Crumbs closing, quad stolen, and call for school improvements

Hello and welcome to this week's edition of the Wester Ross Round-up. Each week we scan the feeds and compile all the useful local news and events into one handy place. If you know someone who might value this newsletter please forward it to them and encourage them to sign up. Email is much more reliable than Facebook for important updates. And if you've just found us, sign up by tapping the button below. It's free.

🟡 The owners of Gairloch takeaway and catering outlet Crumbs have announced that they are to close the business for good in October. In a statement they thanked their customers and said: "Crumbs has been a part of Gairloch for over 10 years and we have had some really good years over that time. We were excited to take things forward this year, with new ideas.

"However, a barrage of curve balls in the last 18 months have made the business no longer viable. We have seen a huge drop in customer numbers this year, there are less visitors around, and less locals calling in too. We have seen a big change since the arrival of the Co-Op, it has hit us harder than we expected. As well as this our building is due to be sold anytime, our costs are going up by the month, and with those amongst other things, as a small business we just can’t make it work any more." More: Facebook

🟡 Laide and Aultbea Community Woodland has had a brand new quad bike stolen from a container in the woodland car park. Locals have been asked to keep an eye out for anyone using or trying to sell a Beige Yamaha Kodiak 450. The Police have appealed for information. They said on social media: “Anyone who can assist is asked to contact Police Scotland via 101. Alternatively, you can contact anonymously Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, quoting crime reference number CR/0375250/26.” More: Facebook

🟡 Ullapool has been named among just ten places in the whole of Europe as the latest location for a Tesla Supercharger site. Who knows when or where it will actually appear? More: NotATeslaApp.com

🟡 Highland Council has voted to proceed with a proposed visitor levy that could raise £9.5m a year. There will be a 12-week consultation process next, but it could be at least 18 months before any new tax comes into force. More: BBC News

🟡 HMIE, the body responsible for assessing schools, has released a new inspection report into Ullapool Primary and Nursery School. Inspectors did not give a glowing report card. The school and nursery was rated as just "satisfactory", on most indicators, but they said the primary school was "weak" for "raising attainment and achievement." On the plus side, they said the the newly appointed headteacher is "making a positive difference... and is beginning to lead well-judged changes." Inspectors will return within a year to see if improvements have been made. More: HMIE

🟡 Art Week 2026 kicks off from September 4. We've added as many of the events as we can to our online calendar, but it's worth checking out the An Talla Solais website for all the details, including the Art Trail. More: An Talla Solais

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.

🟡 Model Exhibition
Come along to meet some of our local model enthusiasts. See their finished projects and work in progress, perhaps start a new hobby just in time for Christmas. Entry by donation.
Sat 29 Aug | 11.00am | Aultbea Community Hub · Aultbea & Laide | More info

🟡 Mairearad Green
I Swallowed The Sky August Tour. Joined by Mike Vass. For tickets and information visit https://mairearadgreen.co.uk.
Sat 29 Aug | 7.00pm | Coigach Community Hall · Achiltibuie & Summer Isles | More info

🟡 Ape House
Ape House is a Glasgow and Knoydart-based Trad band of fiddle, cello/concertina, guitar/vocals, and most recently drumkit on bigger shows. Punchy yet sensitive, Ape House's mostly self-penned repertoire creates an evolving sound, bringing together the wide-ranging musical backgrounds of the band: Irish, Scottish, English, and Finnish.
Sat 29 Aug | 8.30pm | Ceilidh Place Ullapool · Ullapool | More info

🟡 Poolewe Tuesday Market [Every Tuesday]
A great choice of crafts and produce all under one roof.
Tue 01 Sep | 10.00am | Poolewe Village Hall · Poolewe | More info

🟡 A Midsummer Night's Dream
Love, laughter and lunacy! An enchanting afternoon with Shakespeare's beloved comedy.
Tue 01 Sep | 1.00pm | Macphail Centre · Ullapool | More info

🟡 An Dannsa Dub
A lively standing gig for our final gig of the season. The band has garnered critical acclaim for their ability to seamlessly blend the mystical sounds of Gaelic song and traditional Scottish instruments with the pulsating rhythms and deep basslines of digital dub.
Thu 03 Sep | 8.30pm | Ceilidh Place Ullapool · Ullapool | More info

🟡 Make Do & Mend
Our Make Do and Mend sessions are a relaxed drop-in affair where people of all skill levels come together to repair, refresh or recreate with textiles. The sessions are supported by experienced volunteer sewers and anyone can take part.
Fri 04 Sep at 3.00pm & Sat 05 Sep at 10.00am | Gairloch Museum · Gairloch | More info

🟡 ART WEEK: Opening Party
With cocktails, nibbles and music from Kim Richards and local musicians. Drop In. Free with donations welcome
Fri 04 Sep | 6.00pm | An Talla Solais · Ullapool | More info

🟡 Exhibition Preview: RSA Select
Celebrate 200 years of artistic excellence with the Royal Scottish Academy. Gairloch Museum is delighted to host RSA Select 200, a special exhibition showcasing outstanding contemporary work by members of the Royal Scottish Academy.
Fri 04 Sep | 6.00pm | Gairloch Museum | More info

🟡 ART WEEK: Meet the Maker - Rowena Dugdale
Rowena Dugdale - (owner/designer/maker of Red Ruby Rose bags and accessories) will be demonstrating the process of making her beautiful bags and accessories. She will be showcasing the designs for her bold printed fabrics alongside her gentler palette of plant-dyed silks and linens. These local colours are carefully foraged and grown.
Sat 05 Sep | 12.00pm | HAVØRN · Ullapool | More info

🟡 ART WEEK: Navigating by Blackbird, Community migration banner Textile
Come along and sew, chat and celebrate the wonder of blackbird migration with artist Sheena Graham-George. Be part of creating the blackbird migration banner as it travels from Orkney through Scotland and onwards to the Isle of Man and Ireland, connecting communities through stitches as it goes. Everyone is welcome.
Sat 05 Sep | 1.30pm | Macphail Centre · Ullapool | More info

🟡 Highland Swing Band
Tickets available from 01445 781454 & 01445 781337. £15
Sat 05 Sep | 2.30pm | Aultbea Community Hub, Aultbea | More info

🟡 Islands Ceilidh Band
Get ready to strut your moves on the dance floor!
Sat 05 Sep | 7.30pm | Loch Torridon Community Centre · Kinlochewe & Torridon | More info

🟡 Ceilidh House Gathering
Doors open 18.30. Our Ceilidh House gatherings meet once a fortnight and are a welcoming group who enjoy making music, singing or the spoken word. Come and sing a song, tell a tale, read a poem, play a tune, bring your knitting or sit back and enjoy.
Mon 07 Sep | 7.00pm | Gairloch Museum · Gairloch | More info

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.

🟡 There are four jobs going at Ullapool High School. They are: Mathematics Teacher, Principal Teacher - Technologies and HE, Assistant Residence Officer, and House Parent.

🟡 Actually, there's five. The West Highland Chamber of Commerce is also recruiting for a part-time Developing the Young Workforce School Co-ordinator, based at Ullapool High School too. More: West Highland Chamber

More news

🟡 Energy prices are set to change again in October, as the regulator Ofgem has just announced details of the energy price cap for the period October – December 2026. You may have read that your bill is about to go up, but surprisingly, it turns out that for people that have a single-rate tariff, pay by direct debit, and only mains electricity, that prices may be going down in our Northern Scotland region.

If you are connected to the gas grid, or have a "multi-rate" electricity tariff (where you pay different rates at different times of day) then sadly your bills will likely be going up. The main cause is global conflict restricting gas supplies. Remember also, the cap only affects people on variable tariffs. Details here: Ofgem

🟡 Social Badminton sessions are starting up again at Poolewe Village Hall. They'll run fortnightly on Wednesdays at 18:30 from September 2. More: Facebook

🟡 The Applecross Filling Station is closed until further notice, or at least until an unspecified problem is fixed. More: Facebook

🟡 The Crofting Commission are doing some research so that they can better understand what people currently know about the Crofting Commission and the work of its Board, how they want to receive information about the elections for new commissioners, and what might encourage more people to vote or consider standing for election themselves. There's an online survey here: Survey Link

🟡 Private road maintenance firm BEAR Scot operates a fleet of 115 gritters that help to keep trunk roads open, including the A835, in the winter. The firm is now inviting suggestions for names for their trucks for this season. If you think you can do better than Gritty Gritty Bang Bang, or Sir Andy Flurry, then you can find the entry form here: BEAR Scot

🟡 And finally, here's a video from a trad music session at the Badachro Inn this week. Watch: Facebook