Gairloch Co-op hiring and Torridon Ceilidh House returns

Hello and welcome to this week's Wester Ross Round-up. This week we're sending to 991 inboxes. There's still a free digital subscription to the paper on offer for the person who takes us into four figures. So if you know a friend or neighbour who might find this newsletter useful - get them to sign up too 😄!

And if you've just found this newsletter online or because some considerate soul forwarded it to you then tap the button below to get it every week. It's free.

🛍️ The construction of the new Co-op store at Achtercairn seems to be making good progress, as the photo taken by Alex Gray at the top of this post shows. In advance of the store opening, the firm has started advertising for staff, begining with Team Leader positions.

🏠 Are we moving toward tougher regulation of short-term lets in the area? Cllr Liz Kraft hints that a formal consultation on setting up a Short-Term Let Control Zone for this part of the Highlands could be on the cards. Which reminds us, if you haven't already voted in our poll on this topic, please let us know what you think! Tap the button below to take part.

👯 The last Poolewe Cèilidh Partnership cèilidh of 2025 went "out in style," with a record breaking 24.5 minute long Strip the Willow. More: Facebook

🦆 There is more consternation at Gairloch Community Council after someone stole the last remaining wild fowl warning sign from the main road at Charlestown. Please remember to beware of the ducks there. They have no road sense. More: Facebook

🌙 The Wester Ross Biosphere have announced that the next Dark Skies Festival will take place in November. If you fancy getting involved, organisers are looking for sponsors, venues, donors, volunteers and fringe event ideas. More: Facebook

🎉 Congratulations to the Arctic Convoy Museum for winning funding from Museums Galleries Scotland. More: Museums Galleries Scotland

❓It's quiz night at Kinlochewe Village Hall on August 30. More: Facebook

🎵 Fans of local singer song-writer Andy Mitchell will be sure to want to attend one of both of these events in the flyer below. Not sure what to expect? More: Andy Mitchell on Bandcamp

🥃 On Friday September 27, Iain Sutherland is hosting another Whisky Tasting evening at the Bridge Cottage Art Cafe. More: Eventbrite

❤️ UHI Gairloch are planning an Emergency First Aid at Work course on October 7. If interested email: [email protected]

🧑‍🎄 Also save the date! Gairloch Christmas Market will be held on December 4. More: Facebook.

🕐 With the nights fair drawing in and the end of the summer holidays, a number of organisations are making changes and planning for the winter season.

☕ The Am Bàrd Cafe at Gairloch Museum is now no longer opening at the weekends. It has a new menu and will be opening from 10:00 - 15:00 Monday - Friday. More: Facebook

🍲 The Old Inn, in Gairloch are making changes to their hours too. They are now not serving lunches Monday - Friday, but open for longer at weekends. More: Facebook

🎻 And Ceilidh House nights are back for another run at the Loch Torridon Community Centre. Details in the flyer below.

🍛 The last Thai takeaway night "for a while" takes place at Nanny's in Shieldaig this Saturday, August 30. More: Facebook

⛴️ Calmac have published their winter timetables. Bookings for sailings from October 20 2025 - March 26 2026 will open on September 11. More: Calmac

⚽ The Gairloch Active Schools team are looking for volunteers to help them run extra curricular sports groups in the area. They said: "If you have a spare hour a week to run multisports, football, basketball or anything else you may have an interest in, or would like to be trained in, please do get in touch!" Register: High Life Highland

🚒 A recent charity car wash at Aultbea fire station raised £902, according to organisers. The cash will be split between four different good causes. More: Facebook

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 The Ullapool Oddballs event raised a massive £6425.40 for the Teenage Cancer Trust. There's a nice photo feature on the event in the Ross Shire Journal. More: Iona M. J. MacDonald | Ross Shire Journal (£)

🎄 And this week Gairloch butchers, Kenneth Morrison, posted confirmation that their sales of Christmas Trees last year raised £1800 for Highland Hospice. More: Facebook

🌳 The Woodland Trust are looking for a Project Development Manager to work on the Glen Torridon Partnership. More: Woodland Trust

🌲 The Applecross Community Company are looking for a new Woodland Development Officer. More: Applecross Community Company

✉️ Royal Mail are hiring a post person with driving, based at Laide. More: HiJobs.net

⚡ Gairloch And Loch Ewe Action Forum (GALE) have announced Fee Bellamy as the newest member of their staff team. She'll be working as part of the local Highland Energy Community Partnership project hosted by GALE. More: GALE

🚮 Road maintenance firm BEAR has condemned the environmental hazard of human waste found at an A835 layby, urging the public to dispose of waste responsibly. More: Iona M.J MacDonald | Ross Shire Journal (£)

🏕️ Meanwhile, a report paid for by campsite operators argues that a Highland Council initiative aimed at curbing rogue parking by motorhomes is unsafe and has caused a "substantial" loss of trade for Highland campsite owners. More: Iain Ramage | STV News

🏆 Highland Council has been named as one of seven local authorities from across the UK that have made it onto the shortlist the APSE Overall Council of the Year Award. But it has also been named this week as one of the top 10 most in-debted local authorities in the UK too. More: Scott Maclennan | Inverness Courier (£)

And lastly, here's a short video from the Open Seas campaign group celebrating the success of the Wester Ross Marine Protection Area. More: Bluesky