Porthenderson: Past and Present Gairloch Heritage Museum will host an exhibition about the village of Porthenderson from Saturday, September 17 to Saturday, October 29. There will be a preview on Friday, September 16 at 7.30pm.
The following appetite-whetting information is available in advance of the preview. "In 1815 Sir Hector Mackenzie, Laird of Gairloch, allocated the land which is now called Porthenderson to 22 men so that a fishing village could be set up. The fishermen's houses were built along the shoreline and are still in evidence. Although the appearance of Porthenderson changed when crofting townships were established in 1845, its inhabitants clung on to their fishing origins. This exhibition traces Porthenderson from its beginnings to the present day.
"All ruins have been surveyed and recorded; the importance of fishing has been detailed; each croft has been charted; census and estate records have been analysed; photographs have been collected and information from residents has been recorded. The exhibition is part of Scotland's Rural Past's local history project and should be of interest to local residents and to visitors."
If the exhibition is anything like the one on Lonemore, a visit is "a must".
Young Photographers Information passed on from a former popular Wester Ross resident (RR) regarding the Scottish National Rural Network, "We're also running a competition for young photographers on the theme Seasons of Rural Scotland. We've decided to extend the deadline to September 23 to allow more young people to submit their entries. So far, we've received some fantastic photos, but we'd like more please! If you know a budding photographer, or work with young people, please let them know about our competition. You can get more information on the website www.ruralgateway.org.uk/en/node/3843." Thanks, Robbie.
Torridon/Kinlochewe Some items from Torridon and Kinlochewe Community Council:
Torridon Primary School; A letter about the school was passed around members, but the only matter relevant to the community council was the statement that the "situation with Torridon Primary School continues to be unresolved".
Winter Gritting: It was reported that Highland Councillor Richard Greene had been in continuous dialogue with TEC Services since the winter. Failings were identified with the gritting in the area of Wester Ross, but having these recognised requires continual pressure.
Richard outlined a number of positive points: a) There will be a new covered storage area for 1,000 tons of salt in Gairloch, although there are currently delays to the project; b) There is a possibility that salt (supplied from Ireland) will be brought into Kishorn which would improve deliveries in the area; c) There is hope that local contractors will be used again - there was much discussion of the intense bureaucracy and vagueness of the tendering process. Colin and Michelle Stevenson (members of the public) outlined their experience of forms with irrelevant questions (eg rates for supplying a JCB rather than a plough), getting unsatisfactory replies to questions, and eventually giving up. These were explained as being needed to comply with EU tendering requirements, but members thought that surely some simplification would be possible. A report from the recent ward forum meeting indicated that there is not yet completely common ground (agreement) as to the problems and solutions. A very difficult issue to address is whether the past two very cold winters or whether the previous, much milder, winters, are representative of what Highland Council should now expect and plan for - it being unrealistic to plan for unrepresentative weather.
There was also much discussion about communication - the Gairloch High School head teacher was vocal regarding the need for better communication. Highland Council is to look into this - an internet system is being considered - and in the view of community council members, it would be the only means of communicating with large numbers of people simultaneously.
Gairloch High School Concerned about the reducing number of teachers and possibly the loss of one subject department, well over one hundred people attended the meeting of the High School Parent Council last week which was attended by Mr Calum MacSween, acting head of education.
The main topics of discussion were the apparent unfairness of the pupil/teacher ratio formula applied in a "one size fits all" way but which leaves a rural High School such as Gairloch at a distinct disadvantage, given that there are no other High School options or College facilities within reasonable travelling distance, and the arguably indiscriminate budget cuts. The meeting was reminded that a hard fight took place in the late 70s and early 80s to achieve the greatly appreciated full six-year status to the advantage both of the young folk and the communities of Wester Ross and that, equally, a battle would have to be engaged in to maintain this level of education.
It was decided unanimously to present a strong case for Gairloch High School to the Commission on Rural Education, which was recently set up by the Scottish government to examine how the delivery of rural education can maximise the attainment and life chances of young people in rural areas, as well as the link between rural education and rural communities.
Secretary for Education Mike Russell has said in regard to the Commission, "Over the coming months, members will be getting out and about to rural Scotland to hear about the issues for themselves.
"There will be plenty of opportunities to submit views and I would urge everyone with an interest to contribute to the Commission's work."
As was reported in last week's Journal, a local action group REAct (Rural Education Action) has been set up to try to address the concerns of both parents and the community. Let's do all we can to give it our support!
