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25th April 2008

Durness Community Council

Since three years have passed since the last community council elections nominations are now invited for the election of seven Community Councillors to the Durness Community Council. Nomination Papers are available from Yvonne Mackay, Secretary, Heatherlea, Durness, Sutherland, IV27 4PZ or Durness Service Point. All electors in the Community Council area are entitled to stand. The Nomination Papers, duly proposed and seconded by eligible electors must be received by Yvonne Mackay at the above address no later than 5pm on 2nd May 2008. An election will take place on 22nd May 2008. Yvonne has also tendered her resignation as secretary and this paid post is vacant. Current community councillors are Mary Mackay, Jock Sutherland, John Morrison, Iris Mackay, Ronnie Lansley, Anne Mackenzie and Andrew Marsham.

School Sale of Work

Picture attached

The annual school sale took place last Saturday. After the opening by Councillor Linda Munro welcoming everyone and encouraging them to spend the stall in the dining room was kept busy. Home baking, books, bric a brack, clothes and selection of new and used articles all were thoroughly scrutinised by a good crowd of customers. The customary raffle and bottle stall were augmented by games being organised by the older children of the school from the school council. A total of £670 was raised for school council funds.

New Song of Ceannabeinne

The Ceannabeinne heritage project that has been carried out on the pre clearance township of Ceannabeinne has inspired local man Marty Mackay to write and record a ballad “The Ceannabeinne Uprising” The song tells the story concisely of the hardship and resistance that was raised by the people when they were told of their eviction in 1841. Marty has captured the essence of the scenes that were recorded at the time by the local press. Marty is a well known local musician singer and guitarist with Blue Ridge but also found many a time in a duo with accordionist John Carbrek Morrison.
The new song has been included on the DVD documentary dramatisation that has been created as part of the project but will be included and available as a recording in its own right. The community-focused project was to consolidate or conserve, identify the visible and accessible archaeological features of Ceannabeinne township for promotion to the public and provide informative access and interpret the biggest well preserved pre clearance farm town in Sutherland.
Undertaken by Durness Development Group the project involved making a trail with interpretation panels and recreating dramatically the story in a new and old documentary form using digital media. Professional archaeologists were commissioned to research, record and make available information to interpret local history. Dry stane dykes have been rebuilt and in formative leaflet “The Durness Riots” is under design to provide detailed background to the historical story. It is aimed to have the trail open for the summer. The project was funded by the Heritage Lotteries, Highland Year of Culture and Scottish Natural heritage.


Loch Croispol Gallery

Two artists have opened a new double exhibition in the Loch Croispol Gallery in Balnakeil Craft Village.
Susan Bewley, born and brought up in the Highlands, lived on the islands and currently teaches English at Kinlochbervie High School. Her interest in art and poetry started at Elphin Primary School in Sutherland many years ago, and continues to this day. When not teaching, painting or spending time with her large family, Susan is often found on her boat, itself an inspiration both from its traditional lines and from the access it gives to otherwise unreachable corners of the region. Art and the sea run in the family: her brother Iain Matheson exhibits local landscapes in the Black Isle and her daughter Hermione Lamond is well known in Skyefor her maritime art.
Susan works mainly with oil, and her work ranges from still life to landscapes to abstract interpretations of the natural world.
Margaret C. M. Telfer, D. A., B.A spent many years teaching art and design in Glasgow, Renfrewshire and Ayrshire, before moving to Skerray on Sutherland's north coast in 1991. Before moving north, she regularly exhibited her work at the Royal Glasgow Institute and Paisley Art Institute, and had solo and two-person exhibitions at the Annan Gallery, Glasgow, the Kelly Gallery, Glasgow and the Maclaurin Gallery, Ayr, as well as participating in many shared exhibitions in smaller galleries throughout Scotland. She has had solo and two-person exhibitions at Timespan Gallery, Helmsdale, and was recently employed by as Co-ordinator of Timespan's Outreach Residency Programme. She was one of four artists exhibiting in "The Highlands - A Hard Life " at Lyth Arts Centre, Caithness. She was also one of the artists who worked with local poets as part of a multi-media exhibition which toured Sutherland and Wester Ross, funded by Highland 2007. In August 2006, she was Artist in Residence in the village of Gergeri in Crete, as part of their annual Arts & Heritage Festival. Margaret uses a variety of media and printmaking. and the work on display here uses acrylic, pastel, gouache, oil and pencil. Her work is inspired by the landscape and the people and animals who live and work in it. It displays empathy, sensitivity and on occasions humour.