island news & advertiser

Edition 13 April 2013

& ADVERTISER

FREE

THE FREE MONTHLY NEWSPAPER OF THE HEBRIDES

island news

Finance subject to status

CONSTRUCTION ● FARM ● GROUNDCARE

RAVENHILL

New T4000 & T5000SERIES TRACTORSfrom New Holland

For more information contact

Nick Orcherton 07920 231169Email [email protected]

0% FINANCE

● Ex Demo machines on offer

● 2 years warranty on all compact equipment

Available on all Excavatorsup to 8 tonne

and Backhoe Excavators

NEWPRODUCT

For more information contact

Angus Innes 07801037106Email [email protected]

● 55 – 115 HP available● Free Front Loader Ready Kit available on

T5.105● New deluxe vision view cab

● % finance available on all models

in&aIS ONLINE

The Muirburn Code-turn to page 8

Hundreds of trees burnt, numerous small mammals and insects dead, a golden eagle’s eyrie licked

by flames, an ideal breeding ground for raptors destroyed - just some of the environmental impact

of last month’s out of control muirburn on moorland between Locheport and Carinish, North Uist.

The fire was set on Carinish CommonGrazings on a dry day with winds of25mph. It was left unattended andquickly went out of control, blazing formore than 24 hours and startingseveral underground peat fires viarabbit burrows.

From Beinn na Choille it extended to theroadside at Carinish, and requiredattendance by firefighters fromLochmaddy, Benbecula and Lochboisdale.They had to raid the loch in the area forwater to fight the flames.

The fire burnt the stock fence in threeplaces and badly damaged two electricitypoles. The road was closed to traffic foraround two hours.

North Uist Estates factor GeorgeMacDonald said: ‘This was a dangerousfire and a bad example of how to conductmuirburn, none of the proper precautionsappear to have been followed and a lot ofdamage has occurred as a result.

“It is not generally realised that individualshareholders are not entitled to carry outmuirburn for this is a right that is reservedto grazing committees who are responsiblefor the management of the commongrazing.”

The fire affected a breeding area forseveral species of bird.

RSPB Western Isles Conservation OfficerRobin Reid said: “The recent burn atCarinish was particularly destructive,burning through a golden eagle breedingarea where the resident pair would havebeen about to lay, and destroying a part of anative woodland scheme that may takedecades to recover.

“Several species of bird, including heronsand eagles lay their eggs before the end ofthe permitted muirburn period and fire willforce them to abandon their nests, causingbreeding failure. Many species also rely onheather for shelter, feeding on, or nesting in.

“Whilst burning small areas may lead totemporary displacement of wildlife until thevegetation recovers, burning large areas candramatically alter the habitat forcing birdsand other wildlife to abandon these areasfor many years. If you intend to carry outmuirburn but are unsure whether burning islikely to cause disturbance to nesting birdssuch as golden eagles and sea eagles pleaseget in touch with the RSPB for advice onthe sensitive areas to avoid.”

WHEN MUIRBURN TURNS TO WILDFIRE

WeddingSpecial

Inside

Yourcommunity

newsPage

19

island news & ADVERTISER - April 2013 Issue 132

island newsEdition 01 March 2012

& ADVERTISER

FREE

ADVERTISING:

01876 510758ads@islandnews

andadvertiser.com

Design:

Tim Mason

Managing editor:

Susy Macaulay

AVAILABLE

INB

RIE

FIs the

FREEMONTHLY

NEWSPAPEROF THE

HEBRIDES

NEWSDESK

01876 [email protected]

In 60 outlets fromTiree to Stornoway:

also Oban, Invernessand Glasgow

Contact: Sheila - 07919 184627

Aromatherapy FacialsAromatherapy Massage

Gift Vouchers available

Complementary therapiesfor health, healing and relaxation

Indian HeadMassage Reiki Ear Candling

Murder most foul is set to unfold on Skye this month as Sabhal Mòr

Ostaig UHI stages its first ever murder mystery weekend.

Guests are invited to attend the ‘wedding of the year’ at the college -but joy turns to horror as the drama ensues.

The event, in Gaelic, starts on Friday April 5, and is part of the college’s40th anniversary celebrations. More information under Short Courses atwww.smo.uhi.ac.uk

Gaelic MurderMystery

Weekend● Paible School

● Friday April 19, 7.30pm

● Admission £2/£1

● Refreshments will be served.

● Proceeds to church funds andChristian Aid (Syria and Middle East Crisis Appeal)

Kilmuir &Paible ChurchBring and Buy

Romantic S2s raise funds for Yorkhill

Ms Johnson’s Sgoil Lionacleit S2 tutor

class undertook a fundraising project for

Yorkhill Hospital last month, write

Dominic Macaulay and Duncan Biddulph.

It involved selling red and yellow

carnation flowers to pupils and teachers to

be delivered on Valentines Day. The red

flowers represented romance, the yellow

flowers were signs of friendship. It was £2

per flower or 20p per card.

We expected to buy the flowers from

‘Fluraichean Mairi’ in South Uist, but she

decided very generously to donate

them.We have raised £104.63 for the

hospital.The money will be used to help children

and their families to support them with

their illnesses and injuries.

Thank you to ‘Fluraichean Mairi’ for

supplying us with the flowers and also to

anyone who contributed to the project.

MacMillan Cancer Support’sannual sale of work will takeplace in Paible School onFriday May 10 at 7.30pm.

Entrance £2/£1

Home baking, preserves, plants,

fish, crafts. Refreshments in thecanteen.

The committee regrets nosecond-hand clothing or jumbleaccepted. A limited number ofbooks accepted for the bookstall.

MacMillan Sale of Work in Paible school

Paper and stationery donations available

TaighChearsabhag,Lochmaddy isnow open Monday to

Saturday, 10am – 5pm.

Saturday Children’s Art Workshops

on every Saturday except Easter

weekend.Painting, Craft, Printing, Digital-

parents can stay and learn too.

Fun and Free.

5-8yrs 12.30-1.30pm 9yrs+ 2-3pm

Taigh Chearsabhagh

new opening hours

and children’s art

workshops

Àite na Gàidhlig ann am beatha an latha an-diugh

Gàidhlig ann am foghlam- Diardaoin 16 Cèitean 2013aig Sgoil MhicNeacail, Steòrnabhagh,ri a toirt seachad leis an Oll FrancesMhoireach, Reachdair Sgoil MhicNeacail,agus Seonag NicFhiongain, a leig dhith adreuchd mar Stiùiriche SheirbheiseanFoghlaim agus Chloinne, Comhairle nanEilean Siar.

Dà òraid Ghàidhlig shaor an asgaidh a chomharrachadh ceann-bliadhna daoimein Cholaisde a’ Chaisteil UHI

Gàidhlig ann amFoillseachadh- Diciadain 19 Ògmhios 2013aig Sgoil Lionacleit, Beinn naFaoghla,ri a toirt seachad le Rosemary Ward,Stiùiriche Chomhairle nanLeabhraichean, agus an sgrìobhadairCatriona Lexy Chaimbeul.

Bidh an dà òraid a’ gabhail àite eadar 7f agus 9f.Tha iad saor and asgaidh agus fosgailte don a h-uile duine.

A ghleidheil àite, cuir fios a dh’ionnsaigh sgioba thachartasan an oilthighair: 01463 279344 Post-d: [email protected]

packaging has broken, or the contents fell on the floor.

Humanos director Billy Chung will be bringing these and

other donations from Tesco, Morrison and Aldi to the

islands shortly.

Contact the charity on 01887 840278 [email protected] for more information.

Paper, pens and pencils are available to localnurseries, schools, artists and communitygroups from the charity Humanos AidInternational.

The stationery is donated by Asda from goods which

are not suitable for resale because for example the

3April 2013 Issue 13 - island news & ADVERTISER

Looking for a property to buy, sell or rent.....

Looking to buy or sell land.....

Look no further than your local estate agency

Visit out new websitefor latest property listingswww.uistproperty.co.uk

Unit 3 CDA, Balivanich, Isle of Benbecula, HS7 5LATel: 01870 602228 Fax: 01870 602865

The tax is being introduced with theobjectives of reducing Housing Benefitexpenditure, increasing mobility and reducingunder-occupation of properties.

Tenants who have one spare bedroom willbe liable for 14% of their rent, which equatesto about £10 per week. If they have two sparebedrooms, it will mean a deduction of 25%, oraround £17 per week.

These changes affect more than 300 tenantsacross the Western Isles, including 95 inHarris, Uist and Barra.

The situation is causing HHP significant

concern, John Alick MacQuarrie of HHPBalivanich told Island News & Advertiser.

He said: “If tenants are under-occupyingtheir homes, they will be penalised. However,the obvious solution of down-sizing isdifficult to achieve here due to an undersupplyof smaller properties.

“For instance in Barra, HHP owns just over100 houses and the turnover of smallproperties amounts to about three per year.Given that one quarter of HHP’s Barra tenantswill be affected by the bedroom tax, it leavesthem with few options.”

Mr MacQuarrie said he was disturbed to hearthat tenants will be cutting down on essentialsto pay the tax.

He added: “If rent arrears accrue, HHP’sfinances and services could be affected. Thiscould mean a slow down in repairs andinvestment works, and this would also have aneffect on local contractors and jobs.”

The Government has made someprovision for cases of extreme hardshipthrough funding provided to localauthorities for Discretionary HousingBenefit. Tenants who fall into thiscategory are encouraged to apply earlyto the Comhairle for this award.

Mr MacQuarrie said: “Any tenantswho find themselves in this situationshould speak to their Area HousingOfficer, in the first instance.”

He said some people have alreadyterminated their tenancies to avoidbeing penalised.

“Generally, it is single people whohave given up tenancy and have movedback home, “he said. “We also havesome families who moved into theprivate sector, where the house is theright size but the rent is moreexpensive.

Food Bank planned for Southern Isles Plans are being developed to assist people in food poverty in the Uists and Barra.The Eilean Siar Food Bank is seekinglocal support for developing its servicein Uist and Barra.

The food bank in Stornoway has beenaccepting referrals from agencies for foodparcels since October 2012 and noworganisers are looking at ways of betterserving the whole community.

The food bank originally grew fromwork by New Wine Church in Stornoway,distributing food on a referral basis.

Now New Wine Church is in partnershipwith the Trussell Trust, a charity whichworks with local communities to combatpoverty, to run the Eilean Siar Food Bank.

The work of organising the opening of thefood bank is moving forward and it isexpected to open towards the end of April.It will provide somewhere people can goto pick up emergency food parcelsarranged for them by referring agenciessuch as Citizens Advice, social work andNHS.

To avoid the difficulties of distribution tothe Southern Isles, a food bank is plannedfor Uist and Barra. This will take sometime but the Eilean Siar Food Bank willcontinue to offer a delivery service to Uistand Barra.

Spokesman Gavin Lawson said: “We

have a commitment to provide to those inneed across the islands, so although itmight take a while to get a formal foodbank open in the Southern Isles, we arelooking for volunteers at this early stagein order to help with food deliveries.”

Mr Lawson said there is need for greaterawareness among the agencies that thefood bank is there to assist people in need.

He said: “People can feel fearful andupset, but we are there to assist them in acompletely non-judgmental way, restoringhope and dignity to those in need.”

He added: “We have received generoussupport from people since we opened the

Eilean Siar Food Bank but donations arealways welcome. People can be assuredthat every penny donated will be used tohelp those in need in the Western Isles.We’re very grateful to Grillburger whohave been making sure we can get foodboxes delivered to where they’re needed.”

Mr Lawson asks anyone wishingto volunteer or contribute in anyway to establishing a food bankin Uist to get in touch with himvia Island News & Advertiser on01876 510758.

Bedroom Tax implications‘disturbing’says HHP

Mr MacQuarrie spoke of the widersocial implications of the tax.

He said: “Here the reality is that a homeis often a home for life. Now parents ofchildren who have grown up and left theisland will be penalised for having anadditional bedroom.

“It may force them to move to a smallerhouse which means that the family home isgone and there is no longer a roomavailable for returning family members.”

As the Bedroom Tax comes into force this month,many tenants say they can only pay it by cutting downon essentials like food and heating, according to sociallandlord, Hebridean Housing Partnership (HHP).

Harris eagle walks resumeWeekly golden eaglespotting walks havestarted up for thesummer in North Harris.

RSPB Scotland and theNorth Harris Trust areworking in partnership toprovide a golden eagle walkevery Wednesday from April3 to September 18.

The Grade B walk followsthe track through GlenVigidale, and on to thesmall summit of Tom Ruisg,with panoramic views downLoch Langavat. Last yearthere was a 100% successrate of seeing eagles onthese walks.

The walks will be leadalternately by the NorthHarris Ranger Service andRSPB Scotland and are free

of charge, although donationsare accepted.

MEET:Bogha Glas car park (NB186 115)

DISTANCE:4.5 miles

For further informationplease contact Matt Watts,[email protected],01859 502222, or

Robin Reid,[email protected] ,01859511136/07929587921

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is

Dark Islands Hotel, Balivanich

Borrodale Hotel, South Uist

Castlebay Hotel, Barra

www.hie.co.uk

Scotland Àrd-amas airson Alba


to approach elected directorsto sign confidentialityagreements (gagging orders)?

As a crofter it is very sad tohear that an agreement madeon May 13, 2009 betweenStoras Uibhist, Askernish GolfClub and the Askernishcrofters has not beenhonoured. The Golf Clubagreed to pay AskernishCrofters Township 50p pervisitor round in compensationfor their 9 hole courseextension. The crofters to keepstock off the machair grazingsand course between 15th Mayand 15th October each year.

To date the township hasreceived no payments fromthe Golf Club but havehonoured their side of theagreement. Why has thisbeen allowed to happen?

Askernish crofters may beminded to re-open their LandCourt action, especially as theLand Court upheld thecrofters rights regarding landaround Snishival Mill lastNovember.

Questions aboutCarnan andAskernish forStoras Uibhist

Archie MacDonald7 TorlumBenbecula

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

It is striking to see how the Co-opis operating off the mainland ofScotland.

Food waste is still ongoing as Iput pen to paper about the practicesof the Co-op Group.

Just recently while visiting theisles and visiting in the various Co-ops new facts have been brought tomy attention.

Take for example the recycle bagthe Co-op has in the shops. Just afew shops offer these to customers,while others have them under thecounter, out of sight.

On Skye, the green plastic Co-opbag is handed out free (e.g.Broadford) to the shopper, but onceyou are on the Western Isles , youneed to pay £0.06 for the bag. Yes, Iknow the Co-op will reply ‘it isbecause of the ferry and fuel’, so itis no surprise no one buys this bag.

I will not mention specific Co-opstores, but some are strugglingwith overstocking, as they can’tplace orders, but just receive largevolumes when lorries arrive.

This means, large volumes ofespecially meat and other products,with a short shelf life are discardedif unsold.

Don’t get me wrong here, it is agood thing we have these stores onthe isles, but is it asking too muchto look at how HQ is running theseshops?

A drastic reduction of plasticwould also benefit our eco-systemand land refill.

Cucumbers, tomatoes, apples,bananas, and other fruit andvegetables, have to be washedanyway, before we can eat them, sowhy all this wrapping? Is thisreally necessary?

About six months ago, the Co-opshops started £0.10 -yes you read it- ten pence items. Let’s call this‘last offers, before the wheeliebins’ or in Co-op words ‘end ofshelf, not fit for consumption’.

No longer is this available, sothese products end up in the wheeliebins at the stores. What a waste!

I do hope that Co-op HQ islooking into these policies, andmake some urgent changes.

Concerns about waste at isles Co-ops

Billy ChungDirector/Founder)Humanos Aid InternationalSC042807Grandtully, Perthshire

The recent publicconsultations carried out byStoras Uibhist regarding arange of future projects tobe funded from the Carnanwind farm raises someinteresting questions.

As the turbines have yet toturn, was this a publicityshow to draw attention awayfrom the current problemswith these turbines?

Will most of the wind farmrevenue be expended onEstate projects and runningcosts instead of benefittingthe whole community?

The wind farm developmenthas had a turbulent andprotracted history. Despite a

Storas Board meeting in early2007 in the sergeant’s mess inBalivanich, at which BrianWilson the ex-EnergyMinister pointed out that gridconnections were ‘like golddust’ it took until March 2010for Storas to discover theyhad been prevented by a localwind turbine installer, whogained his 10 megawatt gridconnection in early 2007.

Why was the power cablenot installed at the same timeas the turbine erection, whichhas lost 6 months ofgeneration revenue over thepast winter?

What is the reason behindan attempt by Storas Uibhist

Express your view in 400 words: [email protected] IN&A does not take responsibility for the views expressed or facts mentioned in readers’ letters.


EncompassFinancial Services Limited

Unit 3 CDA, Balivanich, Isle of Benbecula, HS7 5LA,

Tel: 01870 603100 Fax: 01870 602865

Independent Financial Advice for all yourfinancial needs throughout Scotland

Encompass Financial Services Limitedis authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority

FSA Registration Number: 542984Encompass Financial Services Limited, Registered in Scotland No SC391267

Registration Address: Unit 3, Balivanich, Isle of Benbecula, HS7 5LA

Our comprehensive range of services are listed below.

● Protection● Mortgages*

● Estate Planning● Retirement Solutions

● Savings● Investments

*your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage

Benbecula hotel to become collegestudent accommodation and teaching hub

The students will be in residence fromSeptember until the beginning of June,after which the building will revert to ahotel for the tourist season.

The hotel has been closed to guests forsome time, with the Old Creagorry bar onlyopen to the public on Friday and Saturdaynights.

The bar will continue to be open to thelocal community on those nights after thestudents take up residence.

The hotel’s large function room willprovide an ideal venue for concerts, enablingstudents to practice their performance skills.Other spaces in the hotel will be used forteaching and rehearsal space.

There are 20 bedrooms in the hotel, to berented out to students at £350 per month.The students will have use of the kitchens.

A person responsible for the students’wellbeing and the premises will beavailable 24/7.

The Isle of Benbecula hotel in Creagorry is tohouse music students from Lews Castle CollegeUHI Benbecula campus from September this year.

The move came from conversationsbetween music course leader Anna WendyStevenson and hotel owner StephenPeteranna.

Ms Stevenson said: “The music coursesstarted in Benbecula in 2000 with an NC intraditional music and Gaelic, then weadded the HNC in 2006, and last year wewere given the leadership of the new BA inapplied music for UHI. The profile of theUists as a place to study music has reallygrown. We’re experiencing a big growth inthe amount of students choosing to come toUist, so this has led to the need foradditional accommodation.

“The hotel is within walking distance fromthe college, so it will cut out some of thetransport issues students have experiencedover the years scattered all over Uist.

“The hotel will become a regular featureof the community’s nightlife, withentertainment on tap. We have fantastic

musicians on our courses who are keen toplay together.”

The hotel will be inaugurated as a venuethis month as music students from all overthe Highlands and Islands converge on Uistfor an intensive weekend of music andteaching on April 11.

This will be the first UHI musicresidency to take place in Uist and will

feature a free public performance of thestudents’ critically acclaimed CelticConnections concert in January in Glasgow.

(turn to Music, page 15)

Music course leaders Anna Wendy Stevenson and Simon Bradley in front of the Isle of Benbecula hotel.

Enterprising youngstersorganise medieval banquetin Kisimul CastleBarra youngsters are to host afund-raising medieval banquetin Kisimul Castle this summer.Secondary pupils came upwith the idea as theirsummer business venture,part of the Comhairle’sInclude-Us programme tosupport young people tostay on their own islandsand to developentrepreneurial skills.

The summer enterpriseventure for youth in the Uistsand Barra has been instigatedby Include-Us support workerGordon MacDonald.

He said: “We have a smallbudget to support theyoungsters in a businessventure over the summer, butthe idea must come from them,and be executed by them. It’sall about an insight into theworld of self-employment andwhat it’s like to see a businessidea through from start tofinish. Uist youngsters areworking on their ideas at themoment.”

Include-Us workers have beendelivering a programme ofclasses in Sir E Scott school inHarris, the Nicolson Institutein Stornoway, and Castlebayand Lionacleit schools,exploring the theme ofentrepreneurship.

Mr MacDonald ledsessions for S3s basedon a ‘Can Do Attitude’.Young Stornowayentrepreneur KeithMorrison from the WeeStudio was the guestspeaker in Sir E Scottschool, giving pupils(pictured) insight intohow he took his ideafrom initial concept tosuccessful business.

He said: “I hope myjourney in running myown business will givepupils an insight andmay inspire them toexplore local

opportunities.”Mr MacDonald said: “Keith

is the embodiment of the ‘cando attitude’ we want to helpinstil in our island youth.”

The Include-Us team willdeliver similar sessions to allsecondary schools in the

Western Isles, and plan tobuild on thesessions withinnovative ways topromote islandenterprise as aviable option forisland youth.

©Dylan Macphee


But more than that, we have losteverything else that he gave to theClub: his unfailing support, hismusical knowledge, his encourage-ment particularly to the youngermusicians and his good-humouredfriendship.

Roy rarely missed a Club ceilidhnight, where he took charge of thedonation box with military precision.

He kept an eagle eye on theproceedings, ensuring with an audible“cluck” and a tap of his watch, that westarted and finished on time. Who willkeep us punctual now? Whenmusicians played, they were neveralone…. Roy would be unwittinglyjoining in: sometimes finger-tapping,sometimes humming, giving us atantalising hint of his past medal-winning baritone voice. Latterly, hehad taken to recording the music at theClub on a rather antiquated taperecorder. There was always much

hilarity when asudden burst of theprevious setinterrupted ourplaying as hisfinger caught thewrong button.Indeed, the Clubwill not be thesame without him!

When his health and staminaallowed, Roy came on many of theClub trips to other islands, includingBarra and Harris, where he enjoyedmeeting acquaintances from hisbanking career throughout the islands.

He was great company on these tripsand regaled us with many stories of hispast, remembered in enviable detail.

When a couple of the Club musicianswent into the hospital to play for Roy aweek before he died, he was asked forhis own choice of final tune. Withouthesitation, he asked for the Club’ssignature tune “Father John Macmillanof Barra”. There will now be an addedpoignancy when we play it, as wealways do, at the start of every Clubceilidh night. The thoughts of all theClub members are with his wife Anneand all who respected and cared forRoy Burgess, an affable and courteousgentleman.

Alexander Roy M Burgess 1918-2013

■ Computer/Wifi Access

■ Espresso Coffee, Home Baking

■ Variety of Paninis & Bagels

■ Cheeseburger and Chips, Grill Menu

■ Homemade Salar Salmonpate

■ In our Shop we have Retro Sweets, Costume Jewellery, Harris Tweed Handbags and Mice.

■ Wide range of Contemporary Greetings Cards, Local Artwork andCanvas Prints

■ Not forgetting ourMr Whippy Ice Cream,it’s Heavenly!

LochboisdaleCoffee Shop & Post Office

has

Post Office, Kenneth Drive, Lochboisdale, South Uist HS8 5TH

Tel: 01878700313f: Lochboisdale Internet Coffee Shop T: UistCoffeeShop

‘Mother of all shredders’installed at riding school

A giant industrial paper shredder hasbeen installed in Uist CommunityRiding School (UCRS) in Benbecula.

It is capable of shredding andbaling vast quantities of wastepaper for livestock bedding whichwill ultimately create compostfrom the resulting manure heaps.

The massive machine arrived fromStornoway in pieces. With the help ofa forklift, diagrams and localelectricians the UCRS team, led bySue MacDonald, brought ‘the mother

of all paper shredders’as they call it, back tolife.

Assembling thebaling part of themachine is a challengestill to be conquered,but in the meantimethe shredder isproducing massive bagloads of beddingsuitable for horses,sheep and cattle.

Mrs MacDonaldsaid: “It’s better for the

horses than straw, which can bring in

unhealthy organisms, and it’s farcheaper. Our last winter bedding billwas £400, but with this machinewe’re only paying for the electricity.Shops are donating their wastenewspapers, and private individualsare more than welcome to bring alongtheir waste paper.”

The horses’ soiled bedding ismucked out onto the East Campmanure heap, where it will providecompost for the East CampHorticultural and Social Project.

RSPB is using small piles of theshredded paper in the corner offields, to encourage stinging nettleswhich in turn will attract corncrakes.

Mrs MacDonald said: “Next winterwe will have bales for sale to anyonewho needs bedding for theirlivestock.”

Sue MacDonald is delighted with the paper bedding.

Sophie Templeton and Harris

beneath the giant shredder.

Uist & Benbecula Accordion and FiddleClub pays tribute to the late Roy BurgessWith the passing of Roy Burgess,

the Uist and Benbecula

Accordion and Fiddle Club has

lost its long-standing, hard-

working, nonagenarian Treasurer,

writes Christine Mitchell.Roy Burgess.


LOOKING FOR A HAIRDRESSER? PAINTER? GRASSCUTTER? TAXI?Turn to page 23 for The Advertiser, Island News & Advertiser’s growing directory of local services.

Be part of it. Call 01876 510758

COMPLETE HOUSE BUILD

House PlotsA unique opportunityto purchase houseplots with stunningviews across VallayStrand and to the hillsof Harris.

There are currently two one acre plots available

at the corner of the Committee Road and the

main Malaclate road.

Outline planning permission has been granted for

both plots. Both services (power and water) are

close to hand and will be easily accessed. There is

land available to buy / rent behind both plots for any

client interested in creating a smallholding. Outline

planning permission has also been approved for a

1/3 acre plot beside the entrance track to Vallay

island. This site has uninterrupted panoramic views

over the Vallay Strand towards Harris.

For a One Stop Shop contact: Angus MacDonaldTel: 01876510293 / 07970218904 Project e: [email protected]

Services Available

● Architectural Services● All Building Works● Kit Plans Supplied / Designed● All Plumbing / Electrical Works● Planning Applications● All Joinery Works● Power and Water Connections● Dedicated Project Management● All Groundworks● Scaled Payment Service

ONE SITE UNDER OFFER

View from the plots

BALIVANICH ● BENBECULA

Tagsa Uibhist East Camp

Please phone 01870 602111 for enquiries

● 2 offices available to rent in the Tagsa Building atEast Camp.

● The offices are available now and are non-furnished.

● Offices have adequate space for 2 workers per room.

Feasibility study for business premises in Benbecula

Local businessmen and women have

long complained at the lack of office

space in Balivanich and the Southern

Isles in general.

At present, businesses are occupyingeleven council houses in Balivanich, at a timeof housing shortage.

The £17,000 feasibility study comm-issioned by Highlands and Islands Enterprise(HIE) will look at the condition andavailability of existing commercial property,establish the level of demand and researchpotential sites and budgets for new build.

The study has been procured throughTorrance Partnership and has been awardedto Robert Fraser Architects.

An HIE spokeswoman said: “It is intendedthat the existing and potential future businesscommunity is engaged as an integral part ofthis exercise and adverts will be placed inlocal press in due course.”

A study has been commissioned to look at the need for commercial premises in Benbecula.

Outer Hebrides Commerce Group co-ordinator Gail Robertson urged the businesscommunity to respond to the consultation.

She said: “Now is the time for people tohave a say on what their own requirementsare if this study is to be properly informed.As the study gathers information in regard tothe need for commercial premises and thelack of existing availability, the individualrequirements of each business will have to beassessed too. Every business has differentneeds and a ‘fit for purpose’ for one may not

be fit for another. The study will thereforerequire to be quite extensive and open tosuggestions from all sectors of business toestablish the actual need. Affordability isan issue for a lot of small businesses and thiswill also have to be considered and assessed.”

Meanwhile businessman Angus Doyle(pictured) of Voove IT Solutions said he hadnever been happy to have the Voove shopoccupy a house which could be a home forfamily.

When CnES told him recently he couldnot employ an additional member of staffbecause he did not have adequate parkingspaces, he decided to look at all options.

Mr Doyle said: “We are trying to secureprivate financing for a build in order to beable to employ more staff and offer moreservices to the people of the islands. Wehope to also offer small, purpose builtcommercial retail and office space to

Angus Doyle in the Voove shop.

Develop your confidence and skills as a

leader, in your job and community. Gain an

award with the Institute of Leadership and

Management.

This programme will be delivered over six

days this summer in Gaelic medium, with

learning materials in both Gaelic and

English.

All welcome, no cost, at Cothrom on South

Uist on 25 & 26 April, 6 & 7 June and 28 & 29

August.

Call Kate on 01463 238088 or email

[email protected]

Leasaich do mhisneachd

agus sgilean mar cheannard,

nad obair agus anns an

coimhearsnachd. Gheibh

thu teisteanas bhon

“Institute of Leadership and

Management.”

Thèid am program a

libhrigeadh tro mheadhan na

Gàidhlig le stuthan teagasg

an da chuid ann an Gàidhlig

agus ann am Beurla.

Bì fàilte oirbh, tha an cùrsa

an asgaidh, aig Cothrom,

Uibhist a Deas air 25mh &

26mh An Giblean, 6mh &

7mh an Òg-Mhìos agus

28mh & 29mh An Lùnasdal.

Fòn Kate air 01463 238088

no cuireabh post-dealan

kate@ theacademy-ssea.org

Leadership Award(Gaelic Medium)

Teisteanas ann anCeannardas

other start-ups struggling to find suitablebusiness accommodation if at all possible. We are awaiting the results of the HIEfeasibility study and we remain in contactwith the local community companies andtrusts on possible solutions should HIE notprogress with a build phase themselves.”

He added: “With talk of new homes beingbuilt locally, we need industry and jobs tosupport these new residents.”

8 island news & ADVERTISER - April 2013 Issue 13

● Burning is only permitted within the muirburn dates (between 1st October and 15th April)

● Make sure you have enough people to control the fire

● Let your neighbours and the fire service know your plans

● Do not burn if the weather is unsuitable (too dry or too windy - above force 4)

● Do not burn uphill on steep slopes

● Avoid burning within half a mile of areas where eagles are likely to be nesting, after February.

Most moor fires in the Uists have been started by individuals dropping a match andthen walking off. There is a list of 16 offences in the Muirburn Code that could resultin prosecution.

FOR SALE

Please contactFraser MacDonald on01876 510293 or 07989 224569

● Delicious Uist Lamb

● Cut, vacuumpacked and readyfor the freezer

Continued from front page

Scottish Natural Heritage issued the followingadvice to crofters undertaking muirburn:

Follow the Muirburn Code (copiesavailable from the local RPID office):

It was quite a logistical challenge,but a life-size carving of a famousbear is now in position in woods inNorth Uist.

Not Pooh,not Paddington - it’s

Hercules,the trained grizzly who went

AWOL on Benbecula during the filming

of an Andrex commercial in 1980.

Hercules roamed free for 24 days

before being spotted swimming,

shot with a tranquilliser dart, netted

and flown by helicopter back to his

frantic owner, Andy Robin.

The statue was commissioned by

Langass Woodland Trust in their drive

to make the woodland an educational

and recreational resource.

It’s thought Andy Robin himself

might attend the official opening.

All hands to the pump to manoeuvre Hercules intoplace. Photo courtesy of George MacDonald.

A Herculean task

neighbouring fences. Once theunderlying peat catches fire they canburn for days. It is also an offence to:

● Intentionally or recklessly harass protected birds

● Cause damage to any woodland

They often spread close to roads resultingin cost to the fire service as they try toput it out. It is an offence to:

● Allow a fire to spread within 30m of a public road.

● Create smoke that is a nuisance toresidents.

Last month the fire service wascalled out to more than a dozenwildfires from Stornoway to Barraaffecting hundreds of acres of heathand grassland, burning fence posts,electricity posts and sileage bales.

● Leaving a fire unattended

● Burning at night

● Being unable to control a fire

● Burning outwith the statutory burning season

Uncontrolled moor fires regularly causedamage to nesting birds, woodland, and

The Carinish fire burned for 24 hours, damaging electricity poles and fencing. ©Dylan Macphee

ZETOR MAJOR

www.mclarentractors.co.ukMcLaren Tractors Ltd, Strathpeffer Road, Dingwall,

IV15 9QF, Tel: 01349 867521, Parts: 01349 867210

Full factory warranty up to 4 years availableSubsidised fi nance available over 3-4 years


CroftingCrofting

CROFT PLANS

PREPAREDBASED ON ORDNANCE SURVEY MAP

TO CROFTING COMMISSION

STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTSThe Smallholdings, Kinloss

IV36 3TS

Web: www.altypeplans.co.ukTel: 01309

692004Email: [email protected]

Anneke Kraakman at Bunait.

Ms Kraakman operates Bunait, hermarket garden in Cnoc An Torrain,North Uist on biodynamicprinciples.

She is also one of the co-ordinators onthe East Camp Social & Horticultural

Project at East Camp, Benbecula.

She said: “On the islands we still havean excellent and pure environment forbiodiversity. Things like TB in cattleand varroa in bees are absent whichmeans there exists a fine balance which

we need to maintain. One way of doingthis is to use seeds from conservation ororganic growers like Stormy Hall Seeds,Tamar Organics or the Real SeedsCatalogue.

“At the end of the season when cropshave done well, you can decide to saveyour own seeds that are then more usedto local conditions.”

Ms Kraakman went on: “Manycrofters already save their own seedfrom the corn, and more gardenerscould consider doing this. It’s not hard,all it needs is patience, space andprotection from the wind.”

She added: “In the Carmina Gaedelicathere is a verse that blesses and reveresthe seed at this time of year. In Gaelicculture, planting and harvesting weredone to the rhythm of the moon, whichmany people will remember to this day.It’s very like the biodynamic system.”

Ms Kraakman is one of the growers forBogsa Uibhist, the local veg box schemewhich started last year. She will startsupplying the scheme again from May.

She said she welcomes visitors toBunait to learn more about thebiodynamic system of gardening.

She can be contacted [email protected]

Call for isles growersto stick to pure seeds Uist-based biodynamic horticulturalist Anneke Kraakman

has called on crofters and gardeners to preserve the

purity of the isles’eco-system by using ‘true’seed rather

than hybrid and non-organic varieties.

A new blog by specialist solicitors, Inksters, has

been set up to air issues arising from changes in

crofting law.

In three weeks the firm posted eleven crofting law-

related news items on their general website,

prompting Brian Inkster to set up the new blog.

Mr Inkster said:“Most of these posts relate to the

debacle created by the Crofting Commission when

they suddenly announced that they were no longer

processing applications to decroft made by owner-

occupier crofters. That matter remains unresolved

with a statement awaited from the Scottish

Government on what it is going to do about it.

“Their action, to date, has not been as decisive as

the U-Turn they recently took on the question of

the Raasay crofters and their sporting rights.”

Mr Inkster added: “Crofting law appears to be in

turmoil in a way that it has possibly not been

seen since it was introduced in 1886. The time is

surely ripe for a crofting law blog to air the issues

arising in an open, clear and transparent way.”

The blog can be found at

www.croftinglawblog.com

New blog to tackle “turmoil”in crofting law

NSA Highlandsheep show in Dingwall

A one-day specialist sheep event willtake place on Thursday May 30 inDingwall.

NSA Highlandsheep is beingorganised by the Scottish Region of theNational Sheep Association and will behosted at Dingwall Mart by Dingwalland Highland Marts Ltd.

It will feature 100 trade stands, 30sheep society exhibits, a comprehensiveseminar programme, practicaldemonstrations, educational exhibits, asheep dog trial, various competitions,farmers’ market, meat cutting/cookerydemonstrations and other events ofrelevance to sheep farmers.

A unique multi-breed show and sale ofpairs of breeding ewe hoggs will be oneof the novel features of the event and isexpected to attract a large entry ofquality sheep.

The show and sale will feature up to 13breeds which will compete for a £200first prize in each section, second prizeof £100 and third prize of £50. All sheepentered for the show must be offered forsale.

“The sale will provide buyers with arare opportunity to sourcehigh quality breeding stock atwhat is believed be the firstever collective multi-breedshow and sale of ewe hoggs inScotland,” said NSA Scotlanddevelopment officer, GeorgeMilne.

Judging will commence at10.00am and the sale will takeplace at 3.30pm.

An entry fee of £50 (+ VAT)will apply and classes are

being offered for the following breeds –Beltex, Bluefaced Leicester, Charollais,Jacob, Lleyn, North Country Cheviot(hill), North Country Cheviot (park),Scottish Blackface, Mules, Shetland,Suffolk, Texel and Zwartbles. Closingdate for receipt of entries is Tuesday,April 30. Both MV accredited and non-accredited sheep are eligible.

More information onwww.nsascotland.org.uk


Gaidhlig/GaelicGàidhlig/Gaelic

Tha ar duilleag cunbhalach dà-chànanach Gàidhling ’s Beurla air a thoirt thugaibh le taic bho Bhòrd na GàidhligOur regular Gaelic-English page is brought to you with the assistance of Bòrd na Gàidhlig.

Deasaiche/Editor: Eairdsidh Caimbeul/Archie Campbell

Fàilteair an Dùthaich

I’m a Glasgow man, but my roots inthis big city are not so deep. Mygrandfather on my mother’s sidecame from Mallaig. On my father’sside, my great- great grandfathercame from Donegal. Gaels were notalways welcome in Glasgow,especially the Irish.

For generations, thousands havepoured into Glasgow, and continue todo so. In recent years the influx hasbeen from eastern Europe. The Polescame first. Many of them have havereturned home as the economy hasimproved in Poland. Now we havethe Roma. They have sufferedoppression in their own country, andhave therefore been deniededucational and trainingopportunities. Since the entry of theircountry to the European Union, manyof them have left to seek a better life.

There is a district near me,Govanhill, where many Roma nowlive. The disrict is in a state of declinewith poor housing and alcohol anddrug abuse. Before the influx ofeastern Europeans, many Asianssettled in the area,They’re still hereand relations between them and theRoma are poor. There have been anumber of violent incidents betweenmembers of the the communities.

I’ve seen Roma women rummagingin the bins in Victoria Road, the mainstreet in Govanhill. It’s very obviousthat the Romanian government hasbeen guilty of racial discrimination.

How were they allowed to gainentry to the European Union? TheRomanian government was able toexpel thousands of people itcondsidered undesirable. What aworld we live in!

From his youngest days Rev. RoddyMacLeod remembers two jam dishesbeing in his parents’ home inLochmaddy. His father probably hadbought them at a house sale, probablyat Newton House. He now is thekeeper one of them and his sister,Chrissie Paterson in Stornoway has theother.

It was only in very recent years thathe appreciated the significance of thejam-dishes.

On the handle of one dish there is thisinscription: Mr Macniel Newton fromA.A.C. 12th Jan 1872 A.A.C. is in factAlexander Carmichael (1832-1912)who, while working as an exciseman inUist, collected the amazing traditionalmaterial which is published in thedifferent volumes of Carmina Gadelica.

The other dish has the inscription: MrsMacniel from M.F.C. 12th Jan 1872M.F.C. is clearly Alexander Carmichael’swife, Mary Frances (Macbean). Shewas born in Sutherland and gave greatsupport to her husband while he wasnoting down material from Gaelictradition.

At the time of the 1871 censusCarmichael and his family are shown asliving in the manse of Trumisgarry,where Rev. Donald MacLean (fromTiree) was minister. Interestinglyenough, the eldest son, Alexander,aged two,at the time, is shown in the1871 census as living (perhapstemporarily) at “Newton Farm House.”A. A. Carmichael lived in different partsof Uist while based in the islands..

William MacNeil (Uilleam a’ Chaolais)was a tacksman in North Uist andBerneray in the mid-nineteenth centuryand is buried on the island of Pabbay.

(The spelling “Macniel” on the jam-dishes appears to be an error by theengraver.)

‘S e fear do mhuinntir Ghlaschu a th’ annamach chan eil na freumhaichean agamsa sabhàile mhòr seo cho domhainn.Thàinig mosheanair air taobh mo mhathar à Malaig.Airtaobh m’ athar, thàinig mo shinn shinnsheanair à Dùn nan Gall. Cha robh naGàidheil an còmhnaidh a’ faighinn fàilte annan Glaschu – gu h-àraid na h-Èireannaich.

Thairis air na linntean tha mìltean air abhith a’ dòrtadh a-staigh do Ghlaschu, agustha fhathast. O chionn beaganbhliadhnaichean ‘s iad muinntir na h-Eòrpaan ear a th’ air a bhith a’ tighinn. Bha naPòlainnich ann an toiseach; ach tha mòrandhiubh air a dhol dhachaigh o chionn ‘s gubheil eaconamaidh na Pòlainn fada nas fheàrrna bha e.A-nis, tha na Ròma ann.

Chaidh an cumail sios anns an dùthaichaca fhèin, Romània. Mar sin chaidhcothroman foghlaim ‘s sgilean a thogail achumail bhuapa. Bhon a fhuair an dùthaichaca a-staigh dhan Aonadh Eòrpach thamòran dhiubh air an dùthaich fhàgail a’ lorgbeatha nas fheàrr.

Tha sgìre faisg orm ann an taobh a deasGhlaschu, Cnoc a’ Ghobhainn (Govanhill)far a bheil mòran de mhuinntir Ròma a-nis.Tha an sgìre a’ dol fodha: droch thaigheadas,cion cosnaidh,‘s deoch ‘s drogaichean. Mustàinig na h-Eòrpaich bhon taobh an earthàinig mòran Àisianaich dhan àite.Tha iadfhathast ann agus cha toil le na h-Àisianaichagus na Ròma càch a chèile.Tha sabaideanair a bhith ann eatorra.

Chunnaic mi boireannaich Ròma a’ doltro na bionaichean-sgudail ann an SràidBhictoria, prìomh shràid Chnoc a’Ghobhainn.‘S fhurasta fhaicinn gun robhRiaghaltas Ròmania ri gràin-cinnidh. Ciamara fhuair iad cead fhaighinn a-staigh sanAonadh Eòrpach? Cha chreid mi nach eilpoilitigs a’ Chogaidh Fhuair againn fhathast.Fhuair Riaghaltas Romàinia às le na rinn iadann a bhith a’ faighinn cuidhteas de mhìlteande dhaoine nach robh iad ag iarraidh.Abairsaoghal.

WELCOMETO THECOUNTRYKenneth McManus

Bho làithean òige bha an t-Urr. RuairidhMacLeòid eòlach air a bhith a’ faicinn an dàshoitheach-shilidh seo anns an dachaigh annan Loch nam Madadh. A rèir coltaischeannaich athair iad aig rup, ’s dòcha aigTaigh Mòr Bhaile MhicPhàil. Tha fear dena soithichean aig Ruairidh agus am feareile aig a phiuthair, Crisidh Pheadarsan, annan Steòrnabhagh.

’S ann bho chionn beagan bhliadhnachana thuig e gu bheil ceangal sònraichte eadarna soithichean seo agus sgoilear a rinn obairiongantach as leth beul-aithris nan Gàidheal.

Air an darna fear de na soithichean tha ansgrìobhadh seo: Mr Macniel Newtonfrom A.A.C. 12th Jan 1872 ’S e a thaann an A.A. C.Alastair Mac Ghille Mhìcheil(1832-1912) a chruinnich beairteas a thaobhbeul-aithris nan Gàidheal a chaidhfhoillseachadh ann an leabhraicheanCarmina Gadelica. Chruinnich e mòranden stuth sin nuair a bha e na ghèidsear annan Uibhist.

Air an t-soitheach eile tha an sgrìobhadhseo Mrs Macniel from M.F.C. 12th Jan1872 ’S e M. F. C. bean Alastair, MàiriFrangag, (Màiri NicBeathain), a bhuineadh doChataibh agus a thug cùl-taic da cèile nuair abha esan a’ cruinneachadh beul-aithris.

Nuair a rinneadh Cunntas an t-Sluaigh annan 1871 bha Alastair agus Màiri a’ fuireachann am mansa Thrùmaisgearraidh. (Bha an t-Urr. Dòmhnall MacGhilleathain à Tiriodh namhinistear ann an Trùmaisgearraidh aig an àmsin.) Bha am mac a bu shine aca,Alastair, aoisdà bhliadhna, ann an “Taigh-tuathanaichBhaile Mhic Phàil” an latha a chaidh na h-ainmean a chlàradh. Rinn Mac GhilleMhìcheil a dhachaigh ann an grunn àiteachanann an Uibhist.

Bha Uilleam MacNèill (Uilleam a’Chaolais) na fhear-baile ann an Uibhist aTuath agus ann am Beàrnaraigh mumheadhan na naodhamh linn deug.

(Tha e coltach gur e an neach a rinn ansgrìobhadh air na soithichean a litrich an t-ainm mar seo: Macniel.)

Tormod , mac bràthar an t-Urr MacLeòid, a’toirt sùil gheur air fear de na soithichean-silidh........Rev MacLeod’s nephew, Norman,examines one of the dishes.

Tìodhlac MhicGhille Mhìcheil

TWO NORTH UISTJAM DISHES –AND THE CARMINAGADELICACONNECTION

Coinneach MacMhanais

Canna’s delightful

churches and

stunning beaches

make it the perfect

place for a very

special wedding

A hand-fasting

ceremony on

Coroghon beach –

what could be more

traditional?

Historic Canna

House and

gardens make an

exquisite backdrop

for weddings

Your perfect island wedding and honeymoon retreat

ROMANTIC CANNA

Make your dreams

come true on Canna.

Call NTS on 0844 493 2108

Tighard Guest House is perfect for a

tranquil honeymoon. Talk to us about a

wedding package for the happy couple and

guests.

Canna has three self-catering cottages, two

NTS and one privately owned.

Why not announce

all your family

events -

engagements,

babies, graduations,

milestone birthdays,

In Memoriam.

island news& ADVERTISER

Announceyour

island news& ADVERTISER

in

Married in Pucòn, Chile on March 9 2013,

Rachel Forrest and Alvaro Vejar Zuñiga.

Rachel is the daughter of Susy Macaulay, Cnoc anTorrain, North Uist and Colin Forrest, Dundee.

Gus Macaulay is her step-father. Alvaro is the sonof Astrid Zuñiga Vega and Fadel Vejar Araya

of La Serena and Pucòn, Chile.

Wedding

Your announcementwill bethis size.

To book your space email:

[email protected]

or phone 01876 510758

Only £30

Wedding Special

Marriage Photos courtesy of Lynne Kennedy Photography

II

Advertisement Feature

Artistry, passion andknowledge are all elementsvital to the design ofwedding flowers.

Colours, textures, scents and inspired design byFlùraichean Mhàiri combine to make your wedding atruly special event.

Tell Màiri your story and what your dream weddingflowers would look like.

It’s her job to make it happen within your budget.We believe in making dreams come true!

Màiri’s starting pointis always what thecouple (maybe thebride in particular!)want. What kind ofambience do theywant to create? Whatdo their dreamwedding flowers looklike? What are theircolours? What do theywant and absolutelynot want?

YOUR DREAM WEDDING FLOWERS FROM YOUR FLORIST IN UIST,

Flùraichean Mhàiri

From Uist and based in Uist, Màiri guarantees toprovide you with a friendly, personal and professionalservice. Between the initial meeting and makingyour final decision, you can drop in and see a wholerange of flowers for yourself, quite different fromseeing an image online!

You can see how the various flowers look when puttogether, which means that you have confidence that

come the “Big Day” yourflowers will look as youexpect them to.

Màiri will deliver yourflowers personally on themorning of your wedding tomake sure you are completelyhappy.

You can discuss ideas withyour florist face-to-face, andyou can do this as many times as you like - it needn’tbe between the hours of 9 to 5!

Màiri understands that every bride wants herflowers to be different, and delivered to a budget.Getting married on the island but based elsewhere?No problem, we’ve done that before!

Our aim is to exceed your expectations. Feel free tocall - Màiri will be happy to discuss your flowers withyou and make suggestions on a ‘no obligation’ basis.

Contact Màiri on 01878 700320264 Daliburgh, South Uist, HS8 5SSwww.uistflorist.co.uk

Beautiful bride Kareen Currie of North Uist with her bridesmaids.Flowers by Màiri. Photo by Gordon Willoughby.

Wedding Specialisland news& ADVERTISER

Between 1992 and 2008, his livingroom was the office for civil weddingceremonies, which often spilled outinto his gardens with theirpanoramic views of Blashaval.

With couples allowed since 1977 toget married in any location, Donald wasoften required to officiate on beachesand hillsides, hotels and cottages.

“Many were visitors coming speciallyto Uist to get married here,” he says.

“Often they had no connections withthe islands at all, they just wanted to getmarried here. They came fromeverywhere, Cornwall, Eastern Europe-some still keep in touch to this day.”

His work as a parlour registrar came toan end in 2008, when registration officeswere established in the council offices in

Lewis, Harris, Benbecula and Barra.

Donald’s own marriage in Lochmaddyin December 1961 ended up on thepages of a national newspaper.

“My best man Finlay was in the barwhen he met two men, one aphotographer and one a reporter with theScottish Daily Express. They were inLochmaddy to cover a court case,”Donaldsaid. “They heard about our wedding andasked Finlay if they could go along andtake pictures. Finlay said yes, of course.

“The following day they got in touchto say they were so sorry, had beencalled back to Glasgow but asked if itwould be alright if the bride could getdressed an hour or so earlier to takepictures of her leaving her home, and ifthe groom could get dressed earlier so

that they could take myphotograph outside our housein Minish. This is what theydid.”

Donald and his late wifeSheila’s wedding went off ingrand style in Lochmaddy withmore than 300 guests and afoot-high pile of telegrams.

After their wedding, thecouple set off for theirhoneymoon to Sheila’s aunt’shouse in Paisley, stopping offat the Lochboisdale Hotel fordinner prior to the crossing to Oban.

Donald reminisced: “We heard theboat was running late, so we were stillsitting there at midnight when a mancame over to us and said, are youhungry? We admitted we wouldn’tmind something to eat, and it turned outhe was a traveller who came to Uist twoor three times a year, selling Fray Bentoscorned beef and crisps, so he went andfetched a few tins of corned beef andpackets of crisps. He didn’t haveanything to open the tins with, but we

used my knife and managed to get thefood out for a midnight feast.

“The boat came in eventually and weset off. In calm waters around Tobermorynext day we got up and went to the bar,and the barman was sitting reading apaper. He looked at us and said, is thatyour photo in the paper? And there itwas in the Express.”

Not quite as instant as in today’s socialmedia age, but fast enough to make thehappy couple famous before they hadeven reached the mainland.

The lure of an island weddingHow many people can say they’ve had more than 30weddings in their own living room?Donald Campbell of Lochmaddy can make such a boast,as former ‘parlour registrar’ for North Uist.

Donald Campbell with the photo of his late wife Sheila, takenby Scottish Daily Express photographer on their wedding day.

IIIWedding Specialisland news& ADVERTISER

SMILE! Abigail Treffry sharesher experiences of photographingweddings on BarraThe beautiful beaches help to create a relaxed atmosphere,providing a stunning backdrop for couples enjoying the first andmost special moments of their married lives together.

Advertisement Feature

Is there a song that means so much to you both? Whatare the most romantic words that could ever bespoken? Whatever they are, these could all be part ofyour wedding!

In Scotland today, more and more couples are choosinga Humanist wedding. The 112 Celebrants of theHumanist Society married 2975 couples in 2012, makingus the third-largest and fastest-growing provider of

The dress is made to measure.Why not your ceremony?

Scottish weddings. So if you decide on a Humanistwedding, you’ll be in good company.

Humanists likeourselves believe thateach of us lives one life,and it’s right that welive that as best wecan, supporting oneanother and sharingwith our fellow humanbeings all of theburdens that life brings, and all of the pleasures that lifehas to offer. And that of course is what marriage is allabout – supporting and being there for each other throughgood times and bad, in times of happiness and times ofsorrow, whether the going be easy or difficult.

A Humanist wedding celebrates the people involved -the couple, their families and friends (and sometimes theirkids too) – and has no religious content. It can be held inany place you choose – maybe one that’s special for you –as long as it’s safe and dignified.

Our Celebrants are already authorised to conduct yourwedding, and benefit from regular training and reviews.

Is there a special place you’ve shared?

They work with you over the months, and their job is totailor the ceremony to you – making it a uniquecelebration of your love, and your future lives together. Infact, Humanist weddings are all unique.

You’ll find that we’re full of ideas, not rules. So let’screate your wedding together.

Visit www.humanism-scotland.org.uk to find yourCelebrant. Or you could call 070 1071 4775, or [email protected]

Looking forward to meeting you, and then to helpingyou to have the most special day of your life!

(By the way, our funerals and namings are equallypersonal – in their very different ways. Again, you can findout more from the website, or by contacting us.)

Humanist Society Scotland is a registered Scottish charity (SC 026570)and a Scottish Company limited by guarantee, registered underCompany Number 413697.

© Anthony MacMillan

Barra is certainly a beautiful placeto get married. It’s always wonderfulto be involved in family weddingshere, I also covered some lovelysmall weddings last year where thebride and groom had no familyconnections to the island.

One German couple was touring in atiny camper van and married at theCnES council office. We then spent an

Thinking of taking theplunge? There’s paperworkto do whether it’s a religiousor civil ceremony.

Phone or call in to theregistration office nearest you.

BenbeculaCouncil offices

Balivanich, BenbeculaTel: 01870 602425

BarraCouncil offices

CastlebayTel: 01871 810431

Reg

istr

atio

n O

ffice

s

HarrisOld Primary School

West TarbertTel: 01859 502367

StornowayTown Hall

2 Cromwell Street,StornowayTel: 01851 822620

hour together avoiding drizzly rain tocapture some lovely photographs andthey left a generous donation for a localcharity before continuing their journeythrough the Isles.

So much thought and preparation gointo making a wedding, large or small.It’s my job to do justice to everythingthat people invest in their big day. Ialways scout locations before-hand andoften photograph decorations and place

settings at the beginning of the daybefore photographing the bridal partygetting ready. I always feel veryprivileged to be included in a couple’swedding celebrations and never fail tobe moved by the day. I hope that thiscomes across in the work that I do.

Abigail Treffry has a degree in fineart photography from Glasgow Schoolof Art. She is based in the Isle ofBarra, her work can be viewed atabigailtreffry.com


WildlifeWildlife

Found by a local birdwatcher it is the18th to appear in British waters. TheHebrides have now hosted the lastthree records of this species the othertwo being a female at Coll in 2004 and amale at St Kilda in 2007.

As the North Uist bird is in first-winter

plumage it has yet to attain the morecolourful plumage of an adult. Iceland isthe only European country whereHarlequin Ducks breed and the population(about 14,000) is largelyresident. It may be thatthe Outer Hebrides birdshave originated fromfurther afield from thepartially migratorypopulation of easternCanada. The duck had a close

shave with an otter onFebruary 27. It wasresting on the rocks whenan otter came out of the water and lungedtowards it. The duck flew off in alarm but was none

the worse for the encounter as it was backon the rocks some hours later.

It has now been in residence at Balranaldfor more than a month, with birderscoming from all over the country from asfar afield as Wolverhampton and London

as this is the first male tobe seen in British watersfor a very long time. Also spotted in the area,

and all long-stayers, havebeen two Snow Geese, aRichardson’s CanadaGoose and a Ring-necked Duck.

Other unusual duckshave been a Pochard anda Green-winged Teal.

Flocks of fifty or more Pochard were notunknown on Uist lochs up until the late1980s but nowadays two or three per yearhave become normal. It is possible thatbirds that turn up at this time of the year

are on their way back to breed in Iceland.The Green-winged Teal, like the Ring-

necked, originates from North America.Only a few Iceland and Glaucous Gullshave been around this winter (in someyears there are good influxes). Some othersightings have included nine LaplandBuntings on the machair (a good numberfor the time of year) and a small number ofSnow Buntings. Later in the spring wemight expect some Lapland Buntings tobe in summer plumage as they passthrough on their back to Greenland. Spring migration is already underway

with seabirds heading towards theirbreeding colonies. Other summer visitorswill soon be arriving but most not in anynumbers until well into April or early May.

Extraordinary month for birds in the UistsBirdwatchers from all over the country have been making forBalranald Nature Reserve to see a rare male Harlequin Duck,writes Outer Hebrides bird recorder Brian Rabbitts.

Richardson’s Canada Goose.©Steve Duffield western-isles-wildlife.co.uk

Green-winged teal. ©Steve Duffield western-isles-wildlife.co.uk

Glaucous gull in North Uist.By Brian Rabbitts

Harlequin Duck at Balranald.By Brian Rabbitts

15

Mike Russell with Domhnall Ban and members of Sgoil Lionacleit Pipe Band.

Course leaders Anna Wendy Stevenson (front row right) and Simon Bradley (back row third left) withBenbecula music students. ©Dylan Macphee

MusicMusicApril 2013 Issue 13 - island news & ADVERTISER

For Sale - Assignation of Croft Tenancy

Offers over £145,000

Please contact Uist Property on 01870 602228 for further

information

A rare opportunity to purchase a 3bedroom traditional stone built houseand croft tenancy in the picturesquearea of Ormiclate, South Uist. Theproperty enjoys panoramic viewsover Loch An Duchasaich, the mach-

air and the hills of South Uist. The property is within walkingdistance of stunning white sandy beaches.

The croft extends to 17.85 Ha and benefits from a stone builtbyre.

It’s the first time such a residency hasbeen held in Uist.

The residency, from April 11 to 14,will also see the Isle of Benbecula hotelused as a teaching, rehearsal andperformance venue ahead of plans toturn it into student accommodation andteaching hub in September (see p 5).

The students will enjoy rehearsal,sessions and tuition, and also theopportunity to play at informal sessions inCreagorry Bar and sing with local singersPaul McCallum and Cathie Laing.

Sgoil Lionacleit triumph inschool band championships

Sgoil Lionacleit Pipe Band took best debut band prize at the first everScottish Pipe Band Championships in Edinburgh last month.Some 400 students descended onBroughton High School, representing45 bands from 39 schools.

Sgoil Lionacleit Pipe Band, under thetutelage of Domhnall Ban, shone among21 other bands in their category to takehome the trophy, presented by education

minister Michael Russell, and a chequefor £500.The band was the only one competing

from the Outer Hebrides.Pipe Major Mairi MacInnes said: “When

we won we were so shocked. We couldn’tbelieve it, we were so excited.

“Being pipe major of the band is greatbut being pipe major and collecting ourprize for the pipe band was the bestfeeling ever. I keep re-living that momentand honestly it doesn’t feel real. I was intears and so was everyone.”

Mairi added: “All the early mornings and

the travelling was worth it in the end tocome back with first prize.”

The band played on the ferry on theirreturn, and were shocked to find a heroes’welcome when they returned with friendsand family out in force to greet them witha banner and balloons.

Music residency at Isleof Benbecula Hotel

Edinburgh University Renaissance Singers willperform in Our Lady of the Sea church in Barraon Wednesday April 10, Eriskay Church atlunchtime on Thursday April 11 and St Mary’schurch, Benbecula that evening at 7pm.

The group head to Harris on Friday April 12, where theywill visit St Clements in Rodel for an informal sing.

On Saturday April 13 they will sing in St Peter’sEpiscopalian church, Stornoway.

The public are invited to a ‘Tea andTobar’ concert at 3.30pm on SaturdayApril 13 in the newly refurbishedfunction room in the hotel.

This will be a repeat performance ofthe students’ Celtic Connection concertin January this year.

Music course leader Anna WendyStevenson said: “The material for theconcert was all generated from researchinto the archives of Tobar an Dualchais[Kist o Riches, the online archive ofGaelic and Scots folklore recordings].

“Much of that material has been collectedin Uist so it’s fantastic to bring the studentshere. We’re actually going to meet familydescendants of some of the people whowere recorded on the Tobar an Dualchaiswebsite.

“Everyone is welcome to the concert.We’ll serve tea, sandwiches, cakes and we’llmake it an open event so that people can canfind out what’s going on with the venue,

meet the students and see how the academicprovision works for UHI and Lews Castle’srole in it. We’ll also tell people about ourprogramme events in our new engagementwith the Isle of Benbecula hotel.”

There will be regular weekend musicsessions from now onwards, culminating inthe grand finale of the academic year- theend of session public concert on ThursdayJune 6 at 7.30pm.

UHI BA Hons Applied Music students fromacross the Highlands and Islands will descendon Uist this month for a weekend residency.

Renaissance singerstour Outer Hebrides

© Claire WatsonPhotography.

www.donald-black.com


John Muir DayApril 21 2013 marks the 175th anniversary

of the birth of John Muir, the Scots-born

American explorer, widely regarded as one

of the founding fathers of modern

conservation. Events are taking place

across Scotland throughout 2013 to

celebrate his life and legacy.

As a small boy growing up in Dunbar, Muir

loved to walk along local beaches at the

height of fierce storms, revelling in the

elemental forces of nature. In America, he

fell in love with the breathtaking beauty of

the remote Sierra Nevada mountains and

campaigned for their protection, helping

to establish the world’s first National Park.

He was one of the first people to recognise

the vital importance of wild places, both

for people and wildlife.

The John Muir Trust (JMT) was established

in the UK in 1983 to safeguard our wild

lands and raise awareness of the value of

such places. The Trust has been working in

the Western Isles for the past ten years.

From mountain festivalto wildlife observatoryIsland News & Advertiser looks at the workof the John Muir Trust in Lewis and Harris

The John Muir Trust (JMT) has hadan active but low profile presence inLewis and Harris for the past tenyears.

The Trust has been involved in landbuy-outs, the development of landmanagement projects and events, and arolling programme of conservationprojects staffed by volunteers.

Mick Blunt has been JMT’s Western

Isles area manager since 2004. He iscurrently involved in a joint project innorth Lewis with the Galson Trust andRSPB to develop a new wildlifeobservatory at Loch Stiapabhat, a localnature reserve in Ness which provides avital feeding area for birds migrating toand from their Arctic breeding grounds.

With North Harris Trust, he helpedset up the Harris Mountain Festival,

now an annual fixture celebrating theisland’s spectacular natural environment.

He said: “Our firstinvolvement in the Outer Hebrideswas an invitation from the NorthHarris Trust to become a partner inits historic buyout of the NorthHarris Estate in March 2003. Theestate contains some of the finestwild land in the UK, with stunningmountains, lochs and wildlife. Overthe past decade we have supportedNHT in numerous land managementprojects, and retain a seat on theboard of directors.”JMT volunteers come over to Lewis

and Harris every year to help withconservation projects.

Mr Blunt said: “Activities in recentyears have included beach cleans,footpath repairs, clearing invasivegunnera plants and treeplanting. Volunteers come fromall over the UK and sometimesfrom Europe too, and from allwalks of life. They are united bya love of wild land and a desireto put something back into thesewonderful places.”

Last year, JMT teamed up with newcommunity landowner West HarrisTrust to help in a number of ways,including producing an interpretationplan for visitors to West Harris.

Mr Blunt said: “By working withother like-minded landowners, both community owners and private estates,

we can help people to care for, enjoyand benefit from a much greater area ofwild land than we could ever ownourselves. To put this in perspective, theNorth Harris Trust alone owns moreland than all the John Muir Trustproperties combined.’

JMT volunteers beach cleaning.

JMT volunteers working in Harris.

Harris Mountain Festival 2012 guided walk.

The volunteers repair a path in Ness,Lewis.

APRIL Thursday 18, 11am-3pm

Hushinish to Loch na Cleavaig

Meet: Hushinish car park

(NA 992 120),

Distance: 5 miles

Level: Grade B

Circular walk across machair grassland,

past white sand beaches, into N Harris

hills. Rough coastal path with some

steep sections. Bring lunch.

APRIL Thursday 25, 1- 4pm

Rhenigidale to Loch Trolamaraig

Meet: Rhenigidale (NB 223 016),

Distance: 3 miles

Level: Grade B

Area steeped in history. Easy walk

along the shoreline path past evocative

ruins to the head of Loch Trolamaraig.

NORTH HARRIS TRUST WALKS

All walks free, donations welcome. No dogs.

APRIL Saturday 27,

10am – 2.30pm

North Harris Trust 10th Anniversary

Walk - Amhuinnsuidhe to Hushinish

Meet: Start of track on right just to

the east of Amhuinnsuidhe Castle

(NB 052 077)

Distance: 7 miles

Level: Grade B

Footpath out to spectacular Glen

Cravadale, along the coastline to

Hushinish, stop for lunch on a remote

beach. Booking essential. Bus back to

Amhuinnsuidhe from Hushinish, in

time for a tour around the castle.

More information and to booka place contact Matt Watts– [email protected] call 01859 502222

Exhilarating, inspiring and essentialWild places are special. Th at’s why we work to protect and enhance them for now and future generations.

If you love the natural world, please join us.

Call us on 01796 470080 and ask about membership (quoting Western Isles) or [email protected]

www.johnmuirtrust.org

Th e John Muir Trust is a Scottish charitable company limited by guarantee (Charity No SC002061 Company No SC81620).Registered offi ce: Tower House, Station Road, Pitlochry, PH16 5AN

NeighboursNeighbours17April 2013 Issue 13 - island news & ADVERTISER

Colonsay’s second Book Festival has a stellar cast,with appearances from guests Ian Rankin, CandiaMcWilliam, Maggie Ferguson, Sara Sheridan andMarie Hedderwick, John Burnside, Angus PeterCampbell and Ron Butlin. www.colonsaybookfestival.org.uk

The book festival takes place on April 27 and 28, and

is followed by a three week Festival of Spring fromApril 29 to May 19.

Events range from walks to arts and craft workshops,baking, dancing, exhibitions, ornithology andarchaeology. Prompt booking encouraged.

Email [email protected] or phone07850 230000

● The National Trust for Scotland is offering the

lease of the Tearoom/Restaurant located next to

the Bothy along with an accommodation lease.

● The commercial building is located close to

Canna House and commands a prominent

location on the harbour front.

● The business has the potential to benefit from

our 9,000 yearly visitors from tourships, day

trippers, holiday guests and our recently installed

community yacht moorings facility.

We look forward to welcoming newresidents to join our island community.

EXC

ITIN

G B

USIN

ESS

OPPO

RTU

NIT

Yon

Can

na

Please apply via e-mail to the following: [email protected]

Spotlight on Inner Hebridesin quest for rare beetleThe islands of Coll,Tiree and Mull are the focusof a hunt for a rare beetle with a bizarre life cycle.

The hunt is part of Buglife’s survey thisyear focusing on Scotland’s threespecies of oil beetle, the short-necked,the black and the violet oil beetle, allthreatened.

The beetles can be found on machair,heath, moors, cliff tops and dunes. Theirnumbers have dwindled due to the loss offlower-rich habitats and the decline of thewild bee, upon which they depend for acurious part of their life cycle.

Violet oil beetle.© John Walters

Colonsay Book Festival and Festival of Spring

The females dig burrows to lay theireggs. After hatching the larvae crawl ontothe vegetation and hop aboard passingwild bees, back to their nest to eat its eggsand store of nectar and pollen.

This interdependence means that oilbeetles are a good indicator of the healthof the countryside.

The short-necked oil beetle (Meloebrevicollis) was thought to be extinct inthe UK for more than 50 years until it was

rediscovered in South Devon in 2007.Three years later it turned up on Coll, andthe invertebrateconservation charityBuglife says it has a goodchance of turning up inTiree and Mull also.

Dr Scott Shanks, Buglifeproject officer in Scotlandsaid: “Short-necked oilbeetles could potentially be

f o u n don Tireeand Mull, as thelarva hitch a lifton the back ofsolitary wild bees, so itwould be great if people couldlook out for them there.

“Adult oil beetles can grow to animpressive 3cm long. They get their namefrom a toxic oily substance they releasefrom their legs to deter predators, but aretotally harmless as their favourite foodsare dandelions, buttercups and softgrasses.”

The females like to dig their burrows onbare ground, so can often be seen walkingacross footpaths.

Black oil beetle. © D Nesbitt

Dr Shanks said:“It doesn’t look like we have any records of oil beetles from the Outer Hebrides, but that doesn’t mean

to say they aren’t there, particularly as the young can potentially be carried by bees for a fair distance. There are

records of black and violet oil beetles from Skye, which is probably the nearest.”

Short-necked oil beetle. © John Walters


ArchaeologyArchaeology

At the heart of the Community

Open Monday to Saturday, 8am to 6pm

Telephone: 01876 510257Bayhead, North Uist

● Wide selection ● Friendly service

● Local meat, fish, eggs and seasonal veg

● Fresh baking ● Daily papers

● Fuel

Uncovering the ancient secrets of Loch Paible foreshoreA team of archaeologists from St AndrewsUniversity and volunteers from Uist’s AccessArchaeology group have carried out an exploratorydig on the foreshore of Loch Paible , North Uist.

They dodged the tide and enduredhigh winds and snow flurries to coaxthe sand and peaty deposits along theshoreline to yield their secrets.

At least five sites of potential interest hadbeen noted in a previous Historic Scotlandsurvey of the area, and three extremely rarewooden finds by Fergus, Earl Granvillemarked it out as potentially very significant.

He found two bowls and a small paddle-shaped object with a hole in one end. Theobjects are being held in Stornoway, withone bowl so far dated to the Iron Age.

During the dig, the team found a pointed

wooden stake, burned at one end, ofconsiderable interest to project leader TomDawson of St Andrew University.

He said: “It is in afantastic state ofpreservation, excellentfor radiocarbon dating.“We also exposed more

of a wall which goesround the headland anddisappears under themachair which is whereErskine Beveridgeclaims there is a doune.

Peaty layers have built up against the side ofthe wall containing peat ash, pottery, bone,shell and many other fragments of wood.”1 Using sophisticated geophysicstechnology, the St Andrews team plotted thesolid masses underground on the site, withone circular area possibly confirming theexistence of the doune.

On the foreshore the team excavated in1m grid squares to get an idea of thepotential of the area.

Mr Dawson said: “The water course inthis area has changed direction in the pastten to 15 years from south to north,exposing peaty layers, walls and severalstructures of different shapes and sizes.

The tide here is strong and fast, and weknow in recent history there were signs ofcircular structures stretching to the west,but they have already been lost.”

He added: “ We are taking back samplesof the soil along the foreshore for analysis.It is peaty, but high in sand, so we want tofind out how it has been formed”

The three week dig was funded byScotland’s Coastal Heritage At Risk Project(SCHARP) together with the Crown Estate,Historic Scotland, St Andrew’s Universityand CnES. The dig will now be evaluated,with the possibility of a further excavationof the site in future.Circular and square structures were found on the foreshore.

Painstaking exploratory work on Loch Paible foreshore.

Look SCHARP when you’re walking on the coast

The Outer Hebrides has no lessthan 4,000 coastal sites, including25% of the 940 sites SCHARPdeem to be of the highest priority inthe country.

Interested parties should register atwww.scharp.co.uk tocontribute to the project’sShore UPDATE section.

The website containsSites at Risk mapswhich include WesternIsles sites andmonuments and recordinformation.

There is also a freeShoreUPDATE phoneapp so that members ofthe public can enter

records or submit new sites via theirphone.

The public will also be involved inselecting at least 12 sites threatenedby coastal erosion for ShoreDIG, aproject to supportmore detailedwork on the sites, ranging fromexcavation and survey tointerpretation and virtualreconstructions.

ShoreDig projects will becommunity-led, with SCHARPproviding funding, training andprofessional support.

For more information visit theSCHARP website or [email protected]

Help from the public is being sought by a new nationwide

project to record information

from Scotland’s 12,000 coastal

archaeological sites onto an

online database.

Tom Dawson.

Scotland’s Coastal Heritage At RiskProject (SCHARP) invites all coastalwalkers to enter information andphotographs of the archaeologicalsites they see when they are outand about.

April 2013 Issue 13 - island news & ADVERTISER 19

CommunityCommunity

Angus B MacNeil MP

All enquiries welcome

Tel 01851 702 272E-Mail: [email protected]

Constituency Office,31 Bayhead Street, Stornoway

Isle of Lewis, HS1 2DU

Pupils organised an assault course challenge on Monday,competed against staff in a special ‘Would I Lie to You?’Quiz on Tuesday and battled each other in the greatLionacleit Sumo challenge on Wednesday and Thursday.

Mrs Carter provided a ‘joke-a-thon’ on Thursday, with pupilsraising money to put an end to her terrible jokes!

On Friday pupils came to school wearing red or dressed allmixed up to show support for Red Nose day.

A hugely successful bake sale was also held, with S6 pupilsworking secretively with Miss MacDonald to organise anincredible Harlem Shake/YMCA flash mob performed to theamazed onlookers during morning break.

Friday lunchtime saw the hush-hush ‘big event’ unfold in theform of an ‘Alternative Miss Uist’ competition, with Mrs Reidcompering as several S6 boys accompanied by Mr Fraser and MrHogg glammed it up as candidates for the title of MissAlternative Uist 2013.

The competition was a stunning success with pupils and staffsharing in the good humour of the event to raise money forserious problems.

With Red Noses being sold in the school and donationsflooding in for the various events, the school managed to raisethe sum of £1137.74, a testament to the generosity and kindnessof the Uist community, managing to raise such a large sum ofmoney during times of economic difficulty.

Local businessman runsfor Carinish school

The money will go towards theschool’s charities includingTrianaid, Unicef and MacMillan,and also to improving the school’spublic gardens and ball park.

A delighted Stuart said: “Thanks to

Bayhead shop, Clachan Stores andLangass Lodge for holding mysponsorship forms, to Roddy atCustom Prints for making the twotops I wore on the day, and toeveryone who sponsored me.”

Stuart Menzies of Menzies Private Hire in Carinish presented the pupils of Carinish

school with a cheque for £1116 after completing the Benbecula 10k (see page 20)

Stuart Menzies with pupils of Carnish school.

Bethan sold her baking outside the Bayhead shop.

The Alternative Miss Uist competition was a stunning success.

Comic Relief: Bethan’s icing on the cake

When she realized Comic Relief was coming up,Bethan MacLellan, 10, rolled up her sleeves andtook to the kitchen of her Hougharry home.

The accomplished young baker made a selectionof scones, chocolate truffles, buns and cakes, thenput into action the next part of her plan.

She set up a stall outside Bayhead shop, andstarted selling her baking. Within 45 minutes shehad sold out, netting an impressive £128 forComic Relief.

Bethan said: “Thank you to the Maclean brothersfor letting me pitch outside, and to everyone whobought baking and gave donations.”

Comic Relief: ‘doingsomething funny formoney’at Sgoil LionacleitA week of lunchtime antics at Sgoil Lionacleit

saw a hefty £1137.74 roll in for Comic Relief.

Reflexologist CherylTaylor raised £25 forMacMillan NursesSupport by offeringmassages to runnersafter the Benbecula10k. She is picturedhere with ShonaMorrison who won the female category.

Shona described the massage as ‘fantastic, justwhat I needed.’ Cheryl has raised thousands ofpounds over the years for medical charities offeringsports massages at races.

Fund-raising sports massage

THE GUILDBRING AND BUY SALE

Saturday 13 AprilThe Pier, Castlebay, Barra

Tuesday 16 AprilBorrodale Hotel, Daliburgh, South Uist

Thursday 18 AprilCommunity Hall, Lochmaddy, North Uist

Sunday 21 AprilDark Island Hotel, Liniclate, Benbecula

Tuesday 23 AprilEast Tarbet, Harris

Hebrides:

Episode 3 of the New BBCScotland Natural History SeriesSpecial BBC preview to thank our communitiesfor their help and co-operation

● At a Screen Machine near you

● 13-25 April 2013: 6.30pm start at all venues

ISLANDS ON THE EDGE

Members of the Island Dance Crew(IDC), the Benbecula-based Irishdance group led by Lorna Laird, areheading to Swindon to compete inthe British World Irish DancingAssociation championships onJune 5.

The event is a milestone for thegroup, formed less than two yearsago. To raise funds for the trip, IDClaid on a St Patrick’s Day show inthe Dark Island Hotel, which raised£450.

Earlier this year IDC were putthrough their paces in a workshoprun by champion dancer KirstyLaird of Eireann Go Bragh Schoolof Irish Dance in Glasgow.

Lorna said: “The girls thoroughlyenjoyed it. It was ten hours ofdancing and our legs were killing usnext day.”

Lorna praised the community forthe support they have shown toIDC.

She said: ‘I’d like to thankeveryone for all their support. We’vehad donations from KallinShellfish, the Dark Island, CelticUist Supporters Club, MacInnesBros and there’s more to come. Weraised £191 ourselves through bagpacking at the Co-op. Every pennywill go towards giving the kids theopportunity of dancing on themainland.”

Dancers from age 4 to 16 and aboveare invited to join IDC. Call Lornaon 01870 602820.

The Guild Bring and Buy sale in

Clachan Church Hall

on February 23 raised £1900

for church funds.

Dancers head to British championships

©Dylan Macphee

Tickets are free of charge and must be pre-booked.

Email [email protected] or telephone

0141 422 6211

20

SportSport

● AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS — Full range of Ritchie gates, hurdles, feed and stock handling equipment.

● ANIMALS - Large selection of Cattle, Sheep, Horse and Pig feed.

● BIRD & PET FOOD — Grain, Mash, Pellets,Dried and Canned Dog/Cat food.

● FENCING — Strainers, Stays, Stobs,Barbed/Plain Wire, Rylock, Staples.

● HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES — Cookers,Deep Fat Fryers, Microwave Ovens, Fridges,Freezers, Washing Machines, Tumble Dryers & Kettles.

● FURNITURE - Beds, Bedside Cabinets,Wardrobes, Chest Of Drawers, Dining Tables, Chairs, Coffee Tables, Book-cases & Coat stands.

● HOME HARDWARE — Pots, Pans,Casseroles, Baking/Cooling Trays,Mugs, Jugs, Clocks, Mirrors, Bedding,Curtains, Blinds, Linen & Consumables.

● HEATING APPLIANCES & FUEL — Electric & Gas Heaters, Coal, Logs,Kindling, Bottled Gas and Gas Appliances.

● CLOTHING & FOOTWEAR — Wet Weather Suits, Boiler suits, Jackets, Trousers,Shirts, Socks, Underwear, Gloves, Hats,Wellingtons, Boots and Shoes.

● PAINT — Undercoat, Emulsion, Gloss,Marine, Machinery Enamel.

● TOOLS — Extensive range of Draperquality hand and power tools.

● FIREARMS - Cartridges, Bullets, Pellets.

● NEW - Engine Oil, Tractor Parts, Plumbingand Electrical Accessories.

CO CHOMUNN AN IOCHDAIR LTD

CARNAN STORESCARNAN, SOUTH UIST,WESTERN ISLES, HS8 5RH

Phone: 01870 610205 Fax: 01870610216Email: [email protected]

Opening hours: Mon — Fri: 9 am to 5 pm Saturdays: 9.30 am to 12.30 pm

COMPETITIVE PRICES PLEASE CHECK WITH US BEFORE ORDERING ELSEWHERE

This is just a small selection of whatwe have in stock. Everyone welcome

to call in and look around.

MacRury wins Benbecula 10kStornoway youth worker Willie MacRury won the first roadrace of the season, the Benbecula 10k, with a time of 36.13.First female was Shona Morrison with 45.22. The field of 42 runners enjoyedsunny skies for the race, with aslight breeze to keep them cool.

Mr MacRury, 28, of StornowayRunning and Athletics Club said hewas happy with his time consideringhis winter training had not beengeared towards the 10k.

He said: “I’ve been training for theIsland Games this year in Bermuda,but I’ve not qualified by a fewseconds. We’re appealing, and I hopeto be able to go to the Games but Idecided to come down and have a goat this race.”

The grandson of Katie MacRury ofNunton, Mr MacRury has manyrelations in Benbecula. His fatherNeil was running the Inverness half-marathon that weekend.

Mr MacRury paid tribute to hisrunner-up Angus Campbell (37.20)

He said: “Angus Campbell pushedme all the way. He should quitfootball and take up running. He wasright with me at the 5k mark.”

Mr MacRury’s time left intact the2006 record of 34.49 set by IainMacCorquodale.

First female was keen local runner,Shona Morrison, who set the femalerace record in 2007 with 42.26.

This time she came in with 45.22,“faster than last year,” she said.

The 47 year old has been runningsince she was 34, and has notched upthree Inverness full marathons. Shetreated herself to a post-race massagecourtesy of reflexologist Cheryl Taylor.(see page 19)

Local businessman Stuart Menzies, 41,

completed his first race since his school

days on a high. He had decided to enter the

10k to raise money for Carinish school-

about £100, he thought. An appeal on his

Facebook page brought the Uist

community’s generous spirit to the fore and

he was able to present a cheque for £1116

to the school. (see page 19) Stuart said he

was on cloud nine after the race, which he

completed in 53.33. “I’m wired to the

moon. People’s generosity has been

amazing,” he said.

RNLI fundraising football match

The first ever full marathon in the Outer Hebrideswill take place in Stornoway next year, hosted

by Stornoway Runningand Athletics Club.

Isles’firstfull marathon next year

Stuart Menzies.

Stuart triumphs forCarinish school

Support our Boys!

Southern Isles Emergency Select v Police(Lewis/Harris)

Saturday April 13, 3pm

Lionacleit pitch, Benbeculawith entertainments, refreshments and a flying visit fromthe coastguards

Followed by buffet and dance (ticket only)

Dark Island Hotel. Buffet starts 6.30pm.● Tickets from local outlets and police stations ● Facebook: Southern Isles Emergency Services Cup

Man of the Match sponsored by Island News & Advertiser

Third: Alastair MacDonald.

First: Shona Morrison.

Second: Lena Carter.

Third: Amy Campbell.

First: William MacRury. Second: Angus Campbell.

Benbecula 10k first three winners MALE

Benbecula 10k first three winners FEMALE

William MacRury 36.13Angus Campbell 37.20Alastair MacDonald 40.20

Shona Morrison 45.22Lena Carter 48.22Amy Campbell 50.23


Pictures by Dylan MacPhee

HANDREFLEXOLOGYWORKSHOPSaturday April 20, 2013Dark Island Hotel, Benbecula10am - 4pm. Limited to 10 delegates

£50 Per PersonRefreshments And Lunch Included

Phone Cheryl Taylor On

01870 603754to reserve your placeand not miss out

Barrathon fullysubscribed in six minutesThe Barra Half Marathon’s 250 places were filledjust six minutes after online registration opened.

There is now a waiting listfor other hopefuls.

- - - - -

- - - -- -

-

- -

- - - - - -

Welcome to Paw Prints, where your animals get their chance to shine.

PawPrintsPawPrints

Chester is one of Uist Communty Riding School’s ponies, seen here with one of his best friends, Chloe.

Patch chilling out. He lives in Berneray withJuliet Worboys and Ian Hoyle.

Inca is a regular visitor to the Old School

House in Baleshare, where she stays with the

Gleesons. She says: “Come on down and I’ll

make a real rap-PAW with you.”

Email your hi-res photos to pawprints @islandnewsandadvertiser.com with your name and address,your pet’s name and

anything you’d like to say about them. Then look out for your photo on IN&A’s Paw Print page over the coming months!

Drift with his best friend Chloe. He lovescuddles, climbing on you and running onthe beach. He lives with Katie in Iochdar.

Tara likes to stick her tongue out at visitors. She lives in

Balivanich with her brother Tam and chief of staff, Rosemary.


THE ADVERTISERYOUR NEW DIRECTORY OF LOCAL SERVICES

To advertise in this new section please call 01876 510758 [email protected]

FLAT RATE

£2 per line,minimum three lines

ADVERTISERBusiness Services

The Western IslesOccupational Health,

Safety and Business SupportConsultancy.

Sandwick Management

Systems

Call Donald on

07788 963497

Email:

donaldsandwicksystems.co.uk

Be seen in the

Cycle Shop

Cycle hire, sales, repairs.Rothan Cycles

Tel: 01870 620283

[email protected]

www.rothan.com

Building and RoofingContractors

New builds, Renovations,Roof specialists.Archie Beaton

Tel: 01871 890 374

Mob: 07788 263 080

All types of decorationundertaken.

Ally MacKenzie

Tel: 01870 602725

Mob: 07723013884

Taxis

Prompt Reliable ServiceSketch’s Taxis

Tel: 01870 603427

Mob: 07909 637161

Training

Opportunities for LearningCothrom Ltd

Tel: 01878 700910

www.cothrom.net

Taxis

Isle of Barra local taxiTel: 01871 810012

Mobile: 07974 071255

Graphic Designers

Hebridean Graphics

t: 01876 500469 / 07836 640524

www.hebrideangraphics.com

Sign Makers

Signage - Vehicle livery - LabelsDesign - Manufacture - Install

Hebridean Graphics

t: 01876 500469 / 07836 640524

www.hebrideangraphics.com

Available for Hire15 to 57 Seater Buses

6M Luton Vans.HEBCO

Howmore, Isle of South UistTel: 01870 620 345

Mob: 07900 806 638

Have your business seen throughout the islands for as little as £66 PER YEAR. Flat rate £2 per line, minimum three lines,minimum eleven insertions. Call 01876 510758/[email protected] to book your space.

Insurance Services

Are you paying over the oddsfor your insurance?

Let us offer you a great dealon your personal

and business insurance.Call us now

for a no obligation quotationTel: 01870 60 22 22

email:

[email protected]

Macleod Insurance Services

islandnews& ADVERTISER

Have 6 lines in the directory for as little as £12.00

Pregnancy Crisis

Free confidential counsellingW.I.Pregnancy Crisis Support

Text or phone: 07901966101

Email: westernisles@

careconfidential.com

Painterand Decorator islandnews

& ADVERTISER

Have 9 lines in the directoryfor as little as £18.00

islandnews& ADVERTISER

Have 4 linesin the directory for

as little as £8.00

Digger & Tractor Hire,Landscaping, Access Roads,

Agricultural ShedsBuilding Sand, Gravel,

ConcretingJohn Allan MacLellan

Tel: 01876 510304

Mob: 07786 430989

Agricultural Contractor& Plant Hire

Car CommercialsPlant & Marine Repairs

Grasscutters

Island GrasscuttingN. Uist - Berneray - Grimsay

Call Tom: 0794 7910562

Hairdresser

Shear DesignUnisex salon

Bayhead, North Uist

Call Joanne 07825 741436

Sewing Services

Dressmaking, AlterationsUpholstery, Digital Embroidery

The Sewing Studio

Tel: 07767 838823

Taxis

Airport, ferry, school runsStaff runs & small contracts

24/7 serviceMenzies Private Hire

Tel: 07833 357241

www.mph247.co.uk

Clothing, WorkwearCanvas, Photo Restoration

Balloons & BannersCustom Prints

01870 602515

Photographic Printing

& Graphic Design

Groceries, Gifts, SnacksSummer evening meals

Ardmaree Stores

The Lobster Pot, Berneray

Tel: 01876 540288

Licensed Tearoom

and Shop

APRIL REFUSE COLLECTION SCHEDULE FOR UISTS & BARRA

Criochan, Brevig, Skallary, Leanish,

Earsary,Bolnabodach, Bruernish, Northbay,

Ardveenish, Ardmhor, Airport, Eoligarry

Shops, Hotels, Hospital, Castlebay School,

Vatersay, Heather Hill,Tangasdale,

Borve Craigston, Allasdale, Cuithir, Grean,

Cleat, Northbay Inn

Criochan, Brevig, Skallary, Leanish,

Earsary, Bolnabodach, Bruernish, Northbay,

Ardveenish, Ardmhor, Airport, Eoligarry,

Northbay Inn, Grean, Cleat, Cuithir, Allasdale

Glen, Garrygall, Ledaig, Castlebay Shops, Hotels,

Hospital, Castlebay School, Horve, Kentangaval,

Nask,Vatersay, Heatherhill,Tangasdale, Borve,

Craigston

Glen, Garrygall, Ledaig,

Castlebay Shops, Hotels, Hospital,

Castlebay School, Horve, Kentangaval, Nask,

Barra Refuse Collection – April 2013

UISTMonday 8 Paper/Card 22 April Blue BinEast Gerinish, Rhughasinish, Lochcarnan, Iochdar, Ardnamonie,

Ardivacher, Ardmore, Creagorry, Liniclate & school,Torlum, Hacklet,

Uiskevagh, Petersport,West Camp, Balivanich, Locheport, Berneray,

Clachan Sands,Vallique, Loch Portain, Cheesebay, Lochmaddy, Minish,

Blashaval, Dunganichy.

Tuesdays 9/23 April ResidualSmerclate, Garrynamonie, South Lochboisdale, South Boisdale, North

Boisdale, Daliburgh Commercials and West of; Kilphedar, Strome,

Eriskay, Glendale, Kilbride, Rangehead; Hacklet eastwards; Uiskevagh,

Petersport,West Camp, Balivanich/Aird, Creagorry commercials, Liniclate

commercials, Liniclate Muir, Uachdar, Dunganichy.

Wednesday 10 April Blue Bin 24 April Paper/CardStoneybridge, Locheynort, Dalibrugh, Lochboisdale, Garryhellie,

Askernish, Milton, Kildonan, Bornish, Howmore, Howbeg, Drimsdale,

Stilligarry, Drimore, Gernish, Rangehead, Liniclate commercials,

Balivanich commercials.

Thursdays 11/25 April ResidualClachan, Claddach district, Bayhead, Knockintorran, Balemore, Kyles

Paible, Paible, Sollas, Hosta,Tigharry, Grenitote, Ahmore, Balranald,

Langass Lodge, Hougharry, Middlequarter, Lochmaddy commercials,

Clachan-na-luib, Carinish, Baleshare, Claddach Carinish, Grimsay, Island

Flodda, Gramsdale, Griminish, Nonton, Aird, Muir of Aird.

Mondays 1, 29 April Paper/Card 15 April Blue BinClachan, Claddach district, Bayhead, Knockintorran, Balemore, Kyles

Paible, Paible, Sollas, Hosta,Tigharry, Grenitote, Ahmore, Balranald,

Langass Lodge, Hougharry, Middlequarter, Lochmaddy commercials,

Clachan-na-luib, Carinish, Baleshare, Claddach Carinish, Grimsay, Island

Flodda, Gramsdale, Griminish, Nunton, Aird, Muir of Aird.

Tuesdays 2, 16, 30 April - ResidualStoneybridge, Locheynort, Daliburgh, Lochboisdale, Garryhellie, Askernish,

Milton, Kildonan, Bornish, Howmore, Howbeg, Drimsdale, Stilligarry,

Drimore, Gernish, Rangehead, Rhughasinish, Lochcarnan, Iochdar,

Ardnamonie, Ardivacher, Ardmore, Creagorry, Liniclate & school,Torlum.

Wednesdays 3 April Paper/Card 17 April Blue BinEriskay, Glendale, Kilbride, Smerclate, Garrynamonie, South Lochboisdale,

Daliburgh commercials, Daliburgh- west of Borrodale Hotel, South

Boisdale, North Boisdale, Kilphedar, Strome, Rangehead, DI, IOBHH.

Thursdays 4/18 April ResidualLocheport, Berneray, Clachan Sands,Vallique, Lochportain, Cheesebay,

Blashaval, Minish, Lochmaddy commercials, Bayhead, Claddach, Clachan,

Carinish, Balivanich.

Tuesday

9 Apr, 23 Apr

Residual Collection

Thursday

11 Apr, 25 Apr

Residual Collection

Monday 1 Apr,

29 Apr,

Paper/card

15 Apr Blue Bin

Tuesday 16 Apr

Blue Bin

2 Apr, 30 Apr

Paper/card

Thursday

4 Apr, 18 Apr

Residual Collection


REFUSE & RECYCLING COLLECTIONS IN HARRIS

April 9

Island News & Advertiser is published by Island News & Advertiser Ltd, Sandary Lodge, Isle of North Uist, HS6 5ED Printed by Cumbrian Newsprint, Newspaper House, Dalston Road, Carlisle CA2 5UA

island news & advertiser

Documents

control muirburn

finance available

heronsand eagles

muirburn turns

muirburn period

small areas

hp available free

sea eagles pleaseget