our readers.
I have already been stopped while out and about and congratulated on the role and I look forward to meeting more of our readers over the coming months.
I am utterly delighted to be sitting in this (virtual) West Word Editor's chair as a very long time reader. I have introduced myself a little on page 22 and I am sure those readers who don't already know me will get to do so over the coming issues.
For now I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who has been involved in putting this issue together, draw your attention to some of the changes (see below) and remind you of all that makes West Word wonderful.
Enjoy reading and please do get in touch with your thoughts, feedback and ideas.
Nic Goddard
editor@westword.org.uk

SECURING THE FUTURE OF WEST WORD

We reported in the December 2025 issue of West Word that we had been losing money and that the future of your community newspaper was in jeopardy. A combination of reduced income and increased costs meant that despite having many loyal readers, wonderful contributors, great stockists and an award winning community newspaper, after over 30 years West Word was in trouble.
As a registered charity West Word does not need to be profitable as such, but we do need to cover our costs and this was a timely reminder to take stock of our past success, evaluate our current position and make plans for our future.

WHERE WE WERE

PRINTING - After decades of in house printing it had become clear that outsourcing printing would be more economical and reliable, saving time and money on the process of putting West Word together each month and enabling us to offer full colour throughout for less than the previous blend of black and white and colour; better for our reader photographs and more attractive for advertisers.

PREMISES - Our office in the Morar station building has a cost implication to rent, heat, supply internet and phone service to and with printing now outsourced may no longer be required. Our committee are evaluating the need for permanent office space and considering other options.

PEOPLE - Ceri Perkins, who did a fantastic job following in the footsteps of Jill, Ann and Kirsty before her, ended her time as Editor of West Word by bringing the title of Community Newspaper of the Year back to us. A huge thanks goes to Ceri for all she did during her time at West Word, for providing a comprehensive and supportive handover to incoming Editor Nic and for her offer of remaining as a contributor - we look forward to seeing Ceri's byline in these pages again very soon! We have also said fond farewells - although still maintaining close connections to West Word - to Ann Martin, who in so many ways is West Word and continues to send us snippets and stories and offer support and advice. Committee members Claire Wortley and Kathy Bradshaw have stepped down from their committee roles, again remaining part of the West Word family with Claire's Quotes and the offer of ad hoc support from Kathy when work commitments allow. New committee members Rev Matthew Ross, Jill De Fresnes and Fiona Baker have joined Simon Bradshaw and Jacqueline McDonnell on the committee and we are actively seeking more committee members to support them, with specific vacancies for a Chair and a Secretary. Get in touch to find out more about these roles and what they entail.
Our new Editor Nic introduces herself on page 22 and will be out and about across the area over the coming months meeting stockists, advertisers, readers and contributors, with a regular 'Meet the Editor' opportunity in the area - keep your eyes on our Facebook page for more information about that coming soon.

WHERE WE ARE NOW

PRINT DATE - The single strongest feedback from our readers has been around when West Word comes out in print. Having historically been out during the first week or so of the month, certainly by the 10th, due to issues with printing this has slipped. Our regular contributors are often reporting on a complete calendar month of retrospective news or data-Birdwatching, Weather, Lifeboat Logs, Round & About etc. while our what's on listings and events advertisers are keen to focus on the month ahead. West Word takes time to put together and to get to the printer, then out to our stockists and subscribers. We have therefore decided to bridge two calendar months with every issue. Eagle eyed readers will have already spotted this on the front cover of this May / June issue. Our next issue will be June / July and bring complete months worth of news from May and what's on listings for June and July, giving a whole six weeks + notice of what's going on in the area. The next issue after that will be July / August. You can expect to see West Word in the shops during the second week of each month with a firm deadline for contributors of the 28th of the month to get their news and listings to us.

COVER PRICE - We are hugely grateful to the businesses who answered our call and stepped up to sponsor pages in West Word and the one off donations and Zeffy crowdfunder support. All of that has relieved the immediate pressure and we hope you are enjoying the full colour throughout. However, print costs are still a large expense and having kept our cover price at £2.00 since 2022 we are increasing it to £2.50 from this issue. For regular readers, this is an increase of just £6 per year and it allows us to make the most of the greater volume of sales during the summer months as visitors grab a copy of West Word when they are in the area too. The whole idea of crowdfunding is asking a larger number of people for a smaller amount of money and our cover price increase does just that, allowing all of our readers to show support at an individually small cost.

ADVERTISING & SPONSORSHIP - We still have opportunities for sponsoring a page, or even a double page, in West Word for businesses and our advertising prices offer affordable options for promoting your business, product and services to our readers across the area too. Do get in touch to find out more-it's a great way to support West Word while boosting your own business too!

CONTRIBUTING - Got an idea for a story or column? Penned a poem or snapped a great photo? Share them with us! We want to hear from you and about you-this is YOUR newspaper and we need you.

VOLUNTEERING - whether you are interested in joining the West Word family as a committee member or a task based volunteer we have something you can help with. If you have time to spare then get in touch and find out how you can get involved.

AND FINALLY - just keep buying, reading and telling your friends and neighbours about West Word.

ISLE OF CANNA

The start of April was pretty miserable with non-stop rain and a snow storm; this week has been the opposite. The sunshine has brought the real Spring. The grass has started to grow which means the dulcet sound of lawn mowers and strimmers will soon be echoing around the bay again. The sheep and cows are happy for the new shoots and are munching away.
There has been a slow drip of visitors starting to arrive. The first yachts of the season have appeared and we are now meeting new faces on the road to say hello to. The community shop is now stocked for the season ahead and Cafe Canna is delighting everyone with their tasty food. It's nice to be able to go and enjoy a drink sitting in the sunshine again.
The community polytunnel has had a revamp. We've replaced all the rotted wood and we have re-covered the entire tunnel. It was all hands on deck to get this done and we had to wait for a non windy day. The digging of a new trench around the outside has replenished the beds with rich dark soil. Earlier in the year, a tree was removed as it was overshadowing the polytunnel and nothing was growing well. All in all we're hoping for a bumper year in the polytunnel! Our thanks to Nathan for organising and managing the repair work.

And, of course, April means lambing time has begun. The fields around the bay are full of sheep gathered down from the hills and lambs are appearing at a steady pace. The farm team is working round the clock and a steady stream of baked goods and treats are being delivered to keep them going.
It also means that the Zwartbles are teaching their lambs the long tradition of marauding around the island, going wherever they want and trying to sneak through gates with attitude. I must make special mention of Caroline's Badger Faced sheep who are lambing for the first time in Canna. These lambs are unbelievably elegant with their swishy tails that look like feather dusters and their moonbow ears.
We had a community beach clean down at Tarbert Beach last week. We collected and bagged a lot of hard plastics, fishing gear and general rubbish. This beach is the site of one of the snorkel trails so it was important to get it cleared ahead of the season. We have two snorkel trails here in Canna as part of the Small Isles Snorkel Trail and you can find out information in our Shearing Shed on the Snorkel Board.
We wish all the communities a successful Summer season ahead and we'll have a good catch up at the Small Isles Games in August!
Margaret Willington

ISLE OF RUM

April on Rum...It's funny how as soon as the sun comes out we forget the six months of rain we just had. Two weeks ago I left the island wearing woolly hat and mittens in freezing sideways rain, and today I returned, serenaded by an orchestra of birds, cherry blossom blowing on the breeze and everyone I look at is wearing shades. The joys. It's spring time people!
Swallows have returned and the first cuckoo has been heard - and whoever hears it first has turned into quite the local competition. The eider ducks are in full oooh mode, but we still haven't heard the return of the other regular spring first… the dulcet hum of the petrol spotted lawnmower, won't be long now though, right?
The Café in the village hall is back on after a couple of years hiatus, it's being run by Aisling, one of our young people who is making a future on Rum. It's Wednesdays and Saturdays so far. If you're over on Rum for a day trip or fancy a rest from wandering the hills, pop into the hall for soup, sandwiches and cake.
NatureScot have a seasonal staff ranger again this summer, Rosalie, if you've met her before. This will be her third summer on Rum and her wildlife knowledge has grown over her time spent here, there will be talks and walks and children's activities scheduled this summer. You can find out more on Rum's Instagram pages, ask your accommodation provider while you're here or check out posters in the visitors' centre.
IRCT are awaiting feedback from some exciting grant applications which could provide much needed road improvements, village hall upgrades and progress with our new community hub building. Finding funds for essential infrastructure improvements like our roads née tracks would be a huge assistance to us and I think it's fair to say, appreciated by everyone who has ever walked along them.
Happy 40th birthday to Sareth this month and Dylan who will be 14. Next month Bel will be 11 and I'll be a year older as well.
Fliss Fraser

ISLE OF EIGG

This month, the children of Eigg Primary School are sharing their updates on what's been happening this month on Eigg.

Lemonade and truffle stall
Some of us have started a lemonade and orange truffles stall, every month we will do a stall with food and drinks. Some of us go around advertising, some stay at the stall. We sold out and made lots of money, next time it will be for charity.
Massive football craze
We have been loving playing football and learning tricks, like the one where you chip it over your head from behind. We are trying to start a football team, called Hebridean FC.
Easter Ceilidh
It was sunny at the start of the day and suddenly it just started snowing, and there was so much snow really quickly so it was really difficult to get to the hall. The Ceilidh Club played some music too, it was great.
Tree Planting
We went to Sandavore woodland creation area with Tasha to help her plant trees, and we managed to plant 68 altogether. It will take about 20 years for them to get big. I learned an easy way to plant a tree. You get the tree, you dig a hole, and then you put the tree in, stomp around a little bit, and then put a guard on. There are some that you can grow in a bog and some that you can't. We learned that birch was good for watery places. We planted rowan trees and ash in dry places. It was really fun.
Ceilidh Club
Everyone brings their instruments to the snug on Fridays, or sometimes someone's house, and they play music. Me, Colm and Violet had a Mingulay Boat Song music collab too where we came together to play it on the whistle and accordion.
Wildlife
Down at the pier there is a massive toad pond that we have been looking after. There are 3 toads, 5 newts and a heck of a lot of beetles. We have been studying them and giving them food, and making sure nobody goes near them. We do no harm at all, we don't even touch them. Also we have amazing news that they are laying eggs which means they can start their own life cycle again. We are getting a scientist recommended by Jon and Kat to come and have a look. I also saw dolphins at the pier jumping out the water. I saw a white eared owl at the white gate and loads of butterflies. There's lambs and calves and even one that looks like a wee horse that we called Sullivan. There's also loads of flowers like daisies, buttercups, bluebells and primroses, which you can eat!
The Pupils of Eigg Primary School

ISLE OF MUCK

An apology from Bruce this month for the lack of update-we look forward to a double helping for the June issue!

LATEST NEWS FROM MALLAIG RNLI STATION

Calling all local crafters, bakers, growers and makers! We'd love to see you at our upcoming Gala Day! At Mallaig pier on Saturday 30th May 11am-4pm. Stalls are FREE! But any donations on the day are very welcome. Tables can be hired for £10 each. Get in touch with us on Facebook or email mallaigfundraising@rnli.org.uk to book your space.
Talking of the Gala Day, we can't wait to see everyone for some pirate themed fun! There will be a treasure hunt, games, tasty food & drink, the lifeboat will be open to the public and the crew will be putting on a display, and don't forget to look out your costume for our pirate fancy dress competition! If you have anything you could donate for our bottle stall or raffle then all donations will be greatly received a the lifeboat station.
We have a few people to congratulate this month. Firstly we have Kenny Harris who sailed through his final pass-out and is now our fully qualified Station Mechanic! We also had Fundraising Lead Simon Bradshaw and his sons Ben & Charlie complete their Three Peaks Challenge and raise £1000 (so far!) for the Mallaig lifeboat station - well done all!

Mallaig Lifeboat Log

Mallaig lifeboat crew were paged at 1.27am on 7th April when a person on the Isle of Eigg required urgent medical assistance. The crew transported 2 paramedics over and was also met by the Coastguard helicopter. Due to the serious nature of the casualty's condition, they were transferred for onward care via the helicopter. The crew and paramedics returned to Mallaig and the lifeboat was ready for service again at 4.50am.
At 8.40pm on 13th April, HM Coastguard tasked the lifeboat with assisting three persons who had lost their way at the head of Loch Scavaig in Skye. With darkness descending, showery weather conditions and dropping temperatures, it was decided the best course of action was to extract the walkers by lifeboat. The y-boat was launched and the crew recovered the persons from the shore back to the lifeboat. After a check over the casualties, everyone was content to return them back to shore. With the hikers successfully deployed back on track to make it to the bothy, the y-boat was recovered and the crew headed back to Mallaig. The lifeboat was refuelled and ready for service again by 12.40am.
HM Coastguard raised the alarm at 8.17pm on 19th April when a casualty made a call for medical help from Sourlies bothy on Loch Nevis. The crew assembled but whilst waiting for the Scottish Ambulance Service to arrive at the pier, they were stood down as news reached them the helicopter had been sent to the casualty instead.
At 2.42am on 26th April, Mallaig lifeboat was tasked with escorting the Scottish Ambulance Service to Inverie to access a casualty with breathing difficulties. Paramedics decided it would be best to transport the patient back to Mallaig, where they could be taken to hospital for further care. With clear skies and a moderate Easterly breeze, it was a smooth passage back to the harbour. The lifeboat was refuelled and ready for service again at 4:35am.

News from Mallaig Harbour

The weather for the month has been mixed, although we are ending on a positive, with high pressure in charge and settled weather. This will help with the works on the overnight ferry berth. The concrete pouring for the deck slab is a bit behind after the heavy rain at the start of the month, so better weather is helping. For those who have been keeping an eye on them, it may look like they are going backwards at the moment, with more holes in the pier than previously, but this is the final stage in getting them ready for the deck. We had hoped the concrete pour would be done in around four weeks but this was optimistic, and weather dependent! It's looking like the programme end date of end May is going to be a bit tight, and that works might take a bit longer than we had hoped.
A pod of dolphins was spotted around the harbour on the evening of 21st April, which always feels like a positive sign of summer being on its way. It's maybe not quite as impressive as the walrus seen in Orkney and then in Lossiemouth this month, but I'm not sure we have a risk assessment at Mallaig Harbour for walrus 'beaching' on the pontoons so I am quite glad it wasn't us!

The ice plant is also much busier over the last couple of weeks which is another positive sign, with the boats getting out to sea. Three of the four razor clam vessels have now left, but we have had a few visiting boats landing throughout the month. ArtDec have made a great job of the interior of the prawn market, and our own staff have levelled off the floor where it was a bit uneven, so it is looking great. One local ex-fisherman thought it was the best he had ever seen it!
The ferry situation remains less positive. Hopefully by the time you read this, the Coruisk will have returned. At the moment, her return date is Wednesday 29th April, although this has already been postponed several times due to disruption elsewhere in the network. While CalMac have been chartering a replacement service for passengers, and for a limited number of vehicles when a suitable vessel is available (Spanish John or Miss Marley); the service has been much reduced from what would be expected at this time of year. There is still a bit of time to make your thoughts on CalMac's ferry services known to Transport Scotland by completing their survey before 17th May. We have shared this on our Facebook page, and you can access it following this link http://bit.ly/3Ps0rWm.

The Marina has had a slow start this month, giving Millie and Gavin a chance to get used to things, and make a couple of improvements to processes ready for the season starting in earnest. The observant among you may have noticed a new concrete plinth adjacent to the gate. This is for a fuel tank, which will allow yachts to take diesel on site, rather than taking cans through the village. Petrol will still have to be purchased from Johnston's fuel station, as the rules around storage and distribution of petrol are more onerous.
Those of you locally may also have noticed that our flower planters have had a makeover, courtesy of Sandy, who has washed them all down and painted them, ready to be refilled.
We had a Board Meeting on 17th April, and agreed to provide support to Mallaig FC towards their annual costs; to Mallaig, Ardnamurchan and District Pipe Band towards providing drumming tuition for members; and to 'A Write Highland Hoolie' for outreach work within the local schools. We still have some funds available, and the next deadline is 15th May for our June meeting, and then 14th August for the September meeting. Get in touch if you would like further details.
The RNLI Lifeboat Gala Day is due to take place on Saturday 30th May, and HM Coastguard have agreed to send their Emergency Towing Vessel (ETV), 'Levoli Black' as part of the celebrations on the day. The vessel is 70m in length, and will be berthed in the inner harbour and open to the public on the day.
Finally, and still on RNLI news, congratulations to Kenny Harris, one of our ex-staff members at the Marina, who has successfully qualified as Station Mechanic for Mallaig, bringing our local station crew back up to full strength.
Jacqueline McDonell ~ 01687 462154

On and Off the Rails

Hello - it's me again!
Good luck to Nic, our new editor, as she brings her experience to West Word. Thank you already as I push my luck with the cut-off date for my copy. Another late night in progress...
First off, apologies to local residents who in the March issue I pleaded with to come to Mallaig railway station to celebrate the 1st April commemoration of the 125th anniversary of the West Highland Extension Railway. In the event, we had to endure pouring rain, gales, sleet, snow, etc, and the decision was made to hold all of the speeches, unveiling of the plaque, etc, in the Mallaig Heritage Centre, meaning that a lot of local people could not fit in the building. I'm sorry about that, but there is no way we could fit everyone in. The photos show many guests looking like drowned rats as they ran from the appointed carriage on the lunchtime train for cover! Including me! I had endured wearing three layers of waterproofs before the event took place. It was definitely a "bad hair day" for photos as we dried out. However, inside the building, we had great conversations, much laughter, great speeches, steamed up glasses, etc. Thanks in bucket loads must go to Morag MacLean, manager of Mallaig Heritage Centre, who with myself in the weeks leading up to 1st April began to wonder how the day would work. Morag and I had many a catch up in her office, always ending up with laughter. She organised the collection of tables and chairs from the Community Centre, collected the bespoke easel and bunting, collected banners, etc. Her car was up and down the road to Fort William umpteen times, as she collected the plaque, elected herself to sort out loads of donated railway memorabilia, including photos at one stage being picked up from the carpet like a jigsaw to make the day run like clockwork. Now - as the dust settles - please do call in at the Heritage Centre and admire the hard work that we put in to bring it all together.
The Red Wheel plaque stands proud on its easel for now. At some stage it will be sited at Mallaig Railway Station by ScotRail. Just seeing it sends shivers down my spine. It is not only a tribute to the past, but will always be a tribute to the few of us who pulled the event off, and a tribute to the guests who travelled by train such long distances in an 18 hour day to spend 2½ hours of fun with us.
Thank you to Hege Hernæs and John Barnes for obtaining grants from ScotRail and the National Transport Trust, and to our piper on the day, the Friends of the West Highland Lines, Lady Judith McAlpine, Network Rail and others. This event was the first in a year of celebrations organised by Glenfinnan Station Museum who are working closely with the Friends of the West Highland Lines and the West Highland Community Rail Partnership. Please check the museum website for details as the year progresses: https://glenfinnanstationmuseum.co.uk I also want to thank the West Highland Community Rail Partnership for funding a new tourist map of Mallaig which was delivered and cited at the plinth outside the booking office at Mallaig Railway Station. Something that I could never find funding for, but Hege Hernæs facilitated this. Thanks Hege.

Mallaig luggage storage
As more wheelie suitcases are trundled around Mallaig from when the lunchtime train arrives until it goes back at 16.10 please help the owners by reminding them that we have, in Mallaig, a really good (automated) luggage storage facility. Situated in the alleyway between the rear of the Jac-o-bites Café (in the old Mission building) and the wonderful Lifeboat shop. There's signage pointing to Mallaig Luggage Storage on the wall of the alleyway. It's open seven days a week from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM. It is self-service with three sizes of lockers. It is really easy to use (automated) and when you have installed your luggage, and paid by card, you get a printed code to retrieve access to the locker. It frees up visitors, or islanders, to have a meal, visit the local attractions at their leisure until resuming their journey by train, coach or boat (as long as you don't want to travel by boat to South Uist this month!) For any further luggage storage information go online to: www.mallaigluggagestorage.co.uk

Visiting trains into Mallaig in April
The Belmond luxury "Royal Scotsman" touring train, with ten carriages, has visited us on three Saturdays in a row, selling out each five-day touring holiday. It departs from Edinburgh on a Friday, returning there on a Tuesday.
The Railway Touring Company transported approximately 120 guests on Wednesday 22nd April on a 1½ hour visit to Mallaig. The weather was good and I saw many ice creams being eaten. The whole tour was its 18th year of travelling all over Great Britain by train, with overnight accommodation in hotels. The first day was London Paddington to Penzance, then Bristol with supper on the train. At the company's request, I facilitated a piper at Fort William station to pipe the guests on board. The steam locomotive used was Ian Riley's "Black Five" named "The Lancashire Fusilier", plus a diesel locomotive on the back. The guests had two nights in Fort William before heading to Aberdeen via Perth.
On the previous evening, 21st April, we were visited by a three-car diesel multiple unit (DMU) train on a "Test and Protect" run. This bright yellow Network Rail test train is bristling with computer equipment - it measures for track faults.

Change of lease
Formerly "Jaffy's", now "Bloom and Graze" reopened to customers on Monday 27th April at 10 AM inside Mallaig Railway Station premises. Currently opening times are 10 AM until 2PM, offering fish and chips, sandwiches, cakes, bagels, hot and cold drinks alongside their signature luxury takeaway deli boxes to take on the train or to your workplace. Contact Brogan on 07920 464831 with advance orders. As her crew of helpers find their feet in her new premises longer opening hours will follow.
Previously Brogan operated from her bespoke horsebox "grab and go' deli opposite the Post Office and community shop in Mallaig. Last year, she obtained the lease on the rooms above Mallaig Railway Station to use as a preparation base for fulfilling delivery orders for meetings, lunches, events, etc, whilst also obtaining and fulfilling the catering contract on the twice-daily Jacobite steam train, with a trolley catering service and first class service to tables. On 1st April this year Brogan catered for the 125th anniversary commemoration event at Mallaig Heritage Centre to celebrate the first official passenger train service from Mallaig to Fort William and beyond. She provided staff to serve guests and also take-away deli boxes for their journey back to Fort William and onwards to Glasgow, which was much appreciated.
As Brogan continues to expand her catering service, fitting in well with all the other cafes, restaurants, eateries, etc, I wish her and her team much success. With no regular catering facilities on the ScotRail trains between Mallaig and Fort William, train travellers will want to "grab and go" as they dash to their train. Who knows, even a bespoke, outsourced from ScotRail onboard catering service? Dream on!!

Historic Inverness Victorian indoor market model railway back on track
A model overhead railway has been reinstated in Inverness' Victorian indoor market. Since about the 1970's the scale model train travelled in a big loop along a track in the rafters of the market, above customers heads, of the 155-year-old shopping arcade. The track and train were removed during a revamp of the market, and creation of a new food hall which opened in 2022. Now, following many months of restoration, the 361 feet (110 metres) of new track supports multiple trains which are now running again, over the heads of visitors to the market. The official relaunch of the overhead railway, during April this year, was helped by 4-year-old Rosie who won a competition to help with the reopening. When next visiting the Victorian market in Inverness I dare you not to smile as you watch the train travel overhead!

Definitely off the rails!
The Paddle Steamer Waverley - the world's last seagoing paddle steam ship cruises into our waters during May. With full catering facilities available plus souvenirs, comfortable lounges and permission to view the magnificent triple-expansion steam engine that will leave you in awe, whilst smelling the hot oil and steam in motion. Well, it floats my boat! The Waverley sails from Kyle of Lochalsh Railway Pier with an evening sunset cruise leaving at 6:30 PM back at 9:15 PM and sailing under the Skye bridge on Wednesday 13th May. On Thursday 14th May she leaves Kyle of Lochalsh at 9:15 AM and back at 8:45 PM (wow!) after circumnavigating the Isle of Skye, amongst other venues. On Friday 15th May she sails from Kyle of Lochalsh to Gairloch with time ashore. On this trip, "seniors" can travel with a friend (who does not pay) for them to travel free. There are also sailings in May from Fort William and Armadale. To find out details and advanced bookings called 0141 243 2224 or look up and book at: waverleyexcursions.co.uk.
See you on the train or the platform!
Sonia Cameron

Meet the new Editor

Our new Editor Nic joins us for her first issue. Nic may already be a familiar name and face to long time West Word readers from when she lived on the Isle of Rum and was one of our Round & About correspondents.

Our West Word committee asked Nic a few questions to get to know her better.

Tell us about yourself:
I'm Nic, I'm 52 and I live with my husband and our (adult) children, two cats and a small flock of chickens near Strontian. I am passionate about wildlife and nature, swim all year round in Loch Sunart, where I brave jellyfish in the summer and sometimes have to break ice to get in the water in the winter. I love music; getting together with friends and our local group Sunart Singers for regular singing and playing instruments together and I go to a lot of live music gigs, locally and further afield with regular trips to Glasgow and Edinburgh filling up my calendar.
I love travelling, in the UK and Europe, having recently returned home from a two week inter-railing adventure to Germany, Sweden, Denmark and Norway. When I am at home and sitting still, which is not often, I enjoy reading, writing and crafting.

What about work?
I have had a lot of different jobs but when I was little all I wanted to be when I grew up was a writer. I may not have grown up (yet!) but for the last five years I have combined my love of being out and about meeting people with writing and I write regular columns for The Lochaber and Oban Times, I am the Editor of Dè tha dol? which is the local monthly community newspaper for Sunart, Moidart, Morvern, Ardgour and Ardnamurchan and I am delighted to add Editor of West Word to that list. I think it will be a great fit with my other roles and am very excited to have such a good reason to spend time in this area regularly again and get involved in West Word once more.

Once more?
Yes! I have a long association with West Word! In a small way West Word is at least partly responsible for our decision to move to this area. In 2011 we spent time on the Isle of Eigg as volunteers with Neil and Sue at Cleadale. Sitting in their wee bothy one evening I found a stash of back issues of West Word and spent a happy few hours reading through them. Reading the blend of local news and views, birthday and congratulation announcements, snippets and Round & About columns persuaded us that this was the place with stunning scenery and a sense of community that we had been looking for to call home. A few months later we moved to the Isle of Rum and I became one of the locals sending contributions in to Editor Ann and then Kirsty for family birthday mentions or Round & Abouts from Rum. Since returning to Mainland life in 2019 I have remained an avid reader of West Word as a great way to stay in touch with my now neighbouring community.

So what plans do you have for West Word?
First and foremost simply more of the same great monthly read that I and our readers love. After all why would you change something award winning and much beloved?! From our first West Word Editor Jill, who recently re-joined the West Word team as a committee member, to carrying on the great work of Ann, Kirsty and Ceri before me, I will be ensuring that all your favourite bits of West Word are still here and hopefully bringing you a few new ideas of my own too. I would also love to hear what you want to see more of in West Word, so drop me a line, send me an email or even better find me when I'm in the area, which I will be regularly. Over the coming months I will be visiting all of the Small Isles and Knoydart, attending events and happenings and spending time in Arisaig, Morar and Mallaig. I want to hear your ideas and stories and I want your contributions, as one off or ad hoc pieces or as regular columns.
I view my role as Editor as that of a curator, bringing the diverse and interesting voices from across our communities (and the diaspora of more geographically scattered but still members) together for one monthly catch up to sit down and enjoy reading. I think West Word also offers our local businesses an affordable opportunity to let our readers know about their products and services, our organisations, projects, schools, churches and charities the change to tell you what they have been up to, gives our committee and volunteers ways to get involved in keeping us all connected and up to date. West Word also helps people not in the area, but still connected to it, to stay in touch and a way for our visitors to quickly find out what is going on while they are here.

What challenges do you anticipate as Editor of West Word?
I think that in-print media faces many challenges: in our fast paced world with social media offering sound bite style updates as news happens there has been a move away from people buying and then finding time to sit down a read a monthly publication. Add in increasing print costs and the impact of generative AI taking the place of real people creating art, writing and producing content and the future of publications like West Word can feel precarious. Our local communities are also changing; resident populations across our area are dipping and when new people do move into the area they do not always shop locally or even know that local publications like West Word exist.

Is it all bleak then?
Not at all! I am by nature an optimist and my time editing Dè tha dol? and the recent swell of support for West Word reassures me that people still have an appetite for genuine human-created doses of connection, particularly in small communities like ours. We still get a buzz from seeing a birthday shout out in print, still sign up for workshops we spotted listed in these pages, still love reading people's thoughts in Letters to the Editor, seeing photographs of the views and wildlife we know and love. This week I have been out delivering the latest issue of Dè tha dol? travelled over to Morar for a West Word committee meeting, picking up a member of the Glenuig Inn team who was hitchhiking along the way, met readers of both publications and had real, in person chats with people who really care about the area and by extension our local publications. In the same way as 'born and raised' in the area young people often leave for education, work or adventures but then return because this is 'home', I believe the warmth, community and connection that our local in print publications offer also give that sense of home.
I think our digital subscriptions of West Word offer a more affordable option for readers and I am keen to include both new voices and young contributors to West Word alongside our old favourites and to continue celebrating the culture and history of the area. This is YOUR West Word and I'm looking forward to working for you to bring you what you want to see in its pages every month.

WELL DONE TO THREE PEAKS FUNDRAISERS

A couple of years ago, my older son suggested we should do the Three Peaks; that is Ben Nevis, Scafell in Cumbria and Yr Wyddfa (or Snowden) in Wales, the three highest peaks in each of Scotland, England and Wales. Those of an athletic disposition would attempt to climb them in 24hrs but doing all three on consecutive days would still be a significant undertaking (for me anyway!). When I joined the Lifeboat Fundraising Group I wondered if this might be an opportunity for a sponsored challenge in aid of the RNLI.
After much planning, on the morning of Thursday 16th April I set out with my two sons Charlie (23) and Ben (20) to climb Ben Nevis, with Kathy as our support/driver. I'd kept my fingers crossed that the weather would be better than forecast but that wasn't to be and the conditions got worse the higher we went. We had ice axes and crampons for the snow but the high winds, driving sleet and windchill about -10 were something else. When we encountered fellow climbers turning back at around 3,800 feet, we also had a tough decision to make. Looking back I think we made the right decision to head back down.
After round 6 hours on the mountain and thoroughly cold and wet, a shower at the sports centre in Fort William was most welcome and we headed off for Cumbria.
The following morning we woke up to thick fog but by mid-morning it had cleared and as we set off from the car park at Wasdale Head to climb Scafell it was at least dry. The climb to the top of Scafell, at 3,209 feet, is a relatively short one but much steeper as a result and once we'd warmed up we made good time. At higher altitude the wind was quite strong but the summit remained shrouded in mist. We didn't linger at the top and quickly descended while battling with the wind and enjoyed a great view across Wast Water. After a hearty meal at the Wasdale Head Inn (which I would recommend) we headed off again, arriving very late in North Wales but in good spirits as we were joined by my daughter Katie, her partner Ferg and Charlie's girlfriend Mia.
Saturday morning brought the best of the weather and the Llanberis Path was very busy as we set out for the summit of Yr Wyddfa. This is by far the easier climb of the three hills with a long steady approach climb, with steeper sections at higher altitude. The summit, at 3,560 feet, was shrouded in mist but as we set off on the return journey this cleared to give magnificent views, to Anglesey and beyond. At the bottom we celebrated with a pint at the Penceunant Isaf tea room in Llanberis (again, recommended if doing the hill).
All in all it was quite an adventure and a great family time and I must thank Kathy for doing all the driving and feeding us so well. And of course, a big thank you to everyone who so generously donated to our cause, it's very much appreciated. All funds raised go to the RLNI, which total £1,082 (with Gift Aid to be added). Should anyone else wish to donate then our JustGiving page is still open at www.justgiving.com/team/mallaiglifeboat.
Simon Bradshaw

Birdwatch by Stephen MacDonald - Sightings for April 2026

Much more activity bird-wise as summer visitors arrived throughout the month. On the 1st a single Swallow seen in Arisaig was the first of the spring. A further three were seen on the 9th, also in Arisaig, thereafter there were widespread reports.
Various Warblers started to arrive as the moth progressed, Willow Warblers were heard in Arisaig from the 8th and within a couple of days were widely reported. A male Blackcap in Morar on the 9th was the first report. The next sightings all came from Arisaig, with Whitethroat on the 21st, Grasshopper Warbler on the 22nd and Sedge Warbler on the 23rd. Common Redstart were seen and heard in the Arisaig area from the 10th.
On the 13th a Cuckoo was seen and heard near Tougal, Morar, followed by one heard and seen near Invercaimbe early on the 14th. Later that day several more were heard calling in various locations.
Other summer visitors returning included Common Sandpipers first seen at Traigh and the Morar Estuary on the 18th and Common Terns returning to Loch Ailort on the 28th.
As our summer breeders arrived many of our winter visitors were moving out and birds that winter much further south were on passage to their breeding grounds in the Arctic. Slavonian Grebes in full breeding plumage seen on Loch nan Geall in early April were most likely Icelandic breeders. Passage of Pink footed Geese and Whooper Swans was evident throughout the month, with birds seen on numerous days flying north. On the 29th a family group of four Whooper Swans landed briefly on Loch nan Geall in the evening for a rest. A lone Whooper Swan still on Loch nana Eala at the month end may be sick or injured.
At least four Goldeneye were still on Loch Morar till the month end. A pair of Goosanders were seen regularly at the west end of the loch. A drake Gadwell was seen on Loch nan Gaell on the 10th.
Wader passage was also evident with the first Whimbrel seen at Traigh and Gorsten on the 19th and a group of 24 at Traigh on the 30th. Both Black-tailed and Bar-tailed Godwits were seen at Loch nan Geall, Traigh and Gorsten, also at Traigh small groups of Turnstone, Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Redshank and Greenshank were seen as they stopped to feed and rest. Increased seabird sightings included Gannet, Razorbill, Guillemot and Manx Shearwaters in the Sound of Sleat, the first Great Skua were reported from there also.
Several groups of Redwings were seen during the month at Camusdarroch, Morar and Arisaig. Increased sightings of Wheatears during the month, including large 'Greenland' Wherears. Many more Meadow Pipits and White Wagtails seen as the month progressed. Nuthatch were reported from Arisaig on several occasions and one was seen near Glenuig on the 11th.