DID you know that there are such things as Scythe Festivals and Scythe Gatherings and that Gairloch features in the 2008 Scythe Calendar? Why? Because at the Gairloch Gathering this year there will be a scything competition!

COLLECTION points for the Highland Food Bank are now in place in the Gairloch area. This project, initiated by Blythswood Care, provides emergency food supplies to people in need as a short-term measure, allowing some breathing space for them when things are difficult.

AT THE March meeting of Gairloch Community Council, the chairman, Willie Macrae, welcomed former Highland Councillor Roy Macintyre to the meeting, and thanked him for his 20 years' association with Gairloch Community Council as treasurer, then chairman, before taking on the role of Highland Councillor.

THE recent Bring and Buy Sale organised by Gairloch High School as part of an Enterprise initiative raised an amazing £2,633, breaking the previous record by £300.

CONGRATULATIONS to Poolewe Primary School in Wester Ross which has been awarded the Green Flag of the Eco Schools Initiative — the first school on the north-west coast to achieve this prestigious award.

New Era — The familiarly known and long-established business of "K Gunn, Radio Shop", Gairloch, which was recently taken over by Neil and Judy Brady of Strath Stores, is hosting a grand opening event tomorrow, Saturday from 1-3 pm.

A LONG-AWAITED dream is coming to fruition with work having begun in the past weeks on the start of a footpath from Strath to Lonemore in Gairloch. This project has been on the agenda of Gairloch Community Council for over twenty years and was the particular dream of one member, now sadly not with us.

Shieldaig — The local Community Council had a very full agenda at their February meeting.

Shieldaig — Some items from the Community Council's last meeting:

Coppachy to Patagonia — Last summer Isabel Stewart from Fasaich was on voluntary duty in the Gairloch Heritage Museum, when a couple from Patagonia came in to browse. They were MacLeans whose forefathers had emigrated to Patagonia from Loch Maree after the iron-ore mine closed centuries ago.

CONGRATULATIONS to Gairloch High School pupil, Becky Massey, who is to be presented with a Young Quality Scot Award in March.

Best of Fare — The excellent work of Gairloch High School catering staff, under the leadership of Libby McLean, has been recognised by the school inspectors when they visited the school's canteen under the government's initiative Hungry for Success – A Whole School Approach to School Meals in Scotland.

AN illustrated talk will be given in Poolewe Hall on Friday, February 1 at 7.30pm by Tracy McLachlan, Poolewe, following her trip to the village of Mtitu in Tanzania in November last year.

GAIRLOCH couple Les and Irene Lamb have bought the Southern Soaring Company in Omarama, North Otago, New Zealand.

SOME items from the unapproved minutes of Gairloch Community Council's December meeting:

SHIELDAIG ommunity Council held their last meeting of 2007 on Tuesday, December 4.

Kinlochewe/Torridon — At the Community Council's December meeting, the following were among matters discussed:

AS from December 10, changes have been introduced to the Justices of the Peace system with the coming into force of the lay justice provisions of the criminal Proceedings etc. (Reform) (Scotland) Act 2007.

THE Scottish mainland's first new distillery in 30 years is to be built by Inverness-based Rok Tulloch Construction — the first large contract for the company since the appointment of Gairloch man Thom Macleod as their North Regional Construction Director.

Bealach Beag and Bealach Mor — Two organisers of the Bealach Beag hill race, Linda and Alasdair Lawton, attended an open meeting in Shieldaig Village Hall on October 22. The meeting was chaired by Richard Munday, who at the start of the meeting declared a business interest.

SHIELDAIG — Some items from the Community Council's November meeting:

POOLEWE/INVERASDALE — The following report has been received from Wester Loch Ewe Community Council:

ON Wednesday evening last week, STV broadcast a very interesting Gaelic programme, with English sub-titles, which largely showed footage of the 2007 Great Wilderness Challenge.

SOME items reported from the October meeting of Gairloch Community Council.

A WELL-KNOWN minister whose first pastoral charge was in Wester Ross retired last weekend after 40 years in the ministry.

SOME items from Shieldaig Community Council's October meeting —

GAIRLOCH Community Learning Service have arranged the following evening classes which will take place subject to demand —

AS WILL have been seen in the advertisement in last week's Journal, Two Lochs Radio is interested in recording chats with folk who were in the Loch Ewe area at the time of World War II.

SOME items from Shieldaig Community Council's September meeting —

THE following note of thanks has been received from Willie 'Donjie' MacKenzie, following his visit from Western Canada earlier this year:

Over the Bealach — Some 580 cyclists took part in the Bealach Mòr Cycle Run on the first day of September.

MRS Marjory (May) MacKenzie recently passed away in Buckie at the age of 97. Her death marks the end of a large and notable Gairloch generation.

SOME items form the new Shieldaig Community Council's inaugural meeting:

TWO Lochs Radio in Wester Ross has become the first local radio station in the UK to offer its advertising spots for sale through the online auction site eBay. Station Manager, Alex Gray, says that Two Lochs Radio in the north-west Highlands has always been ready to experiment with new ideas in programmes and is just as ready to consider new ways of doing business.

THE 100-mile sponsored cycle run in aid of the Csemete Nursery in Cluj, Romania takes place again this year – on Saturday, September 15. More cyclists will participate in this year’s event to raise funds for the Nursery and also for the work of the Acts Trust with impoverished teenagers in Romania’s Hunedoara county.

SATURDAY is one of the biggest days of the year in the Wester Ross calendar as young and old take to the hills in the Great Wilderness Challenge.

Shieldaig — Some items from the Community Council’s June meeting:

IAIN Beaton from Mellon Charles, Aultbea, joined the NATO depot in Aultbea when it was first commissioned in 1966, having previously worked on its construction.

SOME 15 years after the launch of the project, a woodland regeneration scheme in part of Gairloch Estate has finally come to fruition.

Well done, Lorna — Among the twenty-four Highland students who graduated as teachers at a ceremony in Inverness Town House recently was Dr Lorna Nelson of Gairloch.

The Gathering - A report on the sixth Gairloch Highland Gathering, which, unfortunately, I missed because of a prior engagement, indicates that it was a great success.

Octogenarian — A family meal was arranged in Poolewe Hotel to celebrate the eightieth birthday of Angus MacKenzie formerly of Seabank, Sand, Laide, now living at Isle View Nursing Home, Aultbea.

Shieldaig: Some further items from the community council's May meeting:

AFTER several months absence to allow for the refurbishment of Strathburn House in Gairloch, the residents returned home there on Thursday of last week.

A FOOTBALL team from Gairloch Primary School Gaelic Medium Department took part in a Gaelic inter-schools competition at the Bught Park, Inverness two weeks ago. It featured teams from all across Scotland, including Glasgow, Skye, Lewis, Inverness, Wester Ross and Newtonmore.

A FORMER dux of Gairloch High School has achieved a remarkable double.

THE question of reintroducing red squirrels to an estate in Wester Ross is under consideration.

A SPOKESMAN for the Met Office recently agreed that reports from Aultbea give a far more representative picture of weather conditions in Wester Ross than reports from Glascarnoch.

MORE than 50 members of the Macaskill clan, including spouses, gathered in Gairloch recently for a reunion.

A WELL-KNOWN and popular local Kinlochewe personality retires today (Friday) after 34 years as head teacher in Kinlochewe Primary School.

Shieldaig — The following is the Chairman's Report at the Annual General Meeting of Shieldaig Community Council (Comhairle Choimhearsnachd Sildeag).

GAIRLOCH Community Hall was the location for a gathering of almost one hundred people on Monday evening of this week to mark the occasion of the retirement of Kenny John Urquhart from the treasurership of the Gairloch and Kinlochewe Free Church congregation after a period of devoted and loyal service stretching to 31 years.

THE following are some items from the Kinlochewe/Torridon Community Council's AGM and regular meeting held on 4 April:

Meur Loch Ewe of An Comunn Gàidhealach will host its 4th Annual Cuirm nan Coisirean (Gathering of Gaelic Choirs) in Poolewe Hall on Friday and Saturday of next week — April 20 and 21.

GAIRLOCH – Some items from the Community Council's March meeting:

THE next Strupag Day will be in Gairloch Community Centre on Friday, March 30 from noon until 2.30pm. 

THE local ATC held an Open Day at their Gairloch HQ last Saturday. It was a sheer pleasure to meet the young folk and other personnel involved, and to get an insight of what they do and what their aims are.

Gairloch Show — The organisers of the Gairloch and District Show state, “It’s that time of year again — the time to sow your seeds, take up your needle work and practise your baking skills for the 2007 Gairloch Show.

IF ANYONE has photographs relating to the days of drovers, such as cattle being driven, or of drovers themselves, the Highland Livestock Heritage Society would welcome them.

THREE weeks ago Catriona and I decided to take a mini-tour of Wester Ross, visiting Torridon, Shieldaig and Lochcarron.

SOME items from Shieldaig Community Council’s January meeting:

THE Wester Ross 2001 contingency fund, set up when Wester Ross man David Green was convener of Highland Council, is to be wound up when ward boundary changes take effect in May.

AN interesting book launch took place in Poolewe Village Hall on Friday of last week.

SOME items from the most recent meeting of Shieldaig Community Council:

THE following report has been issued by the co-ordinator of the very successful Gairloch Community Car Scheme:

AT a recent meeting of Gairloch Community Council, a joint presentation was given by the Highland Small Communities Housing Trust and Albyn Housing.

ITEMS from a meeting of Sheildaig Community Council included: North Applecross coast road - It was noted that Ian Hay from the roads department would attend the next meeting.

AT the most recent meeting of Gairloch Community Council, one of the main items on the agenda was the problems being experienced with Scottish Water, particularly by those negotiating for connections for new houses.

A GREEN tourism event has been arranged to take place in Poolewe Village Hall on Monday, Otober 30 from 10.30am to 4pm, with lunch provided.

LAST year more than 110,000 Christmas shoeboxes were sent via Blythswood Care to Eastern Europe, giving much joy and pleasure to the children and adults who received them.

VEG GROWERS - Members of the Wester Ross Crofting Initiative, along with representatives of Loch Ewe Action Forum, recently paid a fact-finding visit to the Island of Skye. A hydroponicum, herb growers and mushroom growers were among the places visited.

COMMUNITY COUNCIL - Some items from the most recent Gairloch Community Council meeting:

REV Derek Morrison, Dr Gerry Baptist, and Margaret and Hedley Calvert from the Gairloch Church of Scotland congregation, along with friend Len Gruber from Edinburgh, undertook and completed a 108mile cycle run on Monday to raise money for the development of a Christian pre-school nursery in Cluj, Romania.

THE annual Gairloch and District Show took place on Saturday, August 26 and was much enjoyed by everyone who attended.

SHIELDAIG - Some matters from the Community Council's August meeting:

THREE weeks ago, in preparation for taking part in the Great Wilderness Challenge, we decided to explore new ground; so we walked a round trip of nearly 12 miles up by the Gruinard River to Loch na Sealga, which lies at the south end of the majestic An Teallach.

A HIGHLY-respected Gairloch personality passed away in Raigmore Hospital, Inverness last month after a brief illness.

POOLEWE/INVERASDALE - Matters dealt with at Wester Loch Ewe Community Council's August meeting included:

CONGRATULATIONS to Andy Keveren on his record breaking goal-scoring exploits for Gairloch/Aultbea United, in this his first year playing for the club.

PRIZEWINNERS in the 29th annual Gairloch and District Sheepdog Trials held at Achtercairn Farm in Gairloch two weeks ago were:

AULTBEA FUN - Aultbea Fun Day is arranged for Saturday, July 29 at MacLennan Park. The previous evening the usual Raft Race takes place from Aultbea Pier to Aultbea Hotel at 7pm.

SOME items from Wester Loch Ewe Community Council's July meeting:

TORRIDON/KINLOCHEWE - Some items from the local community council's Annual General Meeting and regular meeting held last month:

SHIELDAIG - Some items from the local community council's June meeting:

PINCREG - It is proposed to set up a Poolewe, Inverasdale, Naast and Cove Renewable Energy Group, the aim of which is to explore and promote renewable energy in the Wester Loch Ewe area. A meeting to this end will be held in Poolewe Village Hall on Monday, July 3 at 7.30pm.

ON June 24 there will be a display of artwork by the children and older people of Gairloch, Aultbea, Poolewe, Inverasdale, Lochcarron and Ullapool in Poolewe Village Hall from noon onwards.

TWO well-known Gairloch personalities have passed away in recent weeks.

ALL those who knew the late Roy Wentworth, and particularly those who could speak even a little of his much loved and adopted language, also knew that he always had a notebook at the ready to take details of any word or phrase with which he was not familiar in Gaelic.

AROUND 20 people attended the inaugural meeting of Gaidhlig San Dachaidh, Ghearrloch (Gaelic in the Home, Gairloch) last week.

BEETLE FOR GATHERING - Local businessman Neil Brady has restored a 40-year-old Volkswagen Beetle for the 2006 Gairloch Highland Gathering, and it has become a regular sight in the village over the past couple of weeks.