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As a Board, we have been conscious for several months that West Word is losing money each month, and we have been taking steps to address this, but it hasn't been enough.
In common with most printed media, sales are down, along with advertising revenue, while overheads have been continuously rising for us, as for other businesses. We know that the paper is only published monthly, and that online advertising is much more instant and accessible. However, if we are to keep the paper solvent, we need the support of the business community locally.
We will shortly be writing to businesses who cover the West Word area to ask if you would be willing to sponsor a page each month in West Word. For £250 per annum, you can sponsor a page in black and white, and for £400, you can sponsor a page in colour. We will publish your business name, contact details and logo each month at the bottom of your chosen page, and will also give you a 15% discount off any additional advertising in West Word throughout the year. We can invoice you annually or quarterly, but we would ask that you commit to a full year. If 25 local businesses are willing to support West Word in this way, it will allow us to continue providing the community news you know and love! It will also mean that you, as a business, have your contact details to hand for both local residents and visitors all year round in their monthly paper!
You can also support us by purchasing a subscription, either paper or digital, and asking all your friends to do the same. West Word is a registered charity, so we would also welcome any donations, regardless of the size! We are looking at a simple way to process online donations, but in the meantime you can send donations to the West Word office, or contact editor@westword.org.uk and we can provide you with our bank details.
One of the ways we would like to reduce overheads and improve the reliability of printing dates is by outsourcing printing, which would allow us to print in full colour each month, at a lower cost than we currently pay for a combination of colour and black and white. However, to do this, we need to have funds to pay for the first month upfront. Sponsorship would allow us to progress with this outsourcing.
This really is the last chance for West Word. After 30 years, we would hate to see it be lost, but we have to be realistic as Directors and not continue to trade if the paper is not sustainable. If you are a local business, please look out for our request, and, if you are reading this and think that you can help in any way, we would be delighted to hear from you.
West Word Directors: Ann Martin, Jacqueline McDonell, Kathy Bradshaw, Simon Bradshaw and Claire Wortley
Seasons Greetings....
A gigantic thank you is owed this month to local tech whizz Gareth Wilkinson, who saved the day with a spare router and some clever workarounds when we discovered that the office computer and router had both been fried during one of the recent electrical storms. We could not have gone to print without him!
Meanwhile, it's the end of the year and the end of an era: Robert MacMillan, writer of the wonderful Personal Angle column is putting down his pen. Although I hear he has done so several times before… I for one have loved his deep local insights, especially all the tales from the Harbour of old, and hope that if he doesn't return to West Word, he at least considers filling a book with these tales!
Next month's deadline is January 5th… do your best. The paper will be out two weeks after all the submissions are in. Wishing everyone a cosy and fun-filled festive period and a hopeful New Year.
Ceri Perkins
editor@westword.org.uk
Morar Station Building, Morar PH40 4PB
Celebrations:
Knoydart welcomed TWO new young residents recently: Ronnie-James, born 30th October and Fiadh, born 16th November. We welcomed Ronnie-James home with the pipes (courtesy of Sam the Yurt) and we look forward to welcoming Fiadh and her family home soon! According to the P7 pupils' new infographics about the population of Knoydart, we are now 145 residents and counting. That's up from 52 people in 1986, according to Dave Bailey!
On 22nd October, Davie Newton and Finlay Greig accepted The Michael Dower Award for European Rural Resilience. This award celebrates the peninsula's resilience, ingenuity and achievements over the past 26 years.
Will has taken over Coffee Knoydart from Louise Costello and it's certainly made him less grumpy-he's just too busy. Orders are available online or in-person (come between boats!).
Bettina and Jane organised a surprise party for Roli to celebrate 20 years of Bettina and Roli being together. Lots of friends joined in for the fun with a small buffet in the Wee Bar of The Old Forge.
Knoydart fared very well during Storm Amy due to Knoydart Renewables' foresight and implementation of our underground lines and hydro! No power outage for us, only a loss of Internet and phone signal, meaning that we actually had to talk to each other.
Social:
Pub Quiz season is now in full swing, with quizzes happening every other Wednesday since the end of October. This has been a great way to get out and about and see folk even on the colder, darker days. Meanwhile, Bonfire Night was a roaring success due to a clear starry night and had a great turn out.
Saturday 10th November, saw Isla Miller hosting Knoydart's first ever Sew-cial Crafterday. In all, 24 people showed up to take part in the all-day creative fun. Everyone brought along their own projects and materials to the village hall, tea and cake were plentiful, and lunch was a two-course affair at The Old Forge.
Finally, the Knoydart Hall welcomed Pictish Trail (AKA Johnny Lynch over from Eigg) at the end of October which was a very funny, enjoyable gig.
Upcoming:
In the next few months, Jackie Robertson will be delivering more Jeeps to Ukraine. She set out from Knoydart on 5th December to deliver the first, and five more will be delivered next year. Jackie has set up a Just Giving Page to support this. If you are able to, please take a look and consider donating.
Looking a bit further into the future, the Knoydart Panto has begun rehearsals. Keep an eye out for information and tickets, it's going to be another magical show. We will round off the year with Hogmanay at the Hall. Doors open at 8:00pm, with tickets available on the website and on the door.
Shay Hopkins-Paine
I love November! The island starts to sparkle; frost has started to appear late at night, stars are reflected in mirror seas, tumbling sea shells in tiny waves create brief melodies in the silence of the coming winter slumber.
The days are noticeably shorter now and the rhythm of the island has changed with it. I've started picking up my head torch at lunchtime so I can cycle home later on; chopping logs is now a satisfying part of the daily routine; jobs around the house which were put off are now getting done; and evenings are spent fireside or round the kitchen table.
The farm has been busy sorting out the sheep-gathering, dipping and tupping. Last week the farm team gathered the west end of the island and I went along with them for the first time. It was a great experience and I had to channel my inner sheep on some of the paths around the cliffs. Some sections are not for the faint hearted… best not to think about it too much, and put trust in your feet.
The west end of the island is dramatic with views to the Outer Hebrides. The cliffs are spectacular, and there are many places to see seal pups. We counted five that day and they all looked fat and healthy as they basked in the November sunshine.
We had our annual community bonfire, which went a long way to tidying up all the excess palettes and broken bits from the island after a busy summer. Playing with sparklers, toasting marshmallows and chatting with each other always feels like a marker for the start of winter properly.
We enjoyed a Halloween Party at New House. Fancy dress was optional but everyone made a superb effort; we had Bill & Ben the flower pot men, a christmas present, bananas, the jewellery heist from the Louvre and cowgirls and cowboys. There was apple bobbing, donut scoffing and a great deal of mirth.
We bid a fond farewell for now to Gareth, Indi, Hector and Sorely who have left our shores and are moving to the Isle of Coll. We gathered on the pier to wave them off on the next chapter of their lives. One of the biggest things I've noticed since they left is that there is no longer a beeping of truck horns; you could always tell where Hector was because either he was beeping the horn or we were beeping ours when we passed him. We wish them all the very best for their new adventure and hope they come back and visit us soon!
Our various projects are now gathering pace which is exciting. On the horizon are three new community houses, the Coroghan Barn redevelopment and a feasibility study for the Rhu Church. We held a whole community meeting where we spent time brainstorming ideas for the future. Nothing was off the table and the meeting generated a wealth of possibilities.
We will now spend some time gathering these ideas together and figuring out which ideas are doable; we don't like to rest on our laurels too much here in Canna and there is always plenty to do.
Margaret Willington
The most exciting thing this month-and probably the most exciting thing for a while to come-was the arrival of our newest, youngest resident, baby Cailean on November 1st. Huge congrats to mum and dad, Elle and Coinny. Our other new residents are Derek's partner Debbie, who has made the move to Rùm, and Rhiannon, new tenant of Croft 3-although Rhiannon has been here all year, volunteering for NatureScot, and is well used to all things Rùm!
We had a huge pile of wood ready for bonfire night… unfortunately, it had been outside all year and was pretty soggy. And we did make what was probably the best bonfire looking bonfire we'd ever constructed, it really did look solid, until the whole thing fell over into a heap. Sigh. It was raining and we were tired by then, but we managed to resurrect a bit of its former glory and then retreated home to get warm, eat food and come out again later. With wet wood and no convenient sofas or old furniture to burn, the fire did take a good while, some engineering and a fair amount of diesel to get going, but it was glorious when it did. You can't beat a good fire. We also failed on fireworks this year, a combo of cars breaking down and people not being in the right place at the right time. Usually, our makeshift island-style organisation comes good but not this year. You can't win them all, it seems. Definitely fireworks for Hogmanay instead though.
Sean and Ali have been busy with fecal sampling of the red deer herd. This involves collecting poo samples from not just any deer, but from specific individuals-and requires a fair amount of hanging around waiting for the deer in question to go to the loo! Long days are involved, and then freezing the samples until they can be whisked off to Edinburgh for analysis. I asked Sean for his monthly bird round up, but he said the only notable species in November was the Brambling.
The only other notable wildlife are the stags hanging around again now that the deer cull is over, but looking up, (literally) the skies have been clearing and we are getting some fabulous nights of stargazing. The laser pointer is coming in handy… More dark sky news from Elle in her monthly round up of the night sky.
Over in Mallaig, the Rùm primary kids did us proud in the Write Highland Hoolie competitions:
Dougal - 1st place in poem writing p4-7
Ailia - 3rd place in poem writing p1-3
Zak - 1st place in art p1-3
Fliss* - 3rd place in art p4-7
* Fliss Murphy, aka Little Fliss!
Jennifer and Stuart launched a website for the shop, where you can now buy bottles of Askival Rum. The launch was really successful judging by the number of bottle sized parcels they despatched on the ferry. Buy yours now, in time for Christmas!!!
Finally, November's birthdays were Cailean (brand new!), Aila 7, Jocelyn 16, and Elle.
Fliss Fraser
Halloween is always a special event on Eigg. There were many fantastic costumes this year, some completely masking the identity of the wearer! The children (at least those who were not stuck in Mallaig due to stormy weather and cancelled boats) enjoyed guising around Cleadale, which culminated in a spooky evening at the Galmisdale Bay Café.
The following weekend the weather obliged, and we had our annual Bonfire Night under the light of the moon. Many thanks to the Isle of Eigg Residents Association who organised some fantastic fireworks and to everyone who chipped in bringing wood and building the fire. The embers smouldered away into the wee hours. It's been a fantastic month for bonfires in general-we even celebrated Felicia's birthday around a fire, under the Northern Lights.
For Remembrance Sunday, many islanders gathered at the Cleadale crossroads for the ceremony led by Neil as the Residents Association Chair. Poems by Wilfred Owen and Rudyard Kipling were read and a special mention was made of private Art Mackay, a descendant of Eigg emigrants to Nova Scotia, who enlisted in the Nova Scotia Highlanders and fell at Vymy Ridge in 1916 during the deadly Battle of the Somme. He had lied about his age and died two months short of his 18th birthday, knowing he had fathered a son. His story was told by his grandson, John Mackay, who finally visited Eigg last September with his wife and children.
A big congratulations goes out to Colm and Ellis for winning prizes in the Mallaig Book Festival Highland Hoolie Competition which took place 7th-9th November. Colm achieved an incredible joint first prize in the P4-7 art competition and a third prize in the P4-7 writing competition. Ellis also achieved an amazing prize: 1st place in the P1-3 creative writing competition! Both competitions focused on landscape and setting as a theme.
Solas Eige, the charity set up on Eigg to bring St Colomba's church into community ownership and to restore the historic building, has put on several events in November. To align with the COP30, Solas Eige set up a climate hub in the church, specifically in solidarity with the Wampís Nation who live in the Amazon region-the Amazon being the location of this years' COP (Belém, Brazil). Two Wampís leaders visited Eigg in June, as part of their campaign to raise awareness about illegal logging in their territory, which forms part of the supply chain of a Chinese company called Mingyang, which uses the ancient balsa wood to build wind turbines.
The charity also put on a candlelit concert in St Columba's church. The Wildwood Cello Duo put on a beautiful Samhain performance, playing some of their own songs and some classics, with some storytelling in between. They also put on a workshop for young families the following morning and are planning to return next year to do more with the community.
Although many local businesses have slowed down for the winter here on Eigg, Eigg Guiding has just announced new Snorkel Adventure dates and Nature Retreats Eigg are already promoting art retreats for 2026. Meanwhile, makers and artist have been busy getting their wares ready for the Christmas Fair. Livestock are getting sent away or moved to their winter locations. The nights are getting ever longer and the island begins to gear up for the festive season.
Laurie King
Hello Muck Calling... well it certainly looks like we are in for a wet and windy winter if the last few weeks are an indicator! Muck is just one mound of wet mud, but that didn't deter the Halloween scary walk, where the kids wandered about the place in the dark while overexcited and overdressed parents leapt from the shadows to traumatise the poor wee souls... they had various games and challenges along the route, ending with spooky buffet at the Tearoom.
We no sooner got rid of the ghouls when the 'Guys' arrived to be burnt on top of our Wicker Man proportioned bonfire, where mulled wine, roasting Marshmallows and giant sparklers were followed by a fabulous fireworks display kindly donated by the Andrew Smith party visiting us.
We once again had a successful Poppy collection for the Lady Haig appeal: £130, well done all. The War Graves were attended by the school on both Remembrance Sunday and on the 11th at 11am, where they recited a poem and held a 2 minute silence.
Now it's headlong into Christmas mode with the school rehearsing every day for their play and Laura trying to bankrupt Rab by transforming Godag into a replica of Santa's workshop with, I suspect, more than one tree…
Well, that's us for this month. See you next time...
Regards,
Bruce Boyd
Canna residents are toasting news of a £250,800 grant to help fund an ambitious new heritage project.
The grant, awarded by the Scottish Government's 2025/26 Islands Programme, will allow the Isle of Canna Community Development Trust (IoCCDT) to take forward detailed design work for the Coroghon Barn project. The £5.6m scheme will see a derelict 18th Century barn restored and extended to become a hub for island life, and a key driver of new economic activity.
The site at Coroghon, which is spectacularly located above a black sand beach, within sight of an ancient Dun (or fort), has been a focal point in the island's history for millennia. It was this connection with the story of Canna's people that inspired the community heritage project that will be at the heart of the regeneration initiative.
IoCCDT Chair Geraldine MacKinnon explained: "Canna has a unique story of 2,000 years of human occupation, and a small but determined community today who want to see our island thriving into the 21st Century."
The heritage project will tell the 'people's story' of Canna and the adjoined island of Sanday through a newly digitised community archive. Digital and physical interpretation within the building will encourage visitors to explore and understand the island's natural and cultural landscapes.
The 18th century Coroghon Barn will be restored and extended to create a new gathering space for Canna's 22 permanent residents. It will replace an unheated and draughty shearing shed-currently the only community space available to islanders. As well as catering for community events, the multi-purpose space will be able will work in tandem with the adjoining 'bunk hotel' to host visiting groups, special interest tours and small conferences.
The 20-bed bunk hotel, housed in a new extension, will enable more of the 10,000 people who visit Canna each year to stay for a few nights and get to know the island better. Currently overnight accommodation options on Canna and Sanday are very limited, and consequently most visitors are day-trippers.
IoCCDT Director, Isebail MacKinnon said: "The idea of the bunk hotel is about nurturing a more sustainable model of 'slow tourism' in the Small Isles. Being run as a community-owned enterprise means more of the income generated from tourism stays within the island's economy, building community wealth."
In addition to the £250,800 award from the Islands Programme, the next stage of design work on Coroghon has been funded with £30,000 from the National Trust for Scotland, and £25,000 from Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
A Write Highland Hoolie, the Mallaig Book Festival, made a triumphant return to the West Highland Hotel over the weekend of November 7th-9th.
It was a huge success from its opening event, when the award-winning author and singer-songwriter Malachy Tallack took to the stage in front of a near-capacity crowd, to its grand finale tea party which featured wonderful Gaelic singing from the Mallaig Primary School choir, and an all-singing, all-dancing performance from children's author Alan Windram, before the talented youngsters were rewarded with prizes for their winning stories and artwork.
Donald Livingstone and Iain Cameron of the Cast Ewe Ceilidh Band kept the party going late into the night with toe-tapping tunes and good craic and Saturday's entertainment came to a rousing conclusion when popular duo Ingrid Henderson and Iain MacFarlane played to a packed audience in the bar. Many guests took part, too, with songs and recitations, and the highlight was a brilliant rendition of the hilarious SS Politician from Tearlach MacFarlane, who has been a stalwart of every Hoolie since the festival's inception.
There was a full house for popular author, broadcaster and cook Coinneach MacLeod, better known as the Hebridean Baker, who entertained the audience with his hilarious stories and anecdotes from the islands and beyond. It was standing room only, too, for the final event of the afternoon, when Alexander McCall Smith, one of the world's most prolific and best-loved authors, had the audience in gales of laughter as he told stories with his trademark wit and humour. It was a truly wonderful, life-affirming event that will never be forgotten by those who were lucky enough to attend.
BBC Alba's Peter MacQueen found himself upstaged by his three canine companions while chatting about his new book, Tails of Scotland: The Story of Scottish Dogs. Westie Flòraidh and 13-week-old Scottish deerhound puppy Sula were adorable enough, but Dandie Dinmont Peigi stole the show by snoring loudly and contentedly in Peter's arms throughout the event.
Photos above by STEVE RAWSON
Authors Peter MacQueen (with Peigi & Sula); Alexander McCall Smith; and Hebridean Baker, Coinneach MacLeod
The Hoolie Hoolets programme is an integral part of every A Write Highland Hoolie and runs special events for the younger members of the community in the days leading up to the festival weekend. This year, children's authors Barbara Henderson and Michelle Sloan each had two sessions in Mallaig primary school, where all the local children from the school cluster gathered. Each session was tailored for different age groups, and in addition Barbara ran a wonderfully entertaining workshop in the high school for first-year pupils. Artist and illustrator Clare Mackie also visited the high school, where she led a workshop for senior art students hoping to pursue a career in art. Two of the students who were present for the art workshop said that Clare was inspirational and had promised to keep in touch with them as they embarked on their journey towards following careers in the subject. They said this had given them more confidence, which was wonderful to hear.
Photo by STEVE RAWSON
On Sunday afternoon, to close the festival, pupils and parents were welcomed from to the free tea party and prizegiving in the West Highland Hotel with a wonderful funny performance from Alan.
It was the perfect end to another successful Hoolie, and with 2026 being the festival's 10th anniversary, ambitious plans for next year are already underway. First, though, Team Hoolie will be taking a well-deserved rest! Read all about the whole weekend on our website blog, and follow A Write Highland Hoolie on Facebook to be the first to hear about 2026's festival!
The Hoolie Team: Polly, Angela, Sine and Ann
www.a-write-highland-hoolie.com
THREE months running with no shouts! No news is good news, on that front...
Mallaig RNLI Lifeboat Station is celebrating an incredible seven pass-outs in just three days in November, in a record week of achievements for the crew!
The station welcomed its new full-time Coxswain David Fergusson in June this year and were delighted to have him pass his final exams with flying colours on Monday 11th November. That same evening, newly recruited Station Mechanic Kenny Harris achieved his Tier 1 pass-out; a great first step towards him becoming fully qualified. And finally, after being put to the test about which situations to launch the lifeboat in, Niall Blackie qualified as a much-needed Deputy Launch Authority (DLA). He joins his wife Juliet, who is the volunteer shop manager, as a Mallaig RNLI volunteer.
The following two days saw crew members Kevin McDonell, Kieran Logan and Josh Kingswood pass their a-float mechanic assessments. Meanwhile, Cameron Muir qualified as a Station Technician, which will allow him to do planned maintenance on the lifeboat.
Many of the crew have had trips down to the RNLI College in Poole over the past six months, training for their new roles as well as taking courses in sea survival and command of Mallaig's all-weather lifeboat. David and the other crew members' pass-outs secure a more stable future for the Mallaig station, which for the past year has had to rely on temporary crew, and faced periods of being off-service.
Reflecting on his journey so far, David says: "Since 2nd June when I took on the position there has been a steady and often intense training regime to get me ready for my pass out exam. It couldn't have gone better; the crew were fantastic and worked extremely well together. We have all been training a lot over the summer months, and have come on in leaps and bounds. I'm very proud to see our hard efforts coming to fruition and I'm absolutely buzzing to have passed the test!"
In other news, the RNLI volunteers held a Soup and Sandwich fundraiser in the Mallaig & Morar Community Hall on Saturday 15th November-and raised a grand total of £692.70! Meanwhile, Carol and Juliet from the fundraising team headed along to Aldi on Sunday 30th November and collected £222.05! A huge thank you to everyone who supported these events and has dug deep to support the Mallaig RNLI Station this year!
Jessica Logan
The overnight ferry berth works are progressing-some quite visibly, and others not-so-visibly! Several of the king posts have been driven in for the berth itself, and this explains the noise Mallaig locals can hear periodically. Meanwhile, works have started on the second phase of filling in the scour hole at the linkspan berth. Here, 600 tonnes of materials have been brought in, and are being placed over the side by digger and positioned by divers working under the water. There are another 900 tonnes due, which will be placed using a long reach excavator with GPS to ensure that the top layer can be accurately placed to maintain safe access to the berth. The infill should be completed by the time the Lord of the Isles returns to service on 10th December, and the piling shortly after.
The Caralisa has switched to Sprats for the season, with the first landing on 18th November. It is always good to see the activity on the pier when the Sprats are being landed. The Primrose is also back at sea this month, after a long period tied up in the Harbour.
More good news this month: new Coxwain of the Lifeboat, David Fergusson, has completed all his training, and is officially ready to take the boat to sea under his own command. Add to this the fact that several crew members have been passed out as mechanics, and there are a number of new Deputy Launch Authorities ready to step up, means that the lifeboat is now in a much stronger position to move forward after a period of uncertainty.
We were delighted earlier in the year when the Mallaig, Ardnamurchan and District Pipe Band announced that they were holding a tune writing competition in honour of the support that Mallaig Harbour Authority have provided them since their inception. It was agreed that the tune would be a March, and after a bit of debate, we decided to keep the name simple, and call the winning tune 'The MHA-rch'. There were sixteen entries in total, and the Pipe Band gathered on Saturday 22nd November in the West Highland Hotel to announce the winner and celebrate with a wee afternoon ceilidh. The Harbour Authority was well represented, with myself, Audrey and John from the staff, and two of our Board Members, Karen and Helen attending. We were delighted to be presented with a framed copy of the winning tune, which was composed by Dougie Beck, and in return presented Dougie with a bottle of Mallaig Harbour Water, and all the other entrants with a miniature-and a pen for their next compositions!
We hosted the Sound of Sleat Ferry Users' group AGM, in conjunction with Sleat Community Trust on 12th November. At the meeting, CalMac indicated that there would be more disruption to the Mallaig-Armadale route, with the Loch Fyne potentially unavailable until July of next year, to run alongside the Coruisk.
British Marine Scotland have commissioned a study, funded by Crown Estates Scotland, to support the long-term growth of Scotland's leisure marine sector. The project aims to better understand the challenges around skills, training, and workforce development across the industry, and arrive at a series of recommendations and a strategy to enhance the economic viability of the marine sector in Scotland. As a Harbour Authority, we are really keen to see the sector thriving, and were happy to participate in the study. We have also shared a survey on our Facebook page, as part of the study, so if you have views about the challenges around skills and training, then please take a few minutes to complete the survey. The link for it is: https://forms.gle/bzBJEtP6h1xGdpF57.
I was also kindly invited to the Scottish Shipping Benevolent Association annual dinner in Glasgow as a guest of CMAL. The SSBA gives funding and grants to people with current or past links to the shore-side maritime sector in Scotland. They can provide one-off lump sums or ongoing financial support to SSBA members, appropriate individuals and/or their families for many different reasons, and can also award grants for training and education within maritime-related disciplines. You can find more information on their website, https://scottishshippingcharity.org.
Our staff once again supported the Mallaig Community Council to ensure that the Christmas lights and tree were all in place ready for the switch-on on Friday 28th November. We are lucky to have a good team of staff who will roll up their sleeves and get involved with community efforts including the Christmas lights, and we are very grateful to them for everything they do!
Finally, we would like to extend our usual good wishes to all Harbour Users and the wider community for Christmas and New Year when it comes.
Jacqueline McDonell ~ 01687 462154
Hello, it's me again!
I was hoping to announce the 2026 touring dates for the Jacobite in this month's column but, alas, it looks like they will not be released until after Christmas. I have been receiving brochures, catalogues and leaflets in the post from Touring Coach tours, who are already taking bookings for packages throughout 2026, including some that incorporate the Jacobite... as soon as I know more, dear Reader, you will be the next to know!
Network Rail performed track maintenance at Mallaig at the end of November (23rd-28th) and in early December (7th-12th), with contractors working between the scheduled ScotRail services during the day and gaining possession of the line at night after the last train arrived into Mallaig. One morning, I even awoke to see new rails deposited alongside the existing track outside my house! Slept through it like a log!
The work involved track upgrades using specialised equipment, including noisy machinery, for which they did apologise in advance. Apology accepted! I enjoy the projects that ensure safe rail travel for train crews and passengers alike.
"Polar Express" to stay for foreseeable future
The frigid conditions aboard our daily ScotRail services made the 1pm BBC Radio Scotland headline news on November 25th, in a segment that included phone interviews (no tapes!) from passengers, live from the train. It's true that the first train to depart Mallaig at 06.03 can be very cold. The driver starts the heaters from a cold start for half an hour before departure, but it does not heat up at all until we reach Fort William. One woman on a journey I took in November had a flask of tea, a hot water bottle, thermals and a thick coat, as well as a balaclava, scarf and gloves. Sadly, the Class 156s are simply not able to generate enough heat to make the carriages comfortable.
You know what I'm going to say now, don't you..? If only ScotRail would allow a catering trolley on that first train!
The first train out of Mallaig could have steaming pots of porridge, tea, coffee, flapjacks, etc. The trolley could then return to Mallaig on the first service out of Fort William, having refilled the water flask for the return journey. And so on, back and forth for the rest of the day. It's not rocket science! It would fuel up the passengers and keep us happy-and the poor staff would no longer need to be so embarrassed about the conditions on board.
Glenfinnan railway station flushed with anticipation!
Transport Scotland's Rail Team and the Railway Heritage Trust have agreed to fund upgrades to the toilet facilities at Glenfinnan station, including increasing the number of toilets on Platform 1. The works, which are expected to be complete by the end of the year, should go a long way to ease existing tourism pressures at the site.
The improvements follow a joint effort from the Glenfinnan community, Kate Forbes MSP and Network Rail to address infrastructure challenges at the railway station, which was originally built to serve low passenger numbers and which has struggled to accommodate the volume of visitors that pass through today.
Tourism continues to surge in Glenfinnan year-on-year, thanks to the Glenfinnan Viaduct's now iconic inclusion in the globally famous Harry Potter movies-and will only increase in 2026 when the TV adaptations of the original books begin to gather steam and new visitors want to visit.
"This project will help to ease the pressures of over-tourism throughout Glenfinnan," said Forbes, welcoming the news but adding that the new toilets are just one step towards addressing the issue. "I remain committed to working with the community to continue to secure long-term solutions in Glenfinnan"
Glenfinnan station has listed status, as do the buildings. Hopefully the new facilities will encourage more people to travel by train, rather than by individual cars, with four ScotRail trains a day running between Mallaig and Fort William.
Personally, I feel it is sad that such help was not available when the turntable, signal box and glass and metal covered platforms were allowed to corrode and erode and eventually be pulled down and taken away. Mallaig would really benefit from refurbishment. That was then; hindsight was needed!!
Black Dog Day: Friday 21st November
Hand-me-down trains are our only hope for the next 10 years, the Scottish Government announced at the end of November.
In 2020, a new ambitious Transport Scotland report stated that trains on our routes would be "powered by battery or alternative traction by 2035". It even included a map! The Scottish Government has now put back the date by a decade to 2045. Lordy! Lordy!
My best guestimate is that instead, we will be offered Class 158 diesel trains from the Borders Railway, which are to be cascaded down to us in 2031, when new battery-powered trains are introduced there.
Frank Roach, partnership manager at the Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership said: "We would urge Transport Scotland to accelerate the process, as rural routes may well be operating with Class 158s that are over 40 years old before being replaced and given to us". These 158s are used on the Title Line, and although warmer and with a better interiors, frequently break down (in my opinion).
ScotRail have such loyal staff based at the Fort William and Mallaig Depots: Booking Office staff at both stations, cleaners, fitters, Network Rail staff who go the extra mile in all weathers, freight crews, small-to-medium retail outlets and those who take care of the station toilets (plus showers at Fort William). We, and they, deserve better.
We urgently need catering on the trains to keep customers warm and more passing loops on our Branch Line. On that front,
Lochailort is a "shoe-in" and just begging to be reinstated...
I passionately believe that, with some tweaking, we can still get 5-car trains to operate at Mallaig using the "Explorer" coaches. Is it just Network Rail's budget restrictions? All of us "Station Adopters", whether employed or volunteers, go the extra mile. Why is no-one hearing our pleas?
The Railway and the port of Mallaig are the beating heart to the backdrop of our wonderful scenery. In turn, they underpin the success of our hospitality sector and so many small to medium businesses. We evolve and expand; so must our future.
We have to believe that we can make Scotland's Railways great and safe for travellers. We have to know that we can make a journey by rail, on trains that are giving us an enjoyable experience and return without stress. Wouldn't that be nice? Happy customers, happy staff, happy volunteers, happy railway! I believe that the best we can do in our allotted years is to contribute to our community, no matter how small an act of kindness is, and contribute to a fairer world.
Merry Christmas to all who are celebrating. Stay safe and well. Happy Hogmanay, as we approach 2026. I will certainly try!
Nollaig Chridheil agus Blaidhna Mhath Ur!
See you on the train or at the station,
Sonia Cameron
Delivering the mail and a smile for 38 years (by Georgia Dennis)
Mallaig's own Billy MacLellan has finally hung up his Royal Mail waterproofs after 38 years on the job. For nearly four decades, Billy delivered letters and parcels to the people of Mallaig. But more than that: he brought warmth, humour and kindness to every doorstep he graced.
Billy calls himself "a seagull with clipped wings," referencing the fact that he was never tempted to leave his hometown. "It's different from any wee Highland village," he says. "It's never entered my mind to go anywhere else." Even a dream four-week holiday to Australia-complete with sightings of wild kangaroos-wasn't enough to pull him away from the place he loves.
Before Royal Mail, Billy spent eight years as a signalman on the Mallaig to Fort William railway line, until the boxes went automatic. Before that, he worked in the ice factory, and tried his hand in the fishing industry for a year too. When his signalling career came to an end, he applied for the job with Royal Mail. "I thought I'd try it for a year… and I liked it!" He laughs.
Billy quickly became a familiar face around the village-sometimes the only face someone might see for days. "You've got to have all the gossip," he laughs. "I usually wouldn't get finished until late because I was too busy yapping! I really do miss the craic."
What he doesn't miss are dark winter nights or rummaging around in the back of the van for "a wee, wee tiny parcel that you know is there but just can't find for the life of you."
He encountered the cliche of dog vs postie and notched up three bites over the years, but Billy is unflappable: "It's alright, you just go and get a tetanus injection from the surgery and then get on with your day."
After his rounds, Billy would often jump into his second job-taxi driving. For more than 40 years, he ferried tourists, locals, and generations of Mallaig youths all over the area, collecting enough stories to fill a book.
But the most epic story he has is his own: the day he had a heart attack while on duty. He recalls feeling particularly unwell one morning while sorting out the mail. "My colleague said 'maybe you'll feel better being out in the fresh air', and I didn't!" Eventually, the concerned co-worker urged him to head to the doctor's surgery.
"The doctor said to lie down on the bed," Billy recalls. "Then he says, 'I don't want to alarm you, but you're having a heart attack.' 'What?' I said. 'Are you sure?' And the doctor said 'oh certainly.'"
In true Billy fashion, even that moment turned into an adventure. As luck would have it, a helicopter returning from a search and rescue in the Cullins was able to airlift him to hospital. Once he started to feel a bit better, Billy-ever the opportunist-asked if he could sit up to take photos outside of the window. "I didn't want to miss seeing Mallaig from the sky!" he grins.
"I asked where they were taking me and they said 'Either Glasgow or Inverness.' I asked where they'd have to land if they took me to Glasgow and they said 'Ibrox'. 'IBROX?' I said, 'oh no, I don't want to go there!' So, they took me to Inverness," he laughs.
Billy speaks lovingly of his late wife Susan, "a beautiful singer" whom he met after a football match in Acharacle whilst crashing a party she was asked to perform at. "Love at first sight. Definitely, definitely. I wouldn't have changed it for the world." Together they raised five children, and today Billy is an extremely proud grandfather of nine and great-grandfather of two.
Retirement hasn't slowed Billy one bit. Between caravan trips with his son Michael, football matches, family visits, and an ever growing to-do list, Billy still manages to find time for a bit of mischief. He beams talking about his retirement party that was brilliantly organised by his daughter, Shelagh. "Oh it was great fun! I was piped in by Alan MacKenzie, there was a room full of wonderful people… We were going until after 3am! After a bit of Dutch courage, I even played the mouth organ." Alan even presented Billy with a framed score of the jig he wrote for him "Billy the Post's Welcome at Columba Road."
Now 74, Billy says he doesn't feel old at all. "I still think I'm young," he laughs. "I do all sorts of daft things." He points to a photograph of himself cruising across a racetrack in a Porsche. "Got that for a 70th birthday gift. The experience, not the car!" He laughs. "I loved it, they wouldn't let me overtake, but I'll maybe try it next time." He winks.
Dear Editor,
During a visit to Ardnish some 20 years ago with Elizabeth, we came across a peculiar landmark in the form of a complete circle with a very low wall. The circle was on the ground between the houses at Peinmeannach and the high-water mark at Glasnacardoch. As it was late in the day, and making for Arisaig, we didn't measure the circle but, from memory, it was at least 100 feet in diameter with a continuous low wall all round, not more than 12 inches high and six inches wide. To say it was so "huge" you couldn't miss it is no exaggeration. Alas, we never got back to make better calculations. Perhaps someone with a drone camera has been able to get a picture of the ring, or someone knows what the origins of it are?
Allan MacDonald
When a man has lived 94 action-packed years, it's not easy to present a short tribute. I'll start in Gamrie, or for those of us who dinna hae the doric, which James could easily resort to-Gardenstown. James was born there, on 10th August, 1931, to Belle and Robbie Hepburn, with Bertie and sister Vivienne to follow. He moved to Mallaig at just 6 months old, when his father became head salesman for Geo. Walker & sons.
Growing up in the village, relatively safe from the perils of war, James dreamed of the day he could leave school. He claimed he wasn't good with figures, although in later years we found out he was okay with feminine figures-as long as they were in the high 30s. He did have a great aptitude for music and was fortunate to be tutored on the accordion by the local station master. On leaving school, he happily joined the local ringer Spindrift, skippered by John Smith, an in-law of the well-known Manson/MacLean families. Fishing took James all round the West Coast and right down to Great Yarmouth on the East. National Service put an end to the fishing career; he found himself stationed at RAF Calshot on the Solent, then at Wig Bay on Loch Ryan, and Galloway. He enjoyed his National Service, being mostly on High Speed Launches servicing flying boats (planes).
On returning home (being tempted to stay on to commissions) his father got the loon to join him at Walkers (where a different commission figured-5%) and old Robbie was oft heard to say; "Fit a loon!" In the meantime, James managed to find time to marry his sweetheart, Jessie MacLean, in 1950, with four children to follow: Carol, Roberta and the twins, Shirley and James. Settling in 17 Loch Nevis Terrace, they hosted many legendary ceilidhs, as both Jessie and James were brilliant hosts and talented entertainers.
James would sit at his window, which looked like a wheelhouse, watching the boats go and, more importantly, come. His work became his life, although weekend socialising was not exactly ignored… Over time, he developed his fish-selling skills-knowing his weaknesses and playing to his strengths-and when Robbie eventually retired, he became the driving force behind Walkers and the success of fishermen and Mallaig.
Greetings of "Hey me old fruit, me old flower!" and "Hello my friend!" were forever heard as the phones rang incessantly-office and home-and his notional address book grew. Sadly, or perhaps fortunately, he didn't keep any book or records of all the friendships and connections he made. He didn't have to; it was all in his head. He could lift the phone and speak to the telephone exchange girls and ask for the person he required-no numbers given. His and the company's success was built on his incredible stamina, interest in people, news and working with staff, not bossing them.
I called him the best boss we never had. He'd be up late at night sales, but still down early for the morning herring sales. Leading by example. Open all hours never had a look in!
James was a man of contrasts: the original PR networking man, but thought "PC" referred to the village bobby. Walkers, looking back, probably should have been Hepburn & Co.. They were taken over by Manofield Co. Claben, Salvesen and then Denholms, but James still gave his all to them. He was never off-duty, even when socialising, making Mallaig the port of choice for boats and buyers. His PR work made him friends with buyers as well as fishermen. That was how he could engineer the best prices, and get fish sold even in times of oversupply. Bankers, and HIDB officers all came under his enthusiasm, with loans and grants being secured as well as the combined backing of the black book (capital accounts) in Walkers, when promising young fishermen were promoted into skipper-owners. He always found a way to bridge the gap between the talent and the required deposits-or lack thereof. Being great friends with Jackie MacKellaig the ice man also meant ice could be procured for fish at almost any time, as well as oil and stores.
Who can forget the Mallaig of the 60s and 70s with Eastern Block, Faroese, Icelandic, Scandinavian Klondykers and every other European nationality buying herring and mackerel, as well as white fish and prawns? (Mostly all done on letters of irrevocable credit…) Well, James made friends with most of them, even visiting a Bulgarian skipper and taking frequent trips to Norway to his friend Erling Olson, skipper of the Arnes. Boatbuilders in Norway and Holland also joined the list, as well as the attache at the Balkan & Black Sea Shipping Co. and the Faroese honorary attache in Aberdeen, where Bond had to be ordered at J H Moon with Quality Street at the top of the list and sheep heads from brother Bertie.
Those trips tied in with his and Jessie's enthusiasm for socialising, which saw ceilidhs in the house, with many a Bobby MacLeod or Andrew Rankine tune played, as well as Jessie's exquisite singing. His old pal and former boss, Robbie Shepherd was always faithfully switched on, on Saturday nights at home. Dance music was his thing. Charity gigs and concerts/ceilidhs were also a big part of his life, mostly accompanying Jessie.
A story from the family: 2169 rings on a Sunday morning to enquire if he had left his Accordion behind in Glenuig, as one had been found at first light in the hotel car park. Good intentions no doubt. In the 70s, fund-raising for the Fishermen's Mission was eagerly undertaken by James. Along with his father, he was instrumental in securing one for Mallaig, as most visiting weekend boats didn't have showers on board back then and quite a few fishermen weren't into hostelries. Once the Mission was secured, Jessie's pantomime fundraisers and James's accompaniment became legendary. Mission weekends just would not have been so successful without James entertaining the 'troops'.
Billy the Mission and Shiela became firm friends, along with various ministers and priests. After the tragic loss of Hector MacKinnon, Ave Maria, Eriskay, there was nothing for it but to go to the memorial service on Eriskay. A helicopter was hired and on a foul Sabbath day we ventured forth from Mallaig playing field. Making our way to the church on Eriskay, we were greeted by the dram-bearing local priest, another great friend of James who thought we deserved it because of the wild day.
A bout of ill health a few years back meant a major op in Glasgow. To James, that was just an opportunity to make more friends, and he was visited just last year by one of his surgeons from that day.
Small in stature but a giant in the fishing industry, we were all enriched by knowing James, socialising with him and learning from him. The family will miss him. We will all miss him. He was a character and a half and we will not see his likes again. Thank you for the memories, me old fruit.
Allan Henderson
Back in November, in a standout weekend of boxing, Arisaig schoolboy Charlie Varley of Lochaber Phoenix Boxing Club took part in the prestigious Scottish Championships in Glasgow, producing some great moments over his two bouts.
Organised by Boxing Scotland, the officially recognised body of the sport, the championships were held over two days, with Charlie taking part in the semi-finals on the Saturday and winning his place in the final the following day.
In his semi-final bout, Charlie scored a fine win over his Highland Boxing Academy opponent whom he boxed only a few weeks ago in Inverness. The Lochaber youngster kept his punch accuracy and fast feet in and out of range making all the difference between the two boxers-and earning him a well deserved victory against a game opponent.
The final on Sunday against his Meadowbank opponent from Edinburgh was another great bout between two fine young boxers, Charlie again boxing in and out of range and throwing straight shots down the middle. However, his opponent was doing the same and landing the more shots, ultimately winning him a very close bout.
Head Coach Aidan Donnelly said: "Both of these young boxers were great over the weekend and will meet in the ring again at some point in the future. There were plenty of compliments too for Charlie by officials and coaches from other clubs right across Scotland as he caught their attention with his skills."
Iain Ferguson
Variable weather conditions during the month, with some unreasonably mild days, several days of gale force winds and heavy rain, then a colder, frosty period with lying snow down to sea level.
Still some Whooper Swan passage, a family party of five were on Loch nan Ceall, at the start of the month and two were present on Loch nan Eala during the last week. Eight rested on Loch Ailort for a few hours on the 13th; on the 16th, eleven were seen flying South over Loch nan Uamh; and on the 25th, nine flew South over Arisaig.
Greylags and Canada Geese were seen throughout the month at Traigh and Back of Keppoch. A single Pink-footed Goose was seen on several occasions with the local greylags, at Traigh and Invercaimbe. Goosesanders was seen regularly on Loch Morar and the first Goldeneyes of the winter were seen there from mid-month. Red-breasted Mergansers were reported widely from coastal locations. Wigeon were seen on the Morar Estuary and Loch nan Ceall. On the 16th, nine Slavonian Grebes were seen on Loch nan Ceall. On the 30th, a Common Scoter and a Long-tailed Duck were seen there, along with at least eleven Little Grebes and eight-plus Slavonian Grebes. Great Northern Divers were reported all around the coast, from Mallaig to Loch Ailort.
Greenshank were reported from the Morar Estuary throughout, and a single bird was seen at the head of Loch Ailort on the 29th. Redshank, Ringed Plover and Curlew were reported from the Morar Estuary and Traigh area. There was a report of three Whimbrel seen near Traigh on the 11th. Purple Sandpipers and Turnstones were seen regularly at West Bay Mallaig. Increasing reports of both Snipe and Woodcock as the month progressed.
On the 2nd, a juvenile Glaucous Gull was seen resting in a field at Back of Keppoch along with Herring and Common Gulls. The closest breeding grounds to here are in Iceland and Greenland but a few winter in the British Isles. Unfortunately, this individual had a fairly large fishing hook embedded in its lower mandible, which must hinder its ability to feed properly.
Blackcaps were reported from a Woodside garden up until the 12th at least, with up to three individuals present some days.
Increasing reports of finches using garden feeders. Most abundant were Chaffinch and Goldfinch, with lesser amounts of Greenfinch and Siskin. Larger flocks of Siskins were reported from Arisaig in Loch Ailort area, feeding on alder cones. The only reports of Brambling came from Morar, with a female on the 2nd and a male on the 8th, both seen in the same garden at Rhubana View.
A Merlin was seen at the south shore of Loch nan Ceall mid-month.
West Word
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