annat wind farm finally gets consent have you signed up · annat wind farm finally gets consent A...

Issue No 39 September 2012

inside

KCC reports – p2

broadband update – p3

on the web – p4

on the level – p4

councillors’ corner - p5

community policing - p5

community safety - p5

the hunt for £30M - p6

Banavie blooms - p7

ten years ago – p7

Community Centre – p8

Lochaber Rugby Club – p8

Banavie Primary – p9

Lochaber High – p10

Kilmallie Playgroup – p11

community gardens – p11

Corpach Woods – p12

Showstoppers - p12

coastguard – p13

Flower & Produce – p14

FOCAL - p16

Old Vic - p16

carry on up the canal - p16

letters - p17

canal news - p18

wild about Kilmallie – p19

contractors on Blar - p20

Strone - p20

green fingers - p21

pulp paper & past - p21

crofting in Corpach - p22

tuirc - p23

focus on folk – p24

about Annat – p25


spotlight – p26

feedback - p27

puzzles – p27

sponsors – p28

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a huge thank you to our recent sponsors

A huge thank you to the businesses who have already sponsored us again for 2012/2013. The cost of copying this newsletter has again been very generously donated

by Lorna and Finlay Finlayson of Crannog Restaurant, Fort William.

The view from the Ben (image courtesy of David Gowans and Fort William Community Council)

annat wind farm finally gets consent

A big development for our area was finally given consent in August when planning permission was granted to North British Windpower Ltd, Edinburgh, for the erection of 4 wind turbines, access tracks and associated infrastructure on land at Druim Fada, 1200m north west of Annat Farm, Corpach. This permission was granted with 20 conditions. The turbines are big, each being 2.5MW and 121 metres to the tip of the blade. The Arjo Wiggins paper mill chimney that was demolished a few years ago was 64 metres high and so these will be around twice that height and around five times the height of the mast above Banavie Quarry. You may remember that the Planning Committee of The Highland Council met in Kilmallie Hall, Corpach, following site visits

to discuss this application. This took place on the 25th August 2009. Following discussion and speeches for and against the application, the committee voted to pass the application. There was no Kilmallie Community Council in place at that time to put forward the community’s views – so it was left for individuals to speak for themselves. There were 85 objectors and 14 supporters. You may wonder what has happened since August 2009. The company took their time in signing the Section 75 agreement. This was finally done and the Planning Permission was signed on the 9th August 2012 – almost 3 years later. (We have been advised that the Highland Council does not place a time limit on this.) The developer now has 3 years from the date of consent, ie until

9th August 2015, to start the works and if nothing is done by then, the consent lapses. Full details can be viewed at The Highland Council’s Planning Office in Fort William, reference (09/74/FULLO). KCC has contacted North British Windpower Ltd. for a comment for the newsletter but as yet we haven’t received a reply. If we receive further information we will post it on our website.

a huge thank you too to last year’s sponsors - we hope you’ll all be able to sponsor us

again this year - and a wee plea to other businesses as well -

We are very grateful to the companies whose generous sponsorship helped cover the cost of producing our previous issues.

We rely on such financial contributions from our business community for the cost of printing and distributing this free newsletter to every home and business in our area.

Without further sponsorship this year, we may not be able to meet our costs.

We welcome sponsorship from all businesses located in Kilmallie, or with principal key personnel resident in Kilmallie.

If you would you like to see your name or logo in print supporting your community newsletter please join with our current sponsors. All donations, big or small, are hugely appreciated.

Please contact us at [email protected] for details.

BOYD BROTHERS (HAULAGE)

CLYDEBoyd Fort William Ltd

CORPACH

HOTEL

LOCHEIL LOGISTICS

our newsletter relies on the generous support from our local businesses

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Going Slow In recent decades the pace of transport has steadily increased for both people and goods. Cheap energy and the scramble for consumer goods drove ever more frantic distribution networks. We came to accept a large death toll on the roads, traffic noise and pollution. Nowhere in the world remained totally unaffected; even whales in remote areas of the oceans found their ability to communicate severely hampered by the increasing noise from faster and faster ships delivering more and more goods. But the trend is changing. Most of the world’s goods are transported by sea and some of the largest shipping companies have dramatically changed the way they operate to halve their speeds, save fuel and reduce pollution. Though driven by fuel prices it is nice to think that perhaps some whales are a bit less stressed by noise and fewer are killed by being run down by ships. So is it time to do the same on land for our own benefit? In May, KCC decided to investigate extending the 30mph limit towards Annat Point to include the section of the A830 currently with a 40mph limit, following several people raising concerns about road safety, particularly for pedestrians. There is a strong case for this. According to research cited in Scotland’s Road Safety Framework, for every 1 mph reduction in average speed there is a 5% reduction in accident frequency. For pedestrians, around 95% who are struck at speeds below 20 mph will survive, while at speeds between 20 mph and 40 mph nine out of ten people will die. Scottish Government guidance to local authorities is also quite clear. It states that ‘Fear of traffic can affect people's quality of life in villages and it is self-evident that villages should have comparable speed limits to similar roads in urban areas. It is, therefore, government policy that where appropriate a 30 mph speed limit should be the norm in villages.’ With housing on both sides of the road and bus passengers including school children needing to cross within the 40mph zone we believe the whole of Corpach should be a 30 mph zone. This would also be consistent with the policy along the A82 through Fort William where there are 30 mph zones in areas where there are fewer reasons for pedestrians to cross the road than in Corpach. For the half mile stretch at Corpach travelling at 30 mph rather than 40 mph would add 15 seconds to the journey time. So how important are those 15 seconds to drivers along the A830? Many of us change our personalities when we get behind the wheel of a car and slight delays become inordinate frustrations. Going slow does require something of a mind shift. But there are other benefits as well as fewer tragic accidents. Driving the same journey at 45 rather than 65 mph requires about one-half of the energy. For a car doing 40 mpg at current fuel prices you could pay yourself well over £10 an hour for the extra time of travelling at 45 rather than 65 mph if you only used half the fuel. Unfortunately modern cars are designed to travel fast and so achieving the full saving would require some changes to car designs. Nevertheless, any speed reduction saves money, reduces pollution and overall environmental damage. Figures released in June this year showed a 12% increase in pedestrian deaths on British roads in 2011 compared to 2010, following years of steady improvements in accident statistics. It may be that it was just a bad year but it may also reflect a perceived tolerance of speeding following the removal of speed cameras. The Scottish Government has ambitious targets for reductions in road accidents and we can all play a part. Speed reductions in Corpach will only happen if there is strong demonstration of community support. Please let us know your views. Russell Leaper, Secretary

Kilmallie Community Council

Hello and welcome to issue 39, our 5th newsletter since we re-formed in February 2011 and another great read! Jillian and I recently had an interesting and informative meeting with Bob Mitchell, Area Manager, Transport Scotland to discuss the extension of the 30 mph limit zone to Annat Point and the siting of 30mph repeater, vehicle activated signs to replace the current 30mph poles. The response to the extension of the 30mph limit was that all trunk routes, including the A830 are currently under review and we will be informed once the review has been considered. We were advised that, if there is a second phase of installations of 30mph repeater vehicle activated signs, Corpach will be added to the programme and the signs installed when funds are available.

Ken McCorquodale (Principal Planner, Highland Council)was our guest speaker at our meeting on 15th August. He brought with him some drawings we had requested of the Blar Mor site and answered many questions we had on the development. He told us that if the 10 acre site attained through developer contribution was not developed within 15 years then ownership would revert to Lochiel and the £500k would be returnable to the developer, but it would be most likely that the £500k would not be returned. Hugh Fraser, Director of Education Culture and Sports Service at the Highland Council, has since stated (in a meeting on 23rd August, in which the Blar was discussed) that “the developer has made clear that the community development monies can be used on another site within Fort William if the Council wishes to do that and takes a decision to do that”. We told you in the June newsletter that we would let you know how this money will be spent as soon as we are provided with the information and we will continue to monitor this. The news that the proposed wind farm at Druim Fada had received planning consent came as quite a shock to me as I, and I am sure many other members of the KIlmallie Community, had thought it had gone away and I had forgotten all about it. We asked Ken McCorquodale what the Section 75 planning consent entailed and he advised that the Agreement seeks to secure both for the wind farm site and on the wider estate:

final site restoration of the site after the wind farm ceases to operate;

a TV / Radio Bond (required in case some local reception is affected by the development;

habitat management for birds and mammals, including monitoring and mitigation (positive) estate management.

You will be aware from the article in our June newsletter that Community Benefit is negotiated by the Highland Council on behalf of communities who will have the likes of wind farms in their midst. We have asked what Community Benefit was or will be negotiated for this site and are awaiting a response. You will also be aware from that article that payment in to this system by the developer is voluntary. John Stafford from Scottish Canals, will be our next guest speaker at our meeting at 7:30 on Wednesday 17th October in the Kilmallie Community Centre. Do come along if you are interested to hear of the workings of the canal. Visit www.kilmallie.org.uk to find out what’s on in our area.

Maggie Mackenzie, Chairman

Thank you to Tony Whitelocke for another great crossword. Answers to this puzzle are on the website www.kilmallie.org.uk

(follow the link on the RHS of the homepage) and will also be published in the next issue of the newsletter for people without access

to the internet

Answers to last issue’s puzzle: Across: 1 PITCHES, 4 POPPY, 7 NIECE, 9 DISCARD, 10 OVERACT, 11 REBEL, 12 NEARER, 14 CRAYON , 18 MEGAN, 20 ALI BABA, 22 TORRENT, 23 SEINE, 24 LEAPS, 25 CHARIOT Down: 1 PONTOON, 2 THEME, 3 SEDATE, 4 POSER, 5 PLAYBOY, 6 YODEL, 8 EVADE, 13 ALGERIA, 15 RAILS, 16 NEATEST, 17 BALTIC, 18 METAL, 19 NEEPS, 21 ALIBI

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9

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18 19 20 21

22 23

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Across 1 Approaching the places where hospital signs

point (7) 4 After yesterday, before tomorrow (5) 7 Flowering shrub (5) 9 Children’s magazine and little Albert are

funny (7) 10 Wind that blows off the sea (7) 11 Houses before the final (5) 12 The Doctor’s enduring enemies (6) 14 Girl’s toy and a right US denomination (6) 18 Beatle to call zero (5) 20 Sharp bend (7) 22 Follower a pole with the French (7) 23 Direction in Eleanor, thank you (5) 24 Short minute or small person (5) 25 Patron (7) Down 1 An English town. He also built the Caledonian

Canal and has a house locally (7) 2 Where the leeks come from? (5) 3 Fired! (6) 4 Multiplied by Tiny person who has two

directions(5) 5 Measuring system of the final month I and a

little Malcolm made (7) 6 Yellow bits of eggs (5) 8 Take one away to let the aeroplane go (5) 13 Green English city (7) 15 Or charged particle for star sign (5) 16 He looks after cattle and ran with Sonny’s

partner(7) 17 Good bye or good health! (6) 18 Monarch’s kingdom (5) 19 Tarka was one (5) 21 Capital in grandpa rising (5)

“some straight clues, some cryptic clues, some easy, some not so easy”

feedback a lot of the feedback this time (plus

two of our letters, see p21) is in

response to the letter from Blar Mor in

last month’s issue expressing regret at

the loss of the peat moss for a

supermarket

It was really good that last newsletter – We had quite a few round-dinner-table discussions with our teenagers about various topics in it - that letter about the Blar was really amazing! (DI) A great article about the Blar – I think lots of people will agree it needed to be said. (DF)

the Blar piece..... made a complicated subject very interesting and informative….. nearly brought a tear to my eye (well it did but I did not want to admit to it!) (MM) Right then, I’m away to catch up on my July reading. Top of the list is the Kilmallie Community News(letter). With all 28 pages it’s more like a book – and very interesting and informative it is too. (Roamer in Lochaber News, 12/7/12) By the way, that bit about the Blar Mor – I had absolutely no idea about how important that bit of land was. It brought a tear to my eye – I was really touched by it. It really gave me an education. (PW)

My word! That was a really interesting and powerful piece – really good. (MA) Just by coincidence I was talking to a man outside the college - and we got round to Kilmallie news - and he said what a wonderful piece that was about the Blar. He's local and knows from his granny how wet the Blar used to be. Same thoughts - for a Tesco? CM Thanks for your team’s last great newsletter (HM) Everyone think’s the newsletter’s brilliant! (LW)

From the Chair

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spotlight Dorothy Wilkie and Mollie Tweedie have given us the

following information for this issue’s Spotight feature.

About Advocacy Support to Carers in Lochaber Caring for a loved one; either a partner, child or friend, can be very rewarding. It can also be very challenging, sometimes leading to feelings of isolation, exhaustion and being totally overwhelmed. Being involved in caring for someone can include the involvement of numerous organisations and professionals who provide a variety of services. Carers often tell us they feel their knowledge and expertise are not recognised or acknowledged; sometimes it seems they are just not being listened to. How does Highland Carers Advocacy support a Carer? The following are some examples which give an idea of what can be available:

Listen to what the Carer has to say about their situation

Provide appropriate information to inform choices

Support in letter writing or making telephone calls

Attend meetings alongside a Carer – if necessary speak on their behalf

The support is free Advocates support a Carer to ensure their views and opinions are listened to; Carers are always in control of the decisions being made and are never told what to do. If you would like more information about Highland Carers Advocacy, either for yourself or someone you know, please contact your local Highland Carers’ Senior Advocacy Caseworker, Mollie Tweedie, by either: Tel: 07918 747 755 Email: [email protected] Or contact the Highland Carers Advocacy office:- Tel: 01463 723 569 Email [email protected] An Introduction to What we Do Advocacy support for Carers is an independent service; the purpose being to give a voice to Carers so that their needs and views are heard. We listen to what a Carer has to say about their circumstances and support them to identify what the issue/s are. Sometimes we may give additional information to help a Carer make informed decisions. There is a high demand for advocacy support; it may be in the first instance that a Carer is placed on a waiting list. The list is reviewed regularly and every effort is made to allocate an advocate as soon as possible. You the Carer decide what you want to say; advocacy supports you to do it. How Do We Provide Support Carers tell us that sometimes they don’t feel they are listened to; they can be in a meeting and feel ignored, or no one replies to their letters. Advocacy support comes in different forms; this can be to -

Support a carer in preparing for a meeting by identifying bullet points to be discussed

Contact professionals or services by telephone/letter/phone/email

Attend meetings with a Carer

Advocacy support does not guarantee a successful outcome; it does give a Carer an assurance that they have been listened to.

What Happens Next An advocate is allocated to support you and will arrange an appointment to meet and discuss your situation. These discussions enable a Carer to identify the issue requiring support; our experience is that sometimes there can be more than one, or many issues, in which case a Carer is asked to prioritise the most important. It is helpful to prepare for the initial meeting by perhaps making some bullet point notes and having any letters/reports readily available. The advocate will ask a Carer to sign a Consent Form, which authorises Highland Carers Advocacy to speak to people on your behalf. Together it will be agreed the next steps, following which the advocate will go away and prepare an Advocacy Agreement. This agreement identifies the issue/s to be worked on and agrees the boundaries of the relationship including confidentiality. As a service we are required to comply with legislation and therefore an Equality Monitoring Form is also sent out to a Carer. A Carer will be provided with a stamped addressed envelope for the return of both the Advocacy Agreement and the Equality Monitoring Form. Having Your Say The advocate will agree with a Carer when there are no further actions to pursue on their behalf. It is important for the advocacy service to hear the views of Carers on the support they have received. These are collected by the Carers Advocacy Co-ordinator either by completing an Evaluation Form, by letter/telephone or an individual meeting. This feedback is valuable in supporting the service to evaluate its performance and plan for the future. If Things Go Wrong Our aim is to provide the best possible advocacy service to Carers. However it may be that sometimes a Carer may not be satisfied with certain aspects of the service they have received. In the first instance contact should be made with the Carers Advocacy Co-ordinator on 01463 723 569 who will make every effort to bring about a satisfactory resolution; further details regarding the Formal Complaints Procedure will be made available.

in future issues

The Life & Crimes

of Mr Belford

by Ronald Cameron

The History of

Locheilside

bu Hugh Muir

The Kilmallie Image

Library

and much much

more

kilmallie community news The newsletter team keep being amazed at the number of residents willing to produce high quality articles for the newsletter and this issue is no different! We thank you all! Why not sit down with a cup of tea and enjoy reading the newsletter, talk about it with your family and neighbours and get back to us for the next issue if you feel that you have a different aspect on a topic - we have a letters section for comments. If motivated - get in touch! The next issue is due out in December, so there is time to put pen to paper or fingers to computer keys! Articles or comments would have to be with us by 14th November. We hope you enjoy reading this issue and if you have a topic you would like to see covered, you could write us an article or get in touch and we

would try to help. Remember that you can access more Kilmallie information, including the newsletter and past issues, at our website: www.kilmallie.org.uk We had a good response to our appeal for volunteers to deliver the newsletter and we thank them sincerely for that. If you would like to help in this important task then please contact us and we will organise something to suit you. The more helpers the merrier! Once again we thank our sponsors, without whom we could not continue to deliver our newsletter to you. Christine , Jan and Kshama Your newsletter team: Christine Hutchison 772252 Jan MacLugash 772383 Kshama Wilmington 772499 Mandy Ketchin email us at [email protected]

blar gallery asphodel making way for asphalt - bye bye blar.

more pictures of the transformation on www.kilmallie.org.uk

update on broadband

We are still actively trying to find a solution for the persistent broadband issue. After the latest announcement by the Secretary of State about the millions of pounds being put towards broadband provision in the Highlands, I wrote to him with the concerns of our community. I received a generic reply in response. No surprise there. I did however got a slightly more positive response from HIENT’s Andrea Rutherford when I passed on the same information to the team running the public consultation into the broadband provision (posted on the website):

“Many thanks for your email. As you are aware, HIE are midway through a procurement to deliver improved broadband throughout the whole region. The targets we're

working towards are Next Generation Broadband speeds to a significant proportion of the region and at least 2Mbps to everyone by 2015. At this stage, however, I cannot provide any details of when any upgrades might happen in Kilmallie. Once the procurement is completed we'll publish details of the full rollout plan. It is likely that your proximity to Fort William may mean upgrades could happen sooner in our rollout plan, however I can't give any assurances at this time. We're hopeful that further details of our plans will be available before the end of this year, with upgrades taking place 2013-2015.”

I do not want to give anybody false hopes, but just wanted to let you know where we are at. Chris Pellow

KILMALLIE COMMUNITY COUNCIL Members of the public are most welcome at all our meetings. Meetings are held at 7:15pm in Kilmallie Hall on the 3rd Wed of every month excl July and Dec. Next ordinary meeting dates are 19 Sept, 17 Oct, 21 Nov. Next AGM is 19 June 2013. Chairman Maggie Mackenzie, 42 Hillview Drive, Corpach, PH33 7LS [email protected]

Secretary Russell Leaper Canal House, Banavie, PH33 7LY [email protected]

Treasurer Jan MacLugash Salen, Banavie PH33 7LY [email protected]

Other members Jillian Clark Christine Hutchison Mandy Ketchin Kshama Wilmington

Associate member Chris Pellow

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We’re delighted to welcome the arrival of Kilmallie Community Company’s Corpach Woods to the Community section of the website. To begin with there are three pages, covering the Community Company in general and the two woods at Cnoc nam Faobh and Tom Giubhais. The plan is to expand these pages to include minutes of meetings, details of work parties, photo galleries and more. Visit these pages over the next few months and watch them grow. Just follow the link on the left hand side of our home page. Another small improvement since last time - you’ll find there’s now a ‘contact form’ on the Kilmallie Community Centre page - this means you can get in touch with the Community Centre direct, without having to go through our own community council email. So now it’s even easier to

book the Community Centre for a party or a wedding or a meeting. And finally, a plea - does anyone have copies of the following back copies of Kilmallie Community News? If so, we’d love to borrow them and scan them to our newsletter library for everyone to share and enjoy. We managed to get most of the issues from the Lochaber Archive Centre, but these ones are still missing.

1 autumn 1999? 2 winter 1999? 4 summer 2000 8 summer 2001 9 autumn/winter 2001? 10 spring 2002?

Please get in touch by emailing us at [email protected]

on the level On 8 August, we received news from Network Rail of

a new level crossing barrier proposed for Corpach.

Dear KCC I write in relation to the above to inform you of Network Rail’s proposed works that will take place at the above location. Following a successful trial of a new level crossing barrier system at Ardrossan in North Ayrshire (see attached picture) it is proposed to install these new barriers at the 23 locations in Scotland where there are currently open level crossings. Corpach Level Crossing is the first to benefit from these improvements which is supported by the Scottish Government. It is proposed to install two barriers, one to the north of the level crossing and one to the south. These lightweight barriers will extend to the centre of the road and will require a small equipment box to be installed at the edge of the road. These works are permitted development. I trust this is helpful. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you require any further information. Regards Nicola Slaven Town Planner Network Rail www.networkrail.co.uk

about annat

With the closure of the Admiralty Site and Annat Camp, by the late 1950s this area was relatively quiet although there was still shinty. During this period a sawmill - called Lochaber Sawmill - was in operation on a site on the west side of Annat Burn over the railway. In 1952 the Suttons Snr bought the meal mill site including the miller’s house and 8 acres of ground. Initially they leased the ground to the Farm for grazing but then kept caravans, keeping up to 20 - possibly the largest caravan park in Lochaber at the time. In the early 1960s the big news was the coming of the giant Pulp and Paper Mills to this relatively rural area. First the developer Wiggins Teape (later known as Arjo Wiggins) had to buy the site. They bought the site from Lochiel, on the basic value of grazing ground, from the Annat Camp to the Auction Mart. WT needed to buy the Suttons’ site but they were reluctant to sell as they had a caravan business. Eventually they swapped sites and obtained the 32 acre Annat Camp site. To build the Mills it required clearing the site of a lot of peat. This was cleared westward and the mound can be seen behind the Annat Industrial Estate. Construction of the Mills started in 1963 with the civil work by builder Willie Logan. Production started in 1965 with a workforce of approx 950. The process involved bringing in about 1000 tons of wood per day by road, rail and sea. This wood was debarked and chipped. The chips were then chemically softened and bleached to form a soft white pulp. Some of this pulp was sold but the rest was used on the Paper Machine to make fine paper in reel form. In the Finishing End the reels were cut to size or to sheet form. Most of the products went out of the site by rail - the site had 3 miles of line. In the tall Powerhouse all the site steam and electricity was produced as well as water treatment and waste chemical recovery. The wood/pulping process was shut down in 1980. The Paper Machine continued until 2006 and the site cleared within a few years.

In 1974 Riddochs of Rothiemay opened a large sawmill on Annat Farm shinty fields. In due course it was bought by BSW and became Kilmallie Sawmill. BSW bought the old Mill site and now, in 2011/2012 are moving their whole process across the road. The Suttons moved into the old Annat Camp site in the early 1960s. The site was basically a network of roads. With a lot of hard work it was developed into the modern Linnhe Caravan Park we see today. So, over the last 40 or so years Annat has seen many changes - The coming and going of a pulp and paper mill The coming of a large sawmill The demise of shinty Development of a large scenic caravan park Population growth at Camusnaha Opening an industrial estate Base of a large transport group A port A boatbuilders. What next ? Hugh Muir

Here’s the final part of Hugh’s piece about the history of

Annat. Hugh has been writing lots more articles for us for

future issues, including about Locheilside and Muirshearlich.

www.kilmallie.org.uk on the web

where the new barrier will go

the new barrier will be like this one at Ardrossan

focus on business

This issue we have interviewed Gordon Penman,

Owner and Director of Slipway Autos.

What is your company name?

Our company name is Slipway Autos Limited – our first premises were by the old slipway near Corpach Garage and my dad suggested the name when I was setting up the business. When we moved to our present premises we kept the name although we are further away from the slipway!

Where are you located?

We are at Unit 3A, Annat Point, Corpach. The access is over the level crossing and the first premises on the left. The big building is an old railway shed previously used by Wiggins Teape to service their railway trucks and when the Pulp Mill closed the shed was closed and made available as smaller units.

What does your company do?

We are an MOT Testing Station for Class 4 – cars and vans Class 5lw – minibuses up to 17 seater Class 7 - larger twin-wheeled vehicles. We have been an MOT Testing Station since 1994.

We carry out servicing and repairs and have been Practical Rentals since 1997 offering cars, vans and minibus rental / hires.

How long have you been operating in Kilmallie?

We started near the slipway in 1989 and moved to our present premises in 1993.

How many people do you employ locally?

Today we employ 8 people. I started on my own with help from my mum and dad and Kenny joined in 1990 and is still with me. Mum and dad helped as necessary until other mechanics joined the staff as we became busier. Theresa, Gordon’s partner, is the Office Manager and has been with the company since The Mill closed and we have put our mechanics through their apprenticeships with Inverness Technical College and Moray Firth Training and some have stayed with us and a few have moved on. Craig, one of our mechanics, was recently named Top Student with Moray Firth Training – quite an achievement – Congratulations, Craig!

What do you and your business like about being in Kilmallie?

Our premises are near to home and it is a nice area to work in. Our site is accessible from places like Ardgour, Morvern and Mallaig in the west and Corpach, Banavie, Caol and Fort William in the east. Kilmallie does what we want it to do and we are happy!

Series of dams on Annat Burn (Allt Dogha) above Annat farm. Built about 1940 to supply water to the new Annat camp of about 200 houses. (Photo courtesy of Paul Biggin)

one of the banners from the website - you’ll find this picture of the Caledonian Canal and the River Lochy at the top pf the pages in the News section

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community policing With the recent success of the policing of the Olympic Torch, Mountain Bike World Cup and other more minor events now well and truly behind us, it’s business as usual for local Police officers in the Lochaber area. It’s hard to believe the summer holidays for school children are over for another year and as the autumn approaches Police will be looking to become involved in multi-agency events within local schools. At a recent Community Council meeting I intimated that the concerns raised regarding speeding through Corpach and Banavie would be addressed partly through consultation with The Northern Safety Camera Partnership (NSCP), an initiative which was launched in July 2004. The Partnership’s principal aim is to reduce road deaths and casualties on Highland roads by encouraging and educating all road users to drive within permitted speed limits. NSCP agreed to carry out data capture of vehicle speed along the A830 at specific points and as a result deployed the safety camera van to the area on two separate occasions in July. I can report that in this period 24 speeding offences were detected, one at Locheilside in the 60mph limit and 23 near Banavie School in the 30mph limit. Both these areas will be subjected to further checks whilst speeding still poses a problem. With one of the force’s top priorities being safer roads, this partnership is highly valued, and with the influx of tourists through these summer months, roads policing takes up a large part of our time. This temporary increase in population has resulted in a rise in reported crime over the summer, most notably thefts and vandalisms, the perpetrators of which we are committed to bringing to justice, with the assistance of residents from the local communities.

Andrew Bilton Police Sergeant Liaison Officer for Kilmallie Community Council [email protected] Fort William Police Station, Tel. 01397 702361

Our three Ward 12 councillors continue to

take turns to write a piece for our

newsletter. This time we’re round to

Eddie Hunter again.

our Highland councillors’ corner

Dear Readers of Kilmallie Community Council Newsletter, May I start by thanking everyone who voted at the Highland Council Election on May 3rd this year. I am sure I speak for both Allan and Bill when I say that all three of us will continue to do

our very best to represent the people of our area very much including the area served so well by Kilmallie Community Council. Can I continue with the good, albeit long overdue, news that the level crossing at the Canal Basin is to be barriered. This has been the result of a long and sustained campaign by local residents, supported by their local councillors and community council over many years. Also I must mention our hard working and far sighted M.S.P Dave Thomson who has worked tirelessly on the subject of making open crossings much safer. Network Rail with excellent support from the Scottish Government have at last seen sense and put the safety of our people and our visitors where it belongs – at the top of the agenda.

Looking a wee bit further up the road towards the site of the new B.S.W sawmill building, I am amazed at both the scale and the speed of the ongoing work with the multi million pound development by B.S.W coming on in leaps and bounds. On a similar note, the work on the Blar Mor is progressing at great speed with progress well on schedule for Millers to hand over the prepared site to Tesco at the end of this year. Surely the area served by Kilmallie Community Council must be ‘bucking the national trend’ with such important economic developments within its area. How pleasing it is when out for a walk I glance up and see the big brand new sign above Kilmallie Hall proclaiming Kilmallie Community Centre. What a wonderful job done by the hard working members of that committee, what an asset for the local community and what a fantastic venue for the myriad of organisations and clubs using the updated facilities. The Kilmallie Community Centre, Kilmallie Community Council, Corpach in Colour, Banavie Primary School and many, many others all combine to engender a wonderful sense of community involvement and engagement in the area. I hope that myself and Allan and Bill can continue to play a part in this positive part of Lochaber. And finally a word about the weather and that word is glorious. Usually when the children break up for the summer holidays, that is the signal for the monsoon season to start. Not this time. How pleasing it was to see so many people, young and not so young out and about. And on that literally ‘bright’ note I’ll finish for now. Yours faithfully Eddie Hunter, Councillor Ward 12

focus on folk

Have you ever thought you could swim Loch Linnhe or Loch Lomond or The English Channel?

No? Well Morag Hughes of Corpach has, and successfully finished and enjoyed it! Morag has lived in Kilmallie for 20 years having come to Fort William in 1988 with husband Ronnie and family. Her introduction to loch swimming came during their first summer in Fort William, when she took part in the Loch Linnhe Swim in 1989. This is a swim across Loch Linnhe between ½ - ¾ mile and although the swim hasn’t been held consistently since then, it is hoped to hold it this year probably towards the end of September. Morag has swum the lengths of Lochs Shiel, Rannoch, Earn, Lubnaig, Morlich, Oich and Lomond. She has also ventured into The Lake District and swum Lakes Windermere and Coniston; Loch Erne, the River Shannon and Belfast Loch in Ireland; three swims in the Netherlands; many swims in the River Tay; and sea swims including across The Gulf of Corryvreckan, Kyleakin to Kyle of Lochalsh, Rhum to Eigg and Mallaig to Inverie. Her biggest achievement must be swimming The English Channel in July 2010. She had previously taken part in a Channel Relay in 2002 – a team of 5 , swimming 1 hour stages. Morag’s Channel swim started at Shakespeare Beach between Dover and Folkestone at 05:25 on 6th July 2010 and finished at Cap Gris Nez at 23:56 – 18hours 31mins later! For her Channel swim Morag had to hire a pilot, who controls the route, assesses the sea traffic and decides whether the swimmer can carry on or must pull out. After 7 hours with a strong tide, Morag’s pilot didn’t think she would make it. After another 4 hours he thought ‘maybe’ and then eventually she did make it – a bit bruised but elated! During long swims (over 4 miles) the swimmer needs food – bananas, muffins and jelly babies! Water is also important and when swimming in open sea, Morag finds rinsing her mouth with diluted mouthwash counteracts the salt water – remembering not to swallow the mouth wash! All this has to be done treading water as the swimmer must not touch the accompanying boat. All Morag’s swims are done wearing an ordinary swimsuit, goggles and one cap. Ronnie is always in the boat alongside her – either rowing a smaller boat (while someone else takes care of the food and acts as look-out) or in the case of The Channel, the pilot was in

charge and Ronnie was taking care of Morag’s food. Ronnie has supported Morag on every swim. What a support! How does she do it? What keeps her going when it gets tough? Morag says determination – determined to get to the finish and believe in herself, to know she will get there! Morag thinks her most enjoyable swim to date was Loch Shiel: 17½ miles from Acharacle to Glenfinnan. This was done as a fundraiser for the community and when she arrived at the pier at the hotel she was told her supporters were over at the monument so she then had to turn round and head across the loch again! Morag says that this swim was so peaceful, but a strange thing happened as she was swimming past St Finnan’s Isle – a bell was heard ringing – but there was no one around, no boat moored – strange – no one could account for it! Morag works from The Health Centre at Camaghael as a Community Nurse with people with learning disabilities. Her care is with people of all ages and she likes to encourage them to swim for enjoyment and health benefits. She helped with the Lochaber Swimming Club for 18 years. It is a pity this club no longer exists. This year she was to be part of a relay team swimming from Russia to Alaska across The Bering Strait but decided to pull out as the organisation was poor - a wise decision as swimmers travelled all the way to Russia only to be told the swim couldn’t go ahead. Next year Morag is planning another community fundraiser to help a group from Poolewe – “Good for Ewe”. They are raising money to build a shop so they can sell their produce on site. She will swim Loch Maree – 10 miles – in August 2013. We wish her well. Some interesting facts:

at the age of 54, Morag is the oldest Scottish person to swim The English Channel.

16 Scottish people have successfully swum The Channel

the success rate of swimming The Channel is around 50%.

After swimming the Channel, Morag was presented with a trophy for “The Most Meritorious British Long Distance Swimming Association – Swimmer of the Year”! This trophy is kept in Dover Museum. She was also presented with a trophy from SASA North District to commemorate her swim. We thank Morag for giving us an insight into what she does

and we wish her and Ronnie well as she works through her

future plans.

Community Safety

As Community Safety Advisor, part of my job is to conduct Home Fire Safety Checks, these checks, are designed to make people as safe as they possibly can be, within their own homes. We check smoke detection, and fit free of charge if necessary. We give advice on what to do in the event of a fire (A Fire

Action Plan), and discuss the best options tailored to suit the resident’s needs. We also give advice on electrical issues, the importance of protecting escape routes, (by having good fitting doors). We are particularly keen to visit people who have any of the following

Have missing or defective smoke detectors Single parents, or over 50 and live alone Have any mental or physical impairments Any alcohol or drug related issues Smokers within the home Any poverty related issues Overloaded sockets, suspect wiring,

During the visit if we come across any issues, we will discuss with the resident, and if appropriate and with permission, refer to one of our partner agencies, either to offer their services, or to assist in remedial action, again all to make the resident as safe as possible. You can request a visit by: Telephone: 01397 707670 or free on 0800 12 13 12 Mobile: 07920591606 Email: [email protected] I am also tasked with delivering fire safety talks to community groups; this again is a free service, to raise awareness of the risk of fire within the home. On the 5th of September I shall be attending Lochaber High school for Driving Ambitions, a road safety programme aimed at 5th & 6th Year pupils delivered in conjunction with Northern Constabulary, Highland Council Road Safety Department, British Red Cross and local driving instructor.

Raymond King Community Safety Advisor

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page 6 page 23 le R Camshron (deisaichte le Murdina Skinner)

Mhollain “Choosing and Keeping Pigs” le Linda MacDonald-Brown do dhuine sam bith aig am bheil miann mucan a chumail. Tha e làn fiosrachaidh a tha feumail agus inntinneach le earrann ann mu dheidhinn a h-uile gnè mhuc, fiù ‘s tuirc fhiadhaich. Tha aimnean-àite a’ sealltainn dhuinn gun robh pailteas tuirc ann an Alba aig aon àm. Bheachdaich Dòmhnall MacCullach gun tainig an t-ainm Torcastle bho Thorc Chaisteal agus tha ainmean eile againn, mar eiseimplier Càrn an Tuirc. Chaidh an sealg a mach a bith anns an 17mh linn ach thòisich daoine gan àrach o chionn greis le mucan Tamworth gus mucan linn an iarrain a dhèanamh agus, ann an priobadh na sùla, bha iad air ais, beò agus fiadhaich ann an coilltean Bhreatainn. Tha iad air leth math air briseadh a mach agus chan eil sinn cho math air sealg ‘sa bha sinn. B’àbhaist don nighean agam each a chumail air tuathanas anns a’ Ghearmailt. ‘S e sealgair a th’ann an tuathanach agus thug e dhachaidh urcan òg a bha na dìlleachdan . Dh’fhàs Wilma der wilde sau mòr agus tapaidh ach, aon là, cha robh i ann. Bha i air a’ dhol air ais dhan choille a’ fagail dìreach toll ‘san fheansa agus beagan salachar muice air a cùl. Chan faca iad tuilleadh i. Tha MacDonald –Brown ag radh gu bheil trèid beag dhiubh siud’s an seo air feadh Bhreatainn agus chan eil lorg aig duine sam bith cia mheud a tha ann. ‘S e creutairean gu math seòlta agus doirbh a lorg a tha annta! Rud eile; tha iad air a bhith air ais ann an Lochabar airson deich bliadhna no còrr. Tha e coltach gun dh’fhuair treud beag air falbh bho chrò ann an Gleann Deas Airidh aig ceann Loch Air Ceig agus tha iad air a bhith saor on uairsinn, a’ cumail beò eadar Gleann Garaidh agus Gleann Laoigh ged nach eil mòran dhuibh gan faicinn! Ciamar a tha fios againn gu bheil iad ann fhathast? Cuimhnimh gum feum a h-uile muc a bhith a’ cladhaich! Nan streapadh sibh Beinn Bhàn bho Inbhir Uisge Mhuillin, ann an Gleann Laoigh, chitheadh sibh far an robh iad ag obair eadar an abhainn agus 300 m os cionn ire na mara. Mhothaich mi gun robh iad air a bhith anabarrach trang ri taobh an rathaid an turas mu dheireadh a bha mi anns a’ ghleann eireachdail a tha sin. Chaidh innse dhomh gun deach aon dhiubh a losgadh ann an Achadh na Caraidh agus fear, no tè eile, ann an Gleann Camagharaidh. Tha e an aghaidh an lagh beathach coimheach no beathach nach eil againn an seo tuilleadh a leigeil mu sgaoil ach an e rud math no rud dona gu bheil iad air ais an seo? Chuala mi gun d’rinn iad sgrios air buntata Frankie Innes, nach maireann. Cha bhithinn an dual gum faigh iad fàilte mhòr bho thuathanaich is chroitearean. Anns a’ Bheilg tha iad a’ cleachadh feansa dealan iosal le direach da dhual uèir-bhiorach a’ giùlain an dealain gus na tuirc a chumail a mach as na bàrran. Cha chuireadh e iongnadh orm nam bhiodh feum againn air an leithid anns an àm ri teachd. Bha deasbad ann o chionn bliadhnichean mu dheidhinn na buaidhe dh’fhaodadh a bhith ann nan sgapadh an galar roilleach am measg nam fiadh. Tha e coltach, gu fortanach, nach eil na feidh dualtach dnn ghalar ach gu ìre bheag. Ach dè mu dheidhinn tuirc? Gheibh mucan àbhaisteach an galar nas sgiobalta na beathach sam bith eile. Am bheil cunnart ann gun dèan tuirc fiadhaich trioblaidean mòra an ath-thuras a thadhalas an galar oirinn? Am bheil iad cunnartach? Tha iad air leth diùid. Teichidh iad ‘sa bhad ma tha cothrom aca ach cha bhiodh e glic a thighinn eadar muc agus na urcan aice! Air an laimh eile bheir tuirc buannachd mhòr air an talamh, ga tionndadh agus a’ cumail raineach fo smachd. Bha àite aca anns an àrainneachd agus ni iad math ach chan eil namhaidean natura aca agus feumaidh sinn na aireamhan aca a chumail fo smachd. Tha Linda Macdonald-Brown ag radh gun teid 1,000,000 a losgadh gach bliadhna anns a Gearmailt! Tha cothrom an luib seo. Paighidh uaislean agus daoine beartach eile airgead math gus na creutairan bochda a spadadh. Ni sin cothroman cosnaidh agus ‘sdocha gum bhiodh an sgire againne nas tarraingeach do luchd-turais nam bhiodh beathach fiadhaich eile ann. Air mo shonsa, tha mi a coimhead air adhart dhan a’ chiad turas a thig mi thairis air torc ann an coille Lochabair.

Wild Boar by R Cameron I would recommend “Choosing and Keeping Pigs” by Linda MacDonald-Brown to anybody who is contemplating keeping pigs. It is full of useful and interesting information with a section on every breed of pig, even wild boar. Place names show us that wild boar were once plentiful in Scotland. Donald MacCulloch speculates that the name Torcastle came from Torc Caisteal, or wild boar castle, in Gaelic. We have other names such as the hill name, Càrn an Tuirc, the Wild Boar Cairn. They were hunted to extinction in the 17th century but people began to cross them with Tamworths recently to give Iron Age Pigs and, in a twinkling of an eye they were back, wild and free in the woods of Britain. They are really good at breaking out and we aren’t as good at hunting as we once were. My daughter used to keep her horse on a farm in Germany. The farmer, a hunter, brought home an orphan wild boar piglet. Wilma der wilde sau grew big and strong but one day she just wasn’t there. She’d gone back to the wild woods leaving just a hole in the fence and some pig dung behind her. They never saw her again. MacDonald-Brown says that there are little herds of them here and there throughout Britain and nobody has a clue how many of them there are. They are cunning beasties and hard to find. One other thing: they have been back in Lochaber for ten years or more. It seems that a small group of them escaped from a pen in Glen Dessary at the head of Loch Arkaig and have been free ever since, ranging between Glen Garry and Glen Loy although they are rarely seen. How can we tell that they are still there? Remember that all pigs need to dig. If you climb Beinn Bhan from Inverskilavulin in Glen Loy you will see where they have been at work between the river and about 300m up the hill. I noticed that they had been exceedingly busy beside the road last time I was in that lovely glen. I have also heard of one being shot in Achnacarry and another one in Glen Camagharaidh. It’s illegal to release an exotic animal or an animal that became extinct here but is it a good or bad thing that they are back? I heard that they wrecked the late Frankie Innis’ tattie patch at Errachd so I wouldn’t expect them to get a big welcome from farmers and crofters! In Belgium they use low electric fences with just two stands of barbed wire to carry the current and keep the boar out of their crops. I wouldn’t be surprised if we need to do the same in the years to come. There was a bit of a debate some years ago about the possible effect of foot and mouth disease spread among the deer population. Fortunately, it seems that deer are only mildly susceptible to foot and mouth but what about wild boar? Domestic pigs get foot and mouth more readily than any other susceptible livestock. Could wild boar cause us big problems next time we have an outbreak of this disease? Are they dangerous? They are very shy and will flee immediately, if they get the chance, however it wouldn’t be wise to get between a sow and her piglets. On the other hand wild boar will bring significant benefits to the land, turning it and helping to control bracken. They had a place in the eco-system and they will do good but they have no natural enemies now so we need to keep their numbers under control. Linda MacDonald-Brown tells us that 1,000,000 of them are shot each year in Germany! There is an opportunity here. Wealthy people will pay good money to shoot the poor brutes. That in itself will create employment and perhaps our area will be more attractive to tourists if there is another type of wildlife here. For my part, I look forward to the first time I come across a wild boar in a Lochaber wood.

the hunt for £30 million

Highland Council say they need to save £29.7M over the next 2 years, and they are asking the public for views on where and how these savings should be made. These savings come on top of £13.2M worth of efficiency savings already made in 2011/2012 so there are no great areas of slack where they can prune back easily. The situation seems so dire that there is even a proposal under consideration to reduce classroom time in all primary schools by ½ hour each day. There’s lots more info about the savings in their ‘Budget Consultation 2012’ document. Ask for a copy at Highland Council’s Fort William Service Point, or follow the link to it at

www.highland.gov.uk

It explains the numerous simple ways you can submit your views by post, email, twitter and blog. There are also various consultation events across Highland. The Lochaber consultation event has already taken place - on 4th Sept at Caol Community Centre. There was a modest turnout overall but Kilmallie was well represented. But it’s not too late to make your views known by one of the other means. The consultation runs till 31st October 2012. The Highland Council will then make decisions on where to cut the £30M at their meetings in Dec 2012 and Feb 2013.

Some of the savings being floated for consideration seem entirely sensible. A few verge on the alarming. Some may be appropriate and reasonable in some circumstances but completely unacceptable in others. They include:

education

combining primary schools

clustering schools with a single head teacher

trimming 1/2 hour off the school day

rationalising nursery provision

ways of working

providing services through the Post Office and other local outlets

introduction of e-billing

reducing staff costs

encouraging people to arrange their own care services

sharing functions with other public sector organisations

reducing grants and discretionary funding to communities

encouraging communities to run services for themselves

infrastructure and resources

what new ways of generating income

increase costs of eg car parking, ferry charges, school lets, harbour charges and burials and cremations

changes to the ways services are purchased

environment

reduce energy use

invest in energy generation schemes

reduce street lighting

reduce green waste collections

reduce grass cutting on verges and in towns and villages

reduce street cleaning and litter picking and a lot more. The Consultation document sets the ideas out very clearly in a lot more detail than we’re able to do here. How do you think Highland Council can reduce their expenditure or increase their income without

causing suffering to the poorest people and those most in need

reducing essential services

damaging the environment

depressing the Highland economy

making things even more difficult for the future? Is it time for some really imaginative suggestions?

what ideas do YOU have for saving money or increasing revenue?

Tuirc

have your say

Please let us know if you would like KCC to canvass views

locally on these suggestions. Would you like us to hold a

public meeting to discuss other ideas for savings and ways to

increase revenue, or to discuss concerns you may have about

the local impact of any of these measures?

The "Bard of Bogmonie’s" grandson - "Ian of Tomonie" -

recently treated Jan to the following reminiscence from his own

childhood days.

There was, in bygone days, the GSC Hall at Corpach (which those of

you who have been around Corpach for a while will remember). When Ian was "knee high to a grasshopper" he had attended a sale of work at

the hall. He won a prize on the wheel of fortune - a freshly killed cockerel! He headed home as proud as punch with his prize cockerel.

His pride was short-lived though when his father told him the truth - he was the proud winner of an old broiler! You don't get many prizes like

that nowadays - thankfully!

If you would like to have a read through the collection of poems which were written by Ian's grandfather the "Bard of Bogmonie",

please contact KCC, we have copies for sale.

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page 22 page 7 Crofting in Corpach

Well, as I’m sure you’re aware, there’s not a lot of it about, “Crofting in Corpach“, unlike when it all started out with 15 croft holdings in the Corpach Crofting Township. Corpach Township was, and still is today, joined by Badabrie, Tomonie and Banavie Crofting Townships. Camaghael & Lochyside are also part of our neighbouring Crofting Townships and we all share entitlement in The Corpach, Banavie etc. Common Grazings. I’m not aware of many, if any crofts being worked in Corpach during my ‘growing up’ time here. I am at present the Grazings Clerk for our Crofting Townships and although this is a voluntary position and on the whole thoroughly satisfying it can be, at times, very time consuming especially with doing it for over twenty years now. I was born into and brought up on this croft and my parents lived on it and worked it as did my father’s parents before that. My mother too was born into crofting and brought up and worked on her home croft at Aultmor, Banavie before ‘marrying into‘ her new croft here in Corpach. So, as you can see there’s a lot of ‘croft’ blood running thro’ me. I feel it’s a privilege to have been born into, brought up on and been given the chance to look after and work this croft in a tradition that’s almost disappeared altogether and certainly within our local community. It was great fun as a child to have the freedom and scope of the croft and it seemed as tho’ it was just there for our pleasure and enjoyment. I have learnt during growing up how wrong this view was and the hard work that was and is required to keep the croft ticking over. We never thought that the stacks of drying corn stooks were painstakingly stacked and positioned in the field for drying in the sun, of course they were there all ready and begging for us to play ’housies’ in. Many a telling off we got for that, especially when we accidentally knocked over a stook or two running from ‘housie to housie‘. Damming the burns was a great delight and again, more ‘telling offs’ not only for diverting the water but for coming home soaking wet and filthy dirty too. Catching a ‘willing’ hen and taking it for a ‘hurl’ in the doll’s pram would occupy us for a good part of the day and if we made it to Willie Colquhoun’s shop and back with the hen still sitting in the pram we were just bursting with achievement. The pile of sawdust taken from Johnnie MacMaster’s sawmill for scattering on the byre floor was our readymade ‘sandpile’. Of course, once wet to make ‘sawdust castles’ sawdust cannot be scattered as well as dry so another ‘telling off’. It’s amazing what you can bury in sawdust and we spent hours of fun burying all sorts of things and digging them up again, including ‘ourselves‘. In my first year at Banavie Primary, the ‘old’ school which is no more, it was not unusual to see my mother walking past the school fence with a cow in tow, on a halter, heading to Banavie. Although I knew no other parents behaved in this manner I just accepted it was part of my ‘life on the croft’. I later realised that the cow in question was in fact being taken on her annual visit to the bull, if the bull couldn’t make his way to her. At home if we asked why the cow was being led past the school we were told the cow was ‘just being taken for a walk’ and we had no reason or desire to

query or dispute that answer. We know better now!! Thirty eight years ago I was lucky enough to find and marry a non-crofting boy who had arrived in Corpach with his family as a result of the building of the Pulp and Paper Mill. He has ’gone the distance’ with me and is learning the crofting trade well. Fortunately for me he really enjoys the crofting way of life and I think when he makes it to forty years ’in the trade’ he’ll have got what it takes!!! It’s been a struggle on one or two occasions over the years to make a stand to keep our croft in crofting tenure. With the arrival of the Pulp Mill many demands were made and some of our croft land was taken and given over for development for the houses at Farrow Drive and Pobs Drive and of course the main road had to be widened taking up some more. On other, more recent occasions, due to local plan demands and needs, we’ve had to put up a fair fight to keep the croft the way it is. Our objective is to maintain a crofting way of life and to retain and improve upon one of the last green areas left in Corpach. I’m delighted that despite beaurocracy, development demands, economic and financial pressures we’re still able to enjoy and work this croft in Corpach and I’m also delighted that the next generation seems to be gearing up to be willing and able to carry on our good work. I think there’s even a hint that the next generation ‘again’ might just be showing early signs of interest too. There’s not a thing I would have changed in growing up here on the croft or in being here now and although I’ve never ventured far from here for any length of time I don’t feel I’ve ‘missed out’. Whenever a new calf is born on the croft it’s as special as the one before it or the next one to come and the part that nature plays in crofting never ceases to amaze me. Perhaps the six weeks of sleeping with the bedroom window open during calving time could be made a little easier but then again it could be worse, lambing time is lengthier and demands a lot more sleepless nights. It’s a great way of life and I’m so glad that circumstances and opportunities have allowed and enabled me to live and work on this croft and today four generations of my family are living right next door to each other here on this croft from my mother at 87 years to my youngest granddaughter at just over 2 years and I have to say I don’t think there’s many local folk about that can say their roots are as well engrained as ours in this local community. The only thing I might change tho’ is the weather….. just a little !!!…….. …… Maisie Dennison

Our Aberdeen Angus cattle ‘just coping’ with the stresses and strains of life on the ‘Corpach Croft’.

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ten years ago remember this?

from Cllr George Bruce’s column

in newsletter no 12

in the autumn of 2002?

Banavie has been resplendent over the summer with its display of flowering tubs, every one an individual work of hortcultural art.

Thanks as ever to all the hard work and dedication of the volunteers from Banavie Floral Improvements.

banavie blooms

Highland Council is looking for information about where wildflowers are growing on our roadside verges, so that they can protect the wildflowers by mowing less often. Kilmallie probably has one of the best wildflower verges anywhere in the UK, with the orchids, ox-eye daisies, ragged robin, meadowsweet, vetches, cuckoo flower and thistles on the Blar. Anyone with information about wildflowers on the roadside, please contact Jonathan Willet, 01463 702274 or email [email protected]

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page 8 page 21 Kilmallie Hall This is I am afraid the last update from Kilmallie Hall, as you will have noticed we have a new sign, and we will now be known as Kilmallie Community Centre. The reason for the change was to give some protection to the committee members regarding personal and corporate liability which we now have by becoming a Company Limited by Guarantee. For information purposes, the registered Company No is 40440 and Scottish Charity No. Is SC042509. Three new disabled parking bays and new handrails have been provided and it is hoped to open another disabled toilet with access from the car park using a Radar key: this is being progressed at the moment. Also in the pipeline is the car park lighting, disabled access to the stage, painting of foyer ceiling, and an upgrade of the toilets. Still lots to be done. We have been quiet over the last few months, with the regular groups, a few birthday parties, and general meetings. But the Corpach in Colour Flower and Produce show on Saturday 1st September is one of the highlights of the year. With regards to the Community Centre there are membership forms available in the hall, and it would be helpful if as many of the community could join up as it helps when we are seeking funding. IT IS FREE TO JOIN. All the Best Jimmy Smith

Kilmallie Community Centre, Station Road, Corpach, Fort William, PH33 7JH Scottish Charity SC000604 CHAIRMAN Mr John Macdonald, Merchiston, Badabrie, Banavie, Fort William. Tel 01397 772443 SECRETARY Mrs Norma MacLellan, 12 Hillview Drive, Corpach, Fort William. Tel. 01397 772597 TREASURER Mr James Smith, 13 Lady Margaret Drive, Corpach, Fort William. Tel. 01397 772561

New Community Coach @ Banavie It was recently confirmed that Laura Davies has been successful in her application for the Community Coach post at Lochaber Rugby Club. This is the 3rd year that the club has sponsored a Community Coach in partnership with the SRU’s Modern Apprenticeship Scheme. The post is for 1 year and when Laura completes the course she will have a Modern Apprenticeship Level 3 in Management. Her role will be to manage and support the delivery of a coaching programme for primary and secondary school-aged children in the Lochaber area as well as help with the organisation of local rugby festivals and the Annual Inter School Competition held at Banavie every May when over 270 children from around Lochaber take part. Her role is vital for the school to clubs link Laura has been a lover of rugby since her Mini Rugby days and has played her way through the various age groups until she reached secondary school age. Due to a lack of girls playing in her age group at Lochaber RFC she was then given the opportunity to train and play with the neighbouring girls’ team based in Plockton. She has always been active in helping out at Mini Rugby and is very excited about starting in her new position. She said that ”I can’t wait to get started” and has already had a meeting with the Active Schools Co-ordinator Bridget Thomas to discuss ideas on providing fun & exciting sessions to the pupils of Lochaber.

Bonfire & Fireworks Display Lochaber Rugby Club will once again host their Bonfire & Fireworks display at Banavie. It will be held on Saturday 4th November, starting at 7.30pm (ish). No admission fee but donation buckets will be passed round spectators. Hot & Cold refreshments are available in the Clubhouse. The car park at the Clubhouse will be closed and used as a viewing area for spectators. In the interests of safety all spectators are asked not to take any personal fireworks to this event. This event which originally started off as a club/members night has now become the ‘must see’ display in the area. It is organised by volunteers and committee members of the club and if you think you can help out with marshalling or anything else please get in contact with me via the club’s e-mail address [email protected] or telephone 704319 (after 6pm). In the event of bad weather the club reserves the right to cancel the event in the interests of safety. Any queries on the night – please call us 01397 772672. Pauline Donaldson

In response to our

request a few months

back for historical

articles, Bill Clark wrote

this piece for us.

On 15th September 1966, the Scottish Pulp and Paper Mill at Corpach was officially “opened” by Leslie Farrow, President of the Wiggins Teape Group. The Mill had been in operation since the previous March. The result of this landmark operation was to have a profound impact on Lochaber and beyond. At that time, Provost Canon Henderson of Fort William stated that he was sure that the confidence of Dr Frankel who had been behind the project would be amply justified. He went on to say, “The Pulp and Paper Mill is a big thing for the Highlands and a big thing for Scotland and 15th September 1966 will be a red letter day for Fort William.” A former secretary of the West Highland Museum, Mrs Edith MacGregor, said that she was apprehensive about allegations by objectors to the Pulp Mill Project who believed that there would be unacceptable emissions and that the building would be a blight on a landscape which attracted thousands of tourists to the area. However, she was reassured when the plans were praised by the Inverness Planning Committee who agreed that the development would not spoil the scenic grandeur of the area nor would it create unacceptable emissions. In 2005, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency carried out assessments on 145 industrial facilities in Scotland. Friends of The Earth ousted them. Of the 16 sites named for failing pollution assessments, the then Arjo Wiggins site in Corpach was number 4 on the list. The residents of Corpach, Banavie and Caol, indeed the wider community, could have confirmed that point. In 1966, it was accepted that the mill would bring a big social revelation. The population of Corpach trebled in a short period with initially 200 plus houses being built. Caol had a similar number built as did Fort William. During my time as a Councillor, I have persistently called for amenities and sports facilities for Lochaber and, in particular, for Corpach. When these sites were industrialised, Corpach (with much less of a population than it has now) lost its playing fields. In 1963, before that happened, a local Councillor actually called

for more amenities to cater for the massive increase in population. The population of Corpach had increased quite dramatically when the mill officially opened on 15th September 1966 but the village playing fields and dance hall were lost. However, the call for more amenities was first made to accommodate the expected increase in population at a time before the mill opened and when Corpach had two playing fields and a dance hall called the “Dip” which was located at Annat adjacent to the saw mill site. It is worth noting that there are still many elderly people around today who attended the weekly dances that were held in the “Dip”. Indeed, many a romance first blossomed in that hall and I have that on good authority. In 1933, the Camanachd Cup Final was played on the field now occupied by the Arjo Wiggins buildings. The mill did provide playing fields in Caol but Corpach itself lost out. No effort was made to replace those amenities in Corpach. It was dreadful planning in anyone’s language. While the mill provided a social club for its workers, the demise of Arjo Wiggins meant the loss of the social club. The present village hall was built by the efforts of the community and recently restored by the efforts of the new community hall committee. It should not be forgotten that previous hall committees and community councils played their respective parts in enhancing the lives of residents in the villages of Corpach and Banavie. Employment and housing are the most important things you can give residents followed by a choice of retail, leisure and sports facilities. The latter three add to the quality of life. In areas of large and growing populations, problems can arise without adequate retail competition, leisure and sports facilities. Corpach and Banavie are villages in their own right and their residents should have facilities within easy reach. Residents also have the right to live in a clean and safe community. If Corpach can provide sites for massive industry at the expense of community facilities, it should not be unreasonable to expect industry to help provide social and sporting facilities. It can’t just be about profit – it’s about improving the quality of life that industry/developers can help bring to communities and that side of it should be taken up with the local residents.

Bill Clark

green fingers - october colour The ‘season of mists and mellow fruitfulness’ is upon us but it’s also the season of glorious autumn colours! Michaelmas Daisies – and there are many beauties among them – look good among all the yellows, oranges, reds and browns of the changing foliage of trees and shrubs, for the colours of those well-loved late blooming flowers form a spectrum from the palest of mauves, through lilac, lavender, violet, purple, and magenta through to the darkest of helios and plum shades (some pinks, crimsons and whites too) and so they make a lovely contrast to the autumnal colours around them. Michaelmas Daisies come in all sizes and the very tall ones may need to be staked. I have a very tall deep crimson one which refuses to open a bud until late October/November. On the other hand, a highly recommended one – Aster Frikartii – Monch, a medium height, mildew free variety, can begin blooming in late July and goes on blooming late into October. It is an attractive mauve in colour. Mildew can attack some of the taller Aster novi-belgii varieties if the weather is hot and dry (not very common here). I have a soft spot for some of the smaller Michaelmas Daisies which can look extra lovely with their vivid colours - often bright purples - glowing like jewels from among their greenery.

Another late flowering plant I’d like to draw your attention to is Schizostylis or Kaffir Lily. This lesser known perennial is actually a member of the Iris family. It comes in vivid reds, oranges and salmon pinks - there are whites too - and is rather like a special kind of Gladioli in its flower formation and with its strap-like green leaves. It rarely blooms here before September/ October and even into November. You must keep it moist though as it hates its roots to be dry, so water it in dry spells or it may not survive. Plant it (rhizomes) in a sunny spot as it needs all that is going. The bright ones are like flames to brighten the darkening shorter days of Autumn.

Ruth Miller

pulp, paper & the past

Schizostylis

Kilmallie Community Centre membership forms

are also available to download

on the Kilmallie Community Council website,

www.kilmallie.org.uk

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page 20 page 9

We are all delighted to be back for another busy year at Banavie Primary. We have missed our friends over the holidays

and are now ready for the hard work of the year ahead.

We have new members of staff and pupils that have joined us this year. Of course there are the new Primary 1 pupils.

Jack G, Freya Margaret and Shaun all agree that PE is fun and they like learning about numbers. We also have two new

members of staff; Miss Dolzyk and Miss Kitson joined us this year. Miss Kitson used to work in Upper Achintore School

and Miss Dolzyk is from Aberdeen. Miss Kitson is teaching in P2/3 and Miss Dolzyk is in P4/5. They are both enjoying

Banavie School so far.

On 21st July 2012, Miss MacDonald became Mrs Beck as she got married to Douglas Beck. They had the wedding at St

Margaret’s Church in Roy Bridge with some of the pupils and staff there. We asked Jo (P5 pupil) what she thought of the

wedding and she replied, “I had a really good time, Mrs Beck looked really pretty and she came in a really fancy car.” We

would all like to say congratulations on getting married.

After the success of our Christmas Craft Fayre last year, Banavie School will be holding another one on Saturday 1st

December between 11am and 2pm. If you are interested in hiring a table for the Fayre please contact Mrs Beck or Miss

Smith on 01397 772402. We will have a Santa’s Grotto, crafts and decorations and tea, coffee and cakes, as well as

homemade soup for sale. Hopefully we will have an increase on the number of tables from last year with lots of fantastic

crafts to buy in time for Christmas.

Over the holidays the school also had a bit of a face lift with new lights in the gym hall and corridors and Miss McGhie’s

classroom was painted. The room is a lovely neon yellow. They have black borders on their display boards which makes

the walls look like a bumble bee. They also have a lovely bin to match.

We have lots of upcoming events: Ghanaian Drums, Blas Visit, Tennis Competition, Inter School Triathlon and going to

watch Grease at Lochaber High. It will be a busy time with lots of exciting events. We’ll keep you posted!

Primary 7

contractors on the Blar KCC received the following update from

Colin Graham, Development Manager of

Miller Developments

"Following completion of the enlarged Lochybridge roundabout, which was part of our planning approval, Miller completed the sale of the new supermarket site at Blar Mhor to Tesco in June. As everyone will no doubt have noticed, after a (frankly unusual!) dry summer in Fort William, our main contractor, I&H Brown, is now making good progress with the Enabling Works that we are undertaking on-site. These works include: formation of the new 5-arm roundabout on the A830, the new spine road into the site, bringing all utility supplies into the Blar, the creation of a suitable development platform for Tesco, along with the first phase of the long-awaited Caol Link Road (although,

unfortunately, we are not able to deliver the full link road although I know efforts are still being made at The Highland Council level to secure Scottish Government support for its completion at a future date). The photograph below gives an indication of the scale of works currently underway, which have the full approval of The Highland Council, SEPA, and Transport Scotland. So far, the majority of our works have been contained within the Blar itself and have hopefully not inconvenienced anyone to a significant degree. In the coming weeks, I&H Brown will be moving onto construction of the new roundabout on the A830 (incorporating the existing access into the Blar Mhor Industrial Estate). This will inevitably have some impact on traffic passing the site on the A830 itself but as we did with the Lochybridge roundabout works, we will put in place a traffic management programme to try & keep this disturbance to a minimum. We are also working hard to secure Fort William's new Police Station for the

Blar and hope to be in a position to make an announcement on this in the near future. If we are successful then the enabling works for the Police site will be carried out in parallel with those for the Tesco site to keep cost and disturbance to a minimum. If we are lucky enough to see the current dry spell continue (which is always a big risk in Lochaber!), we hope to be in a position to have completed all the enabling works by around the turn of the year. As always, your continuing patience is appreciated and I hope that the activity on site shows how serious our investment in Blar Mhor is." Colin Graham, Miller Developments

Here is the third and final part of our

very enjoyable chat with Malcolm

Cameron about life at Strone Farm at

the foot of Glen Loy.

We can’t live by farming alone in this part of the world – we need to do other things – we always have. Eileen used to do dinner bed and breakfast, but now we do self catering, which is much better. You don’t make as much money but Eileen’s got all week off – well she hasn’t now with 3 grandchildren! We grow our own silage here - but for our small farm we couldn’t afford the very expensive machine that puts the black wrap on the big round bales, so to justify it we do contracting for Moy next door and Mucomir. We also do the salting of car parks in icy weather, like Morrisons and the Water Board, and we go out at 5 in the morning to do that. We would love to just be doing farming – but in the W Highlands it’s just so difficult. We farm something between 1100 and 1200 hectares but it’s just a big hill out the back - it’s disproportionate the amount of land that you can actually do much with – we’ve only got a little bit of good land down by the riverside – and then right through the middle of my farm is a canal! We’ve got a little tunnel to get to our thin strip of land between the canal and the river, but modern machinery won’t go through it. So when we make silage down there, we take a big 10 ton dump trailer, fill it with manure from the cattle in the shed here, and then we drive all the way to Gairlochy to cross the canal bridge and all the way back down the other side, and then we tip the manure in the field, and then we uplift the silage bales and come all the way back round. We do that twice a week! It’s not very efficient

but that’s just the way it is. But we love the canal as well: it’s good for the tourism and it helps to advertise you’re staying on the banks of the canal – people like that. And the views over Ben Nevis... it’s a lovely place to stay... We’re very lucky because Strone is linked to my croft at Achintore, and some of the land at Achintore is in an SSSI – a Site of Special Scientific Interest – so that qualifies me for funding for conservation schemes. We have blackcock up there – have you seen them? It’s worth going for a look – in May – to the picnic site up Lundavra Road. Just go 100yds down the brae and there’s another layby on the left. Stop in there at half past 7 at night, or 5 in the morning, and look in the field on your right and you’ll see them displaying. Take a pair of binoculars but they’re only 100yds away – they’re absolutely brilliant to watch, they really are. We’ve also got chequered skipper butterflies up there. We’re members of the National Farmers Union so we go to meetings with them. But probably the most important body in this area is the SAC, the Scottish Agricultural College: they do a terrific job . We’re tied with the Oban branch who run things like ‘monitor’ farms. We visited a monitor farm on Mull once. It was a bit of a trek to get there – but we’ll probably go again. It’s excellent because you get maybe 30 or 40 farmers turning up. It’s an idea that started in New Zealand because of the isolation. We’ve now got our own group here, called The Big Group! There’s 12 or 13 farmers from the local area and we have 4 or 5 meetings a year – quite often at night, in The Moorings, and we have a meal and a glass of wine, and we get a little bit of a lesson at the same time. It gets us all talking – which is good. We used to go to

the mart and we’d go and have a dram you know, but the mart’s a dour place now, you go there and you sell your stock and you come home – sometimes you only speak to 2 people – whereas before it was a place to congregate – it’s lost that. Farming’s changed a lot in the last 40 years – when I started here with Lochiel Estates, there would have been 30 shepherds I’m sure – in the summer time anyhow – and maybe 5 keepers – and now there’s just ourselves now – and Moy next door. But I don’t know what I’d say about the future? If there’s a way of making it sustainable, the people that are on this land will make it sustainable – but it’s changed days. Huge huge changes in the last 40 years . But there has to be a future! When I was young we used to have a Young Farmers Club here – that’s how many people there were in farming in those days – and we got a talk from a guy that was the manager of the ranch at the time – Alec Kerr – and he took us round and he was very nice and very able and great at speaking – but he finished off by saying ‘Well I tell you what guys, I wouldn’t like to be in your shoes – we’ve seen the best of it’ and I thought well that’s not a nice way to finish, so I never say that to youngsters – we’ve got to have a future. I mean we’re still here!

strone

Miss Dolzyk Mrs Beck Miss Kitson

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page 10 page 19

August 2012

The summer holidays have come and gone and Lochaber High has settled back easily to the routine of the new session with one very noticeable change… smart, new uniforms. Pupils and parents have given us almost 100% support for the introduction of a uniform which includes a new school tie – black with a thin red stripe – chosen by the pupils. Year group photographs have been taken to celebrate the introduction of the uniform and record the event for posterity.

Already we are noticing a difference as the uniform helps to create a more purposeful atmosphere across the school. At the start of the summer our biennial ‘Adventure France’ trip was a great success. A coach full of enthusiastic young people travelled to the south of France for a week of outdoor activities in the sun which included canoeing, sailing, group and team-building events. Mr Macnab has been running this trip for a number of years and it remains as popular as ever. The end of the holidays brought the SQA examination results; a tense time for pupils waiting to hear the outcome by post, text message or e-mail. This year there were some real success stories; a testament to the hard work of pupils and staff. As always, there were a few disappointments but I’m pleased to report that our S4 results improved significantly and there were improvements in the number of pupils achieving three Highers in S5 and five

Highers in S5. Of particular note was the performance of five of our Fifth Year pupils who gained five ‘A’ grade passes at Higher; an outstanding achievement! The last week of the holidays saw the cast and crew of ‘Mary’ in Edinburgh for the Fringe Festival where they staged 5 performances of the musical play written by Mr Young and Mr Welch. The opportunity to perform to a wider audience was a great opportunity and was very well received by all who saw it. Participants also had the chance to soak up the atmosphere at ‘The Fringe’ and to attend a variety of performances around the city. Our next musical production – ‘Grease’ – will be staged in the school hall on Wednesday 26, Thursday 27 and Friday 28 September. I can guarantee an excellent evening’s entertainment but strongly recommend purchasing tickets as soon as possible as the best seats (which are numbered) sell out quickly. Tickets are on sale now at the school office priced £7 (£5 concessions). The Lochaber 21 re-building and refurbishment programme is ongoing and planning permission has now been granted for Phase 3 – an £11+ million project to re-model the central part of the school; pupil social area, restaurant, kitchen, library, staffroom, offices and main school entrance. Phase 3 also includes re-cladding and over-roofing the main classroom block. Work will start around Easter 2013 and will go on for around 2 years bringing huge improvements to the school campus. Around 800 pupils and staff braved rain and midges on 31 August to raise money for school funds. The annual 'High School Hike' went ahead in damp conditions and pupils were in great spirit as they completed a challenging 10 mile trek from the school to the Lochaber Rural Complex and back. Well over £7k sponsor money has been pledged which will be used to support extra-curricular activities in the school. Top fundraiser this year was again Matthew Cattanach, 4S who has already handed in a magnificent £260! Thanks to Hike organiser Donald MacLean for coordinating the activity; the Police for their assistance at the A82 crossing; the Forestry Commission for permission to use their land and Isobel and Linda Campbell for their hospitality, enthusiasm and encouragement at the Rural Complex. School closes on Friday 5 October for the two-week October break. There are two staff training days at the end of the break (22 & 23 October) so pupils return to school on Wednesday 24 October. Please note that the second training day is for secondary schools only so primary pupils return on Tuesday 23 October. I am fortunate to be spending the first week of the October break with a group of 30 LHS pupils in New York where we’ll be following a hectic schedule of sightseeing and other activities. Perhaps the next ‘High Notes’ will be ‘A Letter from America’. Jim Sutherland

In Praise of Avian Predators We are fortunate enough in Kilmallie to share our countryside with some of Britain’s top predators, both mammals and birds. Top of many visitors’ wish lists is the sight of an eagle soaring over the mountains. Golden eagles have long been established in our area with several territories, although not all occupied all the time. Anyone driving right along Loch Arkaig or walking the old route from Fassfern to Glen Loy and keeping a suitable eye on the skyline would be disappointed not to see a goldie. Indeed, with the aid of a telescope I have seen a golden eagle above Druim Fada all the way from Fort William. Although long-lived, these birds are not very productive, and indeed the average number of chicks fledged per pair per year is only in the order of 0.3 in our part of the world. This is largely a consequence of food scarcity. We do not have large populations of hares or rabbits in the mountains to sustain many eagle chicks. In the winter our local eagles live almost entirely by scavenging the carcasses of deer and sheep. Eagles have a tough existence here and must range over several kilometres to find food.

In recent years the status of largest avian predator has been claimed by the White-tailed Eagle. These huge birds have a massive 2.5-3.0m wingspan, and their characteristic rectangular profile (the ‘flying barn door’) with wedge-shaped tail distinguishes them from the golden eagle. ‘Sea’ eagles have gradually colonised the west coast following a successful reintroduction programme that started on Rum as long ago as 1975. There are now thought to be up to 57 pairs breeding in western Scotland. The species previously became extinct in Britain as recently as 1918, with the last known breeding pair killed on Skye. Our local pair appears to have successfully fledged two chicks this year, following an unfortunate loss of chicks in the severe gales of May, 2011. White-tailed eagles are much more of an opportunist feeder and eat a variety of foodstuffs. In the autumn and winter they can be seen scavenging along the River Lochy for salmon kelts, and preying on the wader and duck flocks at Kinlochiel and Inverscaddle. They too will scavenge deer and sheep, and in Ardnamurchan are known to turn up on cue at the sound of a stalker’s rifle. There has been much talk about the predation of white-tailed eagles on sheep, most of it unfounded. Eagles, both white-tailed and golden, will occasionally take live lambs, but SNH-commissioned work on Mull and in the Gairloch area suggests that this accounts for only a tiny proportion of lamb mortality. Most of the lamb remains associated with eagles has been shown to be scavenged, and there is a growing body of circumstantial evidence to suggest that where live lambs are taken these are smaller and possibly non-viable animals. Other mammalian predators such as foxes and badgers are likely to take a larger proportion of lambs, but bad weather and disease, often tick-borne, still accounts for the vast majority of deaths.

Other local avian predators are also doing well. Following the loss of their traditional nest site on Loch Lochy to the December gales, our local ospreys have built a new nest nearby, and have again successfully reared two chicks this year. Competition in the osprey world is growing as several more pairs have set up home in the area, including a couple on Loch Arkaig. This is fitting as the island on Loch Arkaig was the last known home of ospreys on Britain, before they too were exterminated in the early twentieth century. Contrary to the white-tailed eagles, ospreys managed to recolonise naturally, helped along the way by the RSPB and others who protected nest sites at a critical period, and there are now probably more than 200 breeding pairs throughout Scotland.

The importance of these magnificent birds to our local economy should not be underestimated. Wildlife tourism in the Highlands and Islands was valued by SNH in 2010 as £84.5 million, out of a much larger total of £1.4 billion for nature-based tourism in general in the whole of Scotland. It is probably fair to say that we are far from realising our proper share of this locally, and that is partly what the new Wild Lochaber festival is hoping to address. Meanwhile there has been a disturbing trend locally of persecution, highlighted recently by the poisoned golden eagle found at Morar, and reports of nest disturbance by egg thieves and further poisoning incidents. These acts are illegal and in the interests of no-one other than the selfish few. If you do come across any incidents or even the suspicion of illegal persecution of birds of prey, please report these to the police or the RSPB.

Jon Mercer Glenloy Wildlife

There are strong views from different

perspectives about the extent to which sea eagles

kill live lambs. You can read the latest research findings in

SNH’s commissioned report “A Pilot Study into sea eagle

predation on lambs in the Gairloch area” The main findings of

the study were that white-tailed eagle predation of lambs

was very low. You can read the report online in the

publications section at www.snh.org.uk

wild about kilmallie

Adventure France

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page 18 page 11

Kilmallie Daycare was open all

summer during the school holidays.

Children aged 2½-6 years old had

a fun filled, productive time doing

Olympic themed activities. They

hand crafted replica torches,

designed flow charts of medals

won, colourful friezes and flags and

tried out mini-sports events of

their own.

Girls and boys got out and

about too on walks to the woods,

visited a cottage garden in

Corpach, where they had the

opportunity to sample some of the

local home grown delights, and

assist with the feeding of the ducks

and hens. Another adventure saw

them taking the bus to town to the

travel agents where they gathered

information for learning and play

on the theme of holidays.

Other popular activities were

about zoos and wild animals with

group arts and crafts creating

safari parks and enclosures for new

toy animals. Songs and stories of

various animals proved fascinating

and fun for children and day care

staff alike.

As we all know, every parent

must have their ‘me’ time, so why

not treat yourself to that

afternoon of pampering, or

essential child-free catch up with

friends by making use of your local

child-care service at Kilmallie

Daycare: 8.30-5.30pm. Such

personal time can benefit both you

and your child as he or she can

have a valuable, fun-filled

experience, meet new friends and

grow in confidence.

Booking in advance by telephone

on 01397 772016 /

07876260967 or by email

[email protected]

We would like to take this

opportunity to welcome back our

returning families and to say a

warm welcome to all families

joining us for the first time. We

hope that Kilmallie Playgroup and

Day Care provides an enjoyable

experience for all of the children

attending and look forward to the

fun-filled year ahead

Carole

During the summer season, lock-keepers can end up carrying out a number of different jobs. The variety of work means that staff are never bored and each day brings fresh challenges. During the month of June we had a number of trips along the Canal which included schools & other groups. Groups included Lochaber Friendship Group, FOCAL members, Banavie, Caol, Lochyside & Invergarry primary schools, plus members of the public. Many of the groups were given a talk by Stephen Wiseman from the Waterways Trust.

Also in June, the Three Peaks Yacht Race visited Corpach. Leading boats arrived through the night and staff were on hand to provide them with a safe haven immediately. Over the last few weeks we have had a closure at Corpach Sea-lock when a cill failure closed the canal for five days. A number of vessels were held up as a result. As you can see, variety is the spice of life - hence the reason why we all enjoy the job.

John Stafford

canal news

kilmallie community

gardens a quiet sunny corner to sit and study,

or a chance to discover that montbretias can be vibrant red as well as orange

Filming Nina & the Neurons at Neptune’s staircase: a children’s programme for BBC Scotland about engineering due out in the New Year.

Three peaks yacht race Corpach Basin June 2012. Best Dressed Boat judged by pupils of Dochgarroch primary school who happened to be visiting Corpach that day.

Team Leader Alec Francis presenting the trophy and a bottle of whisky to the crew of vessel Kugel Motion. They were also the outright winners of the race.

Motor Yacht Rena: one of a few luxury motor yachts that passed through the canal in the last couple of weeks.

Vessels gathered outside awaiting the re-opening on Wednesday 15th August.

Lochaber Friendship group who took advantage of a free trip up to Loch Lochy and back from Banavie.

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page 12 page 17

Dear Blar Mor,

I was sorry to receive your sad farewell but even more disappointed when it was decided to kill you.

You have explained the job you have been doing for us for 5000 years but I wanted to express appreciation for another, unseen, role you have had for a couple of hundred years. Folk often relate the wonder of how the railway across Rannoch Moor floats on peat, built using fascines before the rail ballast was spread. Nearer home, of course, the road that traverses you also part floats on peat and has done so for a very long time.

To my certain knowledge the surface of the road over the Blar Mor has remained intact over the past 40 years or so, retaining its flexibility, apart from when the access to the industrial estate was built. You have managed this by keeping the water table high; we have helped you to do so by discouraging attempts to drain you. For many years the Divisional Road Engineer resisted suggestions from the Scottish Office to deepen the trunk road ditches, preferring instead to keep your water table high. He now fears for the road’s stability.

The only hope that I can offer is that, in the fullness of time, your acres might hold a new hospital for this community and perhaps that is what we should be pressing for now. “The Blar Mor Rural General Hospital”; I like that. If this happened then perhaps your sacrifice would not be entirely in vain.

I understand development pressures as I too have been reduced in size over the years but feel stable at the moment. From a distance, I’ll watch you disappear; I hope this reaches you in time.

Fare thee well, our trusty servant; we’ll never see your like again.

Bad Abrach

27/08/12

Dear KCC Organisers

I’ve been meaning to write this letter for some time. The purpose is to thank you all for your involvement in producing this excellent newsletter.

Often we are like children and accept all the time, sacrifices and effort you do for us without thinking!! However, we do appreciate it very much and I think I speak for all recipients of the newsletter in thanking you for all the effort you put into it and the information etc you impart.

Please keep up the good work.

With many thanks

Yours sincerely

Ken Johnson

Banavie

26/6/12

Dear KCC

The news that Fort William’s new Gaelic primary school will not be built on Blar Mor is more proof that the community was not well served when planning permission was granted for the new Tesco superstore on the site.

An ancient peat bog should never have been considered an appropriate site for such a development, both for environmental and economic reasons. Tesco should have been told to look elsewhere.

However, the deal was sold to the community as a means to gain facilities – the all-weather pitch, a Gaelic primary school, a new hospital, police station and rescue helicopter pad.

One-by-one these amenities have fallen by the wayside – largely because of the prohibitive cost of building on a 3-metre-deep peat bog. This leaves us now with the only confirmed builds being Tesco and the police station.

Why were these costs not taken into account at the start? Tesco was only given planning permission as part of a package including community facilities. We have now lost a valuable environmental feature in Kilmallie, and may also see our existing shops being put out of business by Tesco with the inevitable damage to the town centre and loss of jobs. And what will we have gained?

Yours sincerely

SC

Banavie

06/09/12

Dear KCC

What an absolutely brilliant issue - the letter from "Blar Mor" is a fine piece of writing. It seems to me that there are a lot of unheard voices; it is easy to get depressed, feel helpless, when you are aware of the destruction of places and the smothering of 'ordinary' people's wishes, needs and insights. (How I hate that expression 'ordinary people'.)

It's encouraging to see that there is a strong pro-active community in Kilmallie - a community which has grown and evolved over decades, and is much stronger and resilient than any imposed construct could ever be. Guma fada beo sibh is toit as ur taigh!

all the best,

Cath Mackinven

Kinlocheil

05/07/12 by email

letters

Lochaber Showstoppers was formed in May 1993 by founding members Douglas Yule, Jackie Wright and Jo Cowan. These individuals got together and recognised that there was no other dramatic/musical society in the area and were keen to find out if there was an interest locally. Showstoppers is a volunteer-run community musical theatre group, so we rely on people in the community to help out. Our members come from right across Lochaber, with members past and present travelling from afar as Mallaig, Kinlochleven and Acharacle. We are also very fortunate to have been supported year on year by excellent Lochaber musicians who give their time freely to our productions. SO if you've ever thought of getting involved, now is a great time to do so! Even if you’re not keen to get on stage there are still plenty of ways to get involved.

If anyone is interested in the following roles please get in touch:

- Director - Musical director - orchestra members - set design - set building - costumes - props and model making - makeup -and many many more!

If you think you don't have enough experience we'd still love to hear from you (many of these skills are learnt on the job, and with a lot of support from members of Showstoppers). We’re all very excited that 2013 is Showstoppers 20th Anniversary year. We’ve started planning a spectacular broadway classic for next year. Unfortunately due to date restrictions at the Nevis Centre and changes in personnel there won’t be a pantomime in 2012. Instead, Showstoppers is hoping to present a Christmas Revue style show in Kilmallie Hall which will be a smorgasbord of theatrical and dramatic delights. (Everyone still says how much they loved the shows we used to put on in Kilmallie Hall so we'll take a trip down

memory lane leading into our anniversary year). Don’t worry, out pantomime will be back bigger and better than ever for Christmas 2013. For nearly twenty years, Lochaber Showstoppers has been proud to provide opportunities for people who would not otherwise participate in the arts, to do so within their local community. We do not audition chorus members, try to keep our fees low and always encourage everyone to “have a go”. If you’d like more info about the group or how to join, contact committee member Clare Brewer on 01397 773 745 or pop onto Facebook and be our “friend”. Claire Brewer

Thank you for all your letters.

Please keep them coming -

on any topic of interest or relevance to Kilmallie.

lochaber showstoppers

corpach woods

Dramatic pine canopies, beautiful bark patterns, profusions of ripe

rowan berries, and even the occasional tree hugger, can all be spotted just now at Tom Giubhais,

the community woodland at Corpach, owned and managed by the

Kilmallie Community Company. Thanks to the volunteers who look after the woodland for everyone to

enjoy.

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page 16 page 13

In the newsletter’s June issue, FOCAL was pleased to report that we had new optimism about the consultation on Scottish Canals’ Masterplan: SC had allocated a new lead contact on the project and dates in September 2012 had been suggested for the next consultation session.

However, in July Kilmallie Community Council received a disappointing letter from Steve Dunlop, Scottish Canals’ Chief Executive, announcing that the consultation process had been put on hold, while Scottish Canals re-evaluated their position.

Local people hugely appreciate the canal - as a historical monument, a landscape feature, a wildlife corridor, a transport route, and (as SC themselves describe it) as an

‘open air gym’. We hope Scottish Canals recognise our community’s commitment and enthusiasm for taking the canal forward into its third century. FOCAL’s door remains wide open for all and any constructive discussion with Scottish Canals. KCC have replied to Steve Dunlop in a similarly positive vein.

Who knows what we may hear next - but we will keep an eye out for any planning applications that affect the canal. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FOCAL (Friends of Caledonian Canal Lochaber) is a subgroup of the Kilmallie Community Company.

For more info contact Jan MacLugash, 01397 772383, email: [email protected]

WHAT FOCAL NEWS?

SCOTTISH CANALS’ DEVELOPMENT MASTERPLAN FOR CORPACH TO GAIRLOCHY

carry on up the canal!

The Waterways’ Trust’s season of free events has now come to an end. Thank you to Stephen Wiseman for all his hard work in making them happen. The 2012 year’s programme was a pilot exercise, so we look forward to hearing how things might move forward, and which events might become a permanent part of the calendar. The turnout wasn’t always very good, and a few events were cancelled due to lack of interest, especially towards the end of the year. If you have any thoughts on different sorts of events that you’d like to take part in, please get in touch with Stephen and let him know. Meanwhile Stephen is hoping to progress an oral history

project to capture the working lives of our local lock keepers. If you’d like to get involved in this, please get in touch with him. Anyone who enjoyed the evening cruises on MV Crinan earlier in the summer will know what stars our lock keepers are and what a wealth of knowledge they have about the use of the canal past and present. For more info or to share your ideas, please contact Stephen Wiseman, The Waterways Trust’s Heritage Officer for the Caledonian Canal, tel 01463 725561, or email:

[email protected].

HM

COASTGUARD

AT CORPACH

The Coastguard team operating out of Corpach could well be on your TV screens early next year. By the time this goes to print the BBC will have started filming for 20 x 45 minute documentaries featuring the work of the Emergency Services in and around Fort William. For the next few months the camera crew will travel to any incident involving the Police, Fire, Ambulance, Mountain Rescue and Coastguard. Three camera crews will cover a day and a night shift 24/7. It is a pity they missed out on some of our more recent incidents which include:

a missing diver at Ballachulish (found safe and well)

two flare reports

a fire aboard a “tall ship” at Banavie

assisting Coastguard and Air ambulance at the new landing site. (more on these later)

A very recent addition to our workload is to prepare the landing site at Carr’s Corner for the Air Ambulance when it has to operate at night. This involves positioning a number of green LCD lights to denote the landing area and red LCD’s to warn of hazards. More about rendering assistance to helicopters ! Saturday the 11th of August turned out to be the busiest day yet for working with the Coastguard helicopter. The first call was at 12:46 to attend the landing to assist with the transfer of a person who had fallen in the Skye Cuillins and broken his leg. On completion of this the team then refueled the helicopter which was then tasked to a person on the Tower Ridge who had fallen and had a dislocated shoulder. The Coastguard helicopter quickly located and airlifted the casualty back to Torlundy for yet

another transfer to the Belford. Just as this task was being completed another call came through reporting a couple of walkers “cragfast” at Carn Mhor Dearg. Once again the helicopter took off, located the couple and sent down a winch man to assess the situation. Although they were in no immediate danger the decision was made to transport them to the base of the hill. After they were winched inboard another call came through reporting a woman with a broken ankle on the Ben path. The Pilot (Liz, our only Lady SAR Pilot) decided to complete both taskings and headed off to the summit but en route both on board engine management computers were showing an engine control malfunction. The only option was an emergency landing at Carr’s Corner, unfortunately unable to assist the lady on the Ben who was collected some time later by the Navy Helicopter from Prestwick. A discussion with the engineering team at the helicopter base at Stornoway airport and further discussion with the aircraft builders “Sikorsky” resulted in a decision to keep the rotors going and head back to Stornoway taking on no further taskings. So it was more fuel and a largely successful afternoon for the Helicopter crew and a big thank you from them to the Coastguard team. Finally our old 4 x 4 work horse has finally been replaced by a brand new 4 x 4. This time we not only have more equipment storage space but much more leg room and comfort. Phil Wren

the Coastguard helicopter refuelling at the previous pulp mill site

You know the puffer’s coming soon when you see the big pile of coal on the jetty. You know the puffer’s arrived when you hear the Skye Boat Song played softly-discordantly, hauntingly, on his steam whistle as he locks up through Neptune’s Staircase. Boats are traditionally female, but with a name like Vic and that tough gritty appearance, he is no girlie. Built in

1943, Steam Lighter VIC 32 is the last seagoing coal-fired puffer. It is always a pleasure to see working boats using the canal, and the puffer is one of the very best. He plies his trade (tourists are his cargo now) through the Caledonian Canal every August. This year the rain grew heavier as he approached the top lock in the late afternoon. On cue, the Jacobite Express returned the call from the Banavie swing bridge, like two steam-driven tawnies huffpuffing their to-whits and to-whoos. By the time Vic needed to load his coal, the rain was lashing down. The wet coal was heavier to wheelbarrow, and the gangplank slippier than usual to negotiate, but the crew and helpers made short shrift of the bunkering – forty barrowloads into the small hatch each side - it could be disastrous if the hull weren’t balanced!

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page 14 page 15

The 2nd Flower and Garden Show took place on Saturday, Sept 1st in Kilmallie Community Centre. Once again, Kilmallie folk did us proud and although entries were down in the Flower and Garden Produce sections, the Handicraft, Baking and Floral Art sections were as good as last year and the Children's section was even better! The ladies in the kitchen did a sterling job serving soup, teas , coffees and lovely home baking. We are indebted to Linda and Isabel who helped us again with organisation and publicity. Thanks to everyone who was involved, it was a super day. from The 2 Margarets.

Congratulations to all the winners in each class

and congratulations to the overall winners.

Treasures of the Earth trophy for most points in flowers

Elizabeth Muir

Kilmallie Community Council trophy for most points in Garden Produce

Elizabeth Muir

Ewan and Isabel Campbell trophy for most points in Floral Art

Sandra Fortune and Jean Fisher

Most outstanding exhibit in floral art Jean Fisher for her arrangement in green and white

M&S Dental Care Trophy for most points in baking and produce

Morag McKell

Tradewinds Trophy for most points in Arts and crafts Jillian Clark

Special award for most outstanding exhibit in Arts and Crafts

Anne Smith for her crocheted baby cardigan

Best exhibit Playgroup age Cameron Sandison for his decorated wooden spoon

Best exhibit nursery age Luke McGillivray for his vegetable animal

Best exhibit p1-3 Abbie MacKay for her seaside on a plate

Best exhibit p4-5 Alice Gray for her scarecrow made from recycled materials

Best exhibit p6-7 Dylan, Lewis and Miriam from Banavie School for their

scarecrow made from recycled materials

Best exhibit age 12-14 Rosie Clark for her Victoria sponge

Corpach Hotel Trophy for Best exhibit overall in children's classes

Alice Gray for her scarecrow

Corpach in Colour trophy for most points overall

Sandra Fortune

thanks to Jan, Kshama and Jillian for the photos: you can see lots more pictures at www.kilmallie.org.uk

Corpach in Colour’s Flower and Produce Show Results