Museum seeks planning permission, more Dundonnell roadworks meetings

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🗺️ Gairloch Museum has submitted a planning application for their roundhouse proposals. Although Gairloch Community Council have said they don't support the museum's preferred location for the roundhouse (see issue 18), the plan has won the backing of several other organisations. You can find details on the council planning portal (ref: 25/03362/FUL) and you have until October 9 to comment. More: Highland Council and BBC

🚦SSEN have said in a press release that two further community consultation events are planned where they will reveal their latest plans for controversial roadworks on the A832 at Dundonnell. The dates are:

• Monday 27 October, 6–8pm, Aultbea Hall
• Tuesday 28 October, 6–8pm, Badcaul Church, Dundonnell

💷 SSE Renewables Hydro Community fund have awarded three local projects cash. Gairloch Boat Club is to receive £37,673 for new boats, Gairloch Community Council has been awarded just under £11,000 towards the reconstruction of Opinan Beach walkway, and the The Mid-West Ross Housing Group will receive £38,756 to employ a local Housing Project Officer, who will develop a ten-year housing plan for the area. The latter project will be administered by local development body GALE.

🛌 Highland Council has received criticism for pressing ahead with plans for a visitor levy, despite opposition councillors' calls to pause or modify the proposed scheme. More: Scott Maclennan | Ross-shire Journal (£)

🌧️ After last week's wildfire warning we now have Storm Amy bringing rain and wind. At the time of writing, there were yellow warnings for rain for Wednesday and Thursday, with 10cm of rain forecast to fall in some parts of Wester Ross. There are yellow warnings for wind, with forecasts for 90mph gusts for exposed coastal areas on Friday and Saturday too. SEPA have also issued flood warnings and power firm SSEN are also on alert. More: Met Office Weather Warnings.

🍰 GALE are looking for more community bakers who might be interested in selling their wares at The Shieling. More: GALE

🛍️ Gairloch Thursday market has been cancelled this week, October 2. More: Facebook

⁉️ The next Kinlochewe Village Hall quiz night is coming up soon. Details in the flyer below. More: Facebook

🌳 On Friday October 10, the Kinloch Community Woodland near Strathcarron are holding their AGM. More: Facebook

🍰 On Saturday October 18, The Wester Loch Ewe Trust are holding a Community Land Festival at the Old School House, Inverasdale. The event includes cake. More: Facebook

🎶 Ullapool will host the Fèis Rois an Fhòghair, a five-day traditional music event for young people featuring top Scottish musicians, from October 20 to 24, offering a variety of classes and workshops for all skill levels. More: Fèis Rois

🏄 Slattadale are organising a surf trip to Durness for Gairloch High Pupils on October 22. More: Eventbrite

🌼 On October 25, Gairloch Primary School Parent Council are organising a playground clean-up, and are hoping to enlist local volunteers to help out. More: Facebook

🐑 The Scottish Crofting Federation are running one of their two-day Crofting for the Future training courses in Ullapool, starting on October 31. More: Scottish Crofting Federation

🏧 Following the decision by Lloyds Banking Group to close the Gairloch Bank of Scotland branch in January, the LINK group has conducted an assessment of local cash access needs. It has concluded that no further action is required. More: Link (pdf)

🏃 Ullapool Forest Runs, the organisers of a recent Lochbroom 12K event, have thanked everyone involved after it raised more than two thousand pounds for Macmillan Cancer Support. More: Facebook

🏠 There is a two bedroom house to rent in Gairloch from the Communities Housing Trust. More: Communities Housing Trust

🪚 If you have a spare £295,000 you could put an offer in for a workshop at Gairloch Harbour. More: Rightmove

🚗 Gairloch Community Car Scheme are looking for volunteer telephonists to help take bookings for the project. More: Facebook

☕ Coast Coffee at Gairloch harbour have thanked their staff and customers as they shut up shop for the season. More: Facebook

🔥 The Shieldaig Lodge-based Fire and Steam mobile sauna is staying open all winter. In fact they are also on the look out for "pop-up" sauna locations. More: Facebook

💰 The UK Government has awarded Highland Council £2m per year for 10 years as part of its "Pride of Place" funding programme. Highland Council will decide where the money is spent, and it remains to be seen how much will make it into Wester Ross. Here's the press release: UK Government

🚾 Maybe the council could use some of the new cash to re-open the public toilets at Achnasheen railway station? Even though the facilities closed in 2024, Edward Mountain MSP has been in the paper recently criticising the council's decision to close the loos and attempt to sell off the building. More: Hector Mackenzie | Ross-shire Journal (£)

🎉 Congratulations to everyone at the Lochcarron Food Centre. They recently won an independent food store of the year gong. More: Facebook

🦌 There has been a steep drop off in the amount of money paid out by the Scottish Government for new deer fencing in the Highlands. This is said to be because there are fewer small new woodland projects being proposed, not budget cuts. More: Glen Barclay | The Scottish Farmer

🏡 The Scottish Government has just passed new housing legislation that allows councils to introduce rent controls on some properties. It also removes limits on council tax for empty and second homes. It is not yet known whether Highland Council plans to make use of these new powers. More: Kathleen Nutt | The Herald (£)

🎄And finally... 6 – 12 October is Red Squirrel Appreciation Week. The Scottish Wildlife Trust want you to take part in the Great Scottish Squirrel Survey. More: Saving Scotland's Red Squirrels