Return to Durness Local News

18th April 2008

Ceannabeinne and the Highlands

STV broadcast the first in the series of the story of the Highlands last Sunday night. The subsequent five programmes will be shown at 5:45pm on the following five Sundays. Durness & Ceannabeinne are featured in the fourth programme of the series. This was filmed during the project to interpret and provide a trial around the preclearance township. The local DVD that was recorded as a dramatisation documentary was shown to the people involved last Sunday and will be available for local distribution in the near future.

Ward Forum

The latest ward forum was held last Saturday in Durness. Representatives from Durness, Tongue, Melness and Skerray, Bettyhill Melvich, Strathy, Bonar Bridge and Lairg were present. The meeting was chaired by Cllr Linda Munro.
Highland Council Corporate manager gave a review of ward forums. And asked that community council and those involved should participate in the ward forum evaluation It is now around 9 months since the first Ward Forum were held in Highland. These meetings were established to allow the scrutiny of the delivery of Council services. They were also set up to encourage a closer local working relationship to develop between partners from Community Councils, community groups, schools, Northern Constabulary NHS and other public agencies. To take stock of the meetings which have taken place and to consider if and how they can become more helpful this evaluation should be completed on the appropriate form and returned Bob Cameron, Corporate Manager, Ross, Skye and Lochaber before the 30th April 2008. This will help to shape the future ward fora and lead to more effective service delivery.
Education Culture and Sports manager Graham Nichols gave a presentation of the work and responsibilities of his team, the biggest of the Council’s services. The main concern being expressed by Community Councils is the policy of the Highland council for clustering schools and operating with a head teacher that is responsible for more than one school. Communities in the north in particular are concerned that this leads to a further break up of communities and removes key workers from them.
Concern was again expressed about the Ambulance service and Councillor Farlow informed the forum that ongoing measures were underway to try and produce a plan that could be presented for approval to the Scottish Government to run a pilot scheme in North Sutherland that was more suitable to the locality. He will keep Community Councils and the forum informed of this.
All the communities are disturbed about the lack of Police cover and in some villages people feel the control of youths is unsatisfactory. There is an escalation of vandalism. Without adequate cover the irresponsible parties know that there is no police presence and take advantage of the situation. Ward manager Andy Mackay informed the meeting that he had recently learned that the chief constable recognises the under staffing and extra officers are to be deployed at Bettyhill and Lairg. Frances Gunn of Tongue Melness and Skerray Community Council updated the forum on the advantages of community youth workers working with young people in the communities and addressing local concerns regarding young people. This has been on going in Durness for several years and followed by Tongue has alleviated the situation in Tongue. The community Councils were advised that the Highland Council Youth Development Workers based in the schools at Kinlochbervie and Bettyhill were available to work with the communities to involve and support young people.
Three young girls form Kinlochbervie High school, Lucy Laing, Miranda MacDonald and Karen Mackay addressed the meeting who recently were awarded the young Scot award and highlighted some of the great work carried out by Young people. Karen obtained her Young Quality Scot award for her involvement in the Highland Youth Voice Executive Committee and her work in helping to get a Youth Café for KLB. Miranda got her award for her work with the trip to Auschwitz in Poland and the presentations she did to the school on her return and also her work towards getting the Youth café for KLB. Lucy got her award for her work with the younger students in the school, by supporting them during class time etc and also for her involvement with her local community council (KLB).All present agreed that it is only a small minority that cause trouble and with adequate resources targeted at constructive opportunities the young people can be an asset to the communities.

Fishing

The first brown trout of the year was caught in Durness on Loch Lanish last Sunday. A three and a half pound fish was landed from the famous limestone lochs by Mr Mac Ritchie. Boat and Bank Fishing is available on the Durness limestone lochs now under the management of Keoldale Sheep Stock Club who have the sole rights lochs Borralie and Lanish with rights on Caladail and Croispol. Boats are available on the Kyle of Durness for Salmon and Sea Trout. For further information contact Martin Mackay, Telephone 01971511255 e mail martin@glengolly.com