Bomb hoaxes and £6m for rainforest restoration
Read to the end to watch a video from the Remembrance Sunday service at Cove
Hello and welcome to the 102nd Wester Ross Round-up, the newsletter that reads the whole internet for news about our local patch and sends you the bits worth knowing about in a quick summary.
This week we're sending to 1286 people. If you know a friend, neighbour or colleague who might like to get this newsletter, please encourage them to sign up. The more people who read and send us stuff - the more useful the newsletter is.
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🟡 Gairloch local Anne Gray has died. She was known to many as a long-standing presenter of Two Lochs Radio, and then its successor, Wester Ross Radio. The station will broadcast a commemorative show on Saturday. Our thoughts are with her husband Alex, who is also a trustee of the Gairloch and District Times, and his family. More: Facebook
🟡 196 schools throughout the Highlands were sent bomb threats on Wednesday morning. Ullapool High School sent pupils home. Police Scotland later put out a statement that said: "there is nothing to suggest that they represent a credible threat or that there is any wider threat to the public." More: Highland Council and Police Scotland
The Molar Express, a state-of-the-art mobile dental hygiene clinic, is making a visit to Gairloch at Farm & Garden on Friday, December 18. Equipped with a dental surgery, including a sterilisation station, comfortable chair and wheelchair access, the Molar Express ensures that patients receive the same level of care that they would in a bricks-and-mortar clinic, but with the added convenience of eliminating lengthy travel times. Anyone who would like to make an appointment to come aboard can email [email protected]
🟡 A £6m grant has been awarded to a coalition of groups working on restoring the Atlantic rainforest on the west coast of Scotland. Three "hubs" will be created, one of which will be in Torridon. The project will create training and work opportunities for people in Kinlochewe, Shieldaig, Lochcarron, Applecross and Gairloch. More: BBC News
🟡 Galantas Gold has announced a new exploration programme on Gairloch Estate, starting this month.
Ally Tibbitt
🟡 If you have back or joint pain, NHS Highland has expanded the availability of a free digital physiotherapy service called Phio to people registered with a GP in Wester Ross. More: NHS Highland
🟡 Gairloch Active Schools and Poolewe Ceilidh Collective have teamed up to launch a dancing club in Poolewe Village Hall. More: Facebook
🟡 Congratulations to the S1-S3 girls football team from Gairloch High School who only went and won the Small Schools Football tournament, beating Dornoch in the final. More: Facebook
Events
This is just a selection from all the events that have been posted to our people-powered Wester Ross events calendar. There are many more events to check out here. If you know of an event that is not listed on the calendar yet, you can help by adding it using this form. It's the best way to get something listed in this newsletter and in the What's On section of the Gairloch and District Times.
ALSO – if you attend an event because you found out about it here, please help spread the word by telling the organiser.
🟡 Starling Cafe: 'Chance and choice' with Louise Davies
In this conversation, Louise Davies will explore the connections between Fair Trade and climate justice, and what they reveal about our responsibilities to one another in an increasingly interconnected world. Louise Davies is Chief Executive of Scottish Fair Trade. The event is being run to mark Ullapool's 20th year as a Fair Trade Village.
Thu 12 Nov | 6.00pm | Macphail Centre · Ullapool | More info
🟡 The Lochcarron Centre Annual General Meeting
Come along to hear about the work of TLC, plans for the future, and have an opportunity to give your ideas and suggestions. Join us for cheese, refreshments and conversation afterwards.
Thu 12 Nov | 7.00pm | The Lochcarron Centre · Lochcarron & Strathcarron | More info
🟡 Seonaidh Charity
Join us for an evening with local author Seonaidh as he discusses his new Gaelic novel 'An Taobh Dorcha'. An atmospheric and moving tale set in and around Loch Broom in the late 1800s. The evening will be chaired by Andy Grant.
Fri 13 Nov | 5.30pm | Ceilidh Place Ullapool Bookshop · Ullapool | More info
🟡 Drama Workshops [Until Sat]
Wester Ross Drama Group are delighted to have secured the talents of writer/director Nick Fearne to carry out workshops at Gairloch Community Hall. The workshops are free for members and there's still time to join! Contact [email protected] for more information.
Fri 13 Nov | 6.00pm | Gairloch Community Hall · Gairloch | More info
🟡 Held on the High Wire
Balancing urgency and reflection, humour and wonder, Held on the High Wire merges Jenny Qaqundah's raw, vulnerable memoir with Myshkin Warbler's haunting Folk/Jazz music and films. It explores sudden disability, queer family, resilience, love and transformation with rare honesty and exceptional artistry.
Fri 13 Nov | 7.30pm | Macphail Centre · Ullapool | More info
🟡 Winter Doors Open Day & Calendar Launch
We're hosting a Winter doors open day where the museum will be free to visit. You can also pick up a copy of the Museum Calendar for 2027 and browse the shop for gift ideas.
Sat 14 Nov | 10.00am | Gairloch Museum · Gairloch | More info, shared by Eilidh Smith, Gairloch Museum
🟡 Pom-pom craft session
Drop-in pom-pom making craft session for all ages!
Sat 14 Nov | 2.00pm | Gairloch Museum · Gairloch | More info, shared by Eilidh Smith, Gairloch Museum
🟡 Applecross Film Club: Wicked Little Letters
Wicked Little Letters (2023) (15). Bring your friends, neighbours and family. We'd love to see you there. £30 membership / £7 single film / kids free.
Sat 14 Nov | 6.45pm | Applecross Community Hall · Applecross & Shieldaig | More info
🟡 Curry Night
Come and join us for the first of our fundraising nights for the Village Hall Improvement Project! Please email [email protected] to book your places as numbers are limited.
Sat 14 Nov | 7.00pm | Shieldaig Village Hall · Applecross & Shieldaig | More info
🟡 The Big Quiz Night
Join with hundreds of other venues around the country to raise support and awareness of global poverty and how TEAR fund is addressing this. Enjoy refreshments and make a donation if you wish.
Sat 14 Nov | 7.00pm | Free Church Of Scotland · Lochcarron & Strathcarron | More info
🟡 Shane Pendergast and Lucy Farrell
Rooted in the rich traditions of English and Maritime folk music, Lucy Farrell and Shane Pendergast bring together two distinct yet complementary voices in contemporary folk.
Sat 14 Nov | 7.30pm | Poolewe Village Hall · Poolewe | More info
🟡 Reel to Reel: The Choral
Entry by £5 donation on the door. All welcome. Bring your own refreshments. Advisable to bring a cushion.
Sun 15 Nov | 7.00pm | Ullapool Ferry Terminal · Ullapool | More info
🟡 Ceilidh House Gathering [Fortnightly Mon]
Our Ceilidh House gatherings meet once a fortnight and are a welcoming group who enjoy making music, singing or the spoken word.
Mon 16 Nov | 7.00pm | Gairloch Museum · Gairloch | More info, shared by Eilidh Smith, Gairloch Museum
🟡 Aultbea Community Council Meeting - November 2026
Join us in person or online for this month's Community Council Meeting. If you can't attend on the day, then you can email us if you have anything you would like added to the Agenda: [email protected] Location within the hall: Crow's Nest.
Mon 16 Nov | 7.00pm | Aultbea Hall · Aultbea & Laide | More info, shared by Aultbea Community Council
🟡 Tex-Mex Night
Booking advised for this Ewebrew Tex-Mex night.
Tue 17 Nov | 7.00pm | Old School Inverasdale · Poolewe | More info
🟡 Torridon Christmas Market
Festive craft market.
Thu 19 Nov | 10.00am | Loch Torridon Community Centre · Kinlochewe & Torridon | More info
🟡 Wild Country: A film & talk with Dave Macleod
Join legendary Scottish climber Dave Macleod for a screening of his new film 'King of the Rest' and his presentation about a lifetime of using science and experimentation to push the limits of adventurous new routing on the Scottish cliffs.
Thu 19 Nov | 7.00pm | Loch Torridon Community Centre · Kinlochewe & Torridon | More info, shared by Torridon District Community Association
Jobs
Do you have a job vacancy you are trying to fill? Reach even more local people by advertising in the Gairloch and District Times. You can book space here.
🟡 Leiths are looking for a General Manager based at Kishorn Port. More: Leiths
🟡 Mowi are looking for farm technicians at Ardmair and Ardessie. More: Mowi
🟡 Ullapool High School is hiring a technician, working 2 hours per week. More: HiJobs.net
🟡 Cleaners are needed at Ullapool Ferry Terminal. More: Facebook
🟡 A cleaner is also needed for a holiday let at Loch Ewe, paying £170 per change over. More: Facebook
🟡 Applecross Community Hall are looking for quotes from painters that can spruce up the hall. More: Facebook
More News
🟡 The First Minister, John Swinney, has said he will personally intervene in an ongoing row about late Royal Mail deliveries, after NHS Highland confirmed that unreliable postal services had led to patients missing appointments. More: Andrew Learmonth | The Herald
🟡 NHS Highland Charity has been awarded funding as part of a £1 million commitment to help provide temporary accommodation for local families in need over the next few years through Airbnb.org’s Medical Stays programme. More: NHS Highland
The most popular links from last week:
🟡 Gairloch's Shop at The Pier has announced that it is the new sponsor of Wester Ross Youth FC. The new strips look great. More: Facebook
🟡 After a successful bonfire night, Ullapool Fire and Light volunteers launched a crowdfunder to cover the costs of the town's famous creel tree and Christmas lights. The group has already smashed through its £750 target, in part thanks to a £250 donation from local firm TCR Roofing. More: JustGiving
🟡 The Coigach Community Development Company small grant scheme for local organisations is open for applications. More: CCDC
🟡 Valerie Hodgkinson has been announced as the new Operations Manager at Applecross Community Company. More: Facebook
🟡 NatureScot is urging people to be "deer aware" on the roads, as this is the worst time of year for deer collisions. More: NatureScot
🟡 Highlands MSP Maree Todd is urging people to give blood following the declaration of a nationwide "amber alert." She said: "There is an urgent need particularly for O negative and O positive donors, but all blood groups are required to help rebuild stocks." More: Facebook
🟡 The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT) have sent emails warning users that their popular Whale Track App has been hacked. The Trust says users should be extra vigilant for fake emails that appear to come from the Trust and that it is aware of a phishing email claiming to be from HWDT - from an account @hwdt.info which is not associated with the organisation. Concerned users are asked to contact the trust for more information. More: HWDT
🟡 And finally, here is a video from the Arctic Convoy Museum of the Remembrance Day Service at the War Memorial at Cove. More: Facebook
Thanks to Allan Templeton for sending us the photo we used as this week's cover photo. If you've taken any photos of the area recently that you'd like to share with our readers you can upload them here.
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