Open mic nights, pizza and slow spring woodland walks

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It's been a relatively quiet week on the local news front, possibly because (nearly) everyone is away enjoying an Easter break. Here's what we found on the feeds...

🏊 Lets begin this week with an update on Poolewe swimming pool. Sadly, the facility remains closed and there's still no confirmed opening date, but we did get this update from High Life Highland.

“We are working to rectify the issues that have unfortunately resulted in the temporary closure of the pool. Some works have been carried out already and we are waiting on contractors to resolve the remaining elements. Poolewe Swimming Pool is a community owned facility, operated by High Life Highland and we are grateful to the Highland Council’s maintenance team who are assisting with repairs. We are very sorry to all our customers that the pool remains closed – we are working hard to identify a date for reopening.”

Meanwhile the Lochalsh swimming pool will reopen on May 1. The community raised £36,000 to support the facility, which had been closed since January 2024 due to an electrical fire. More in the Ross-Shire journal.

🪑There are some new benches with exciting tartan trim at Aultbea Hall. You can find some photos of the work here.

🎻 Things are gearing up at the Old Schoolhouse, Inverasdale. From May 14, the venue is to host a fortnightly open mic night.

🍕 The Ewebrew pizza van has also begun making regular appearances at both Inverasdale and Poolewe village hall.

⚽ Congratulations to the Lochbroom football team who recently beat Dornoch 19-0 in an amateur cup match. That means Dornoch conceded a goal more than every 5 minutes for the duration of the match. A match report can be found in the Ross-shire Journal.

⛳ And congratulations also to the "eight stalwarts" of Gairloch Golf Club who travelled to Elgin and beat 140 other players in a recent competition. A celebratory report and photos can be found here.

🍲 Next door to the golf club at the Links Cafe they're looking for an "energetic, people friendly person to help in our busy Cafe during the summer season, Saturday 11.30-8pm and Monday 11.30-6pm." See their Facebook Page for details on how to apply.

🚚 The Screen Machine are recruiting for a new "Driver/Operator/Community Hero." More details of the unique job can be found here. The mobile cinema has also announced that it will next be in Gairloch between May 7 and May 9. They'll be showing six different films including A Minecraft Movie and Bridget Jones: Mad about the boy. You can book tickets online here.

🏫 Highland Council are recruiting for several jobs. They are looking for an Addtional Support Needs Principle Teacher at Gairloch High School. The job advert can be found here. There are also various casual roles being advertised to support schools in Wester Ross and Lochaber. You can find that advert here.

🚶‍♀️Local countryside rangers are organising three Wester Ross walking events in May. There's a guided walk around the headland at Mellon Udrigle planned on May 1. Then there are two "slow walks" planned for Green Health Week. You can book onto the Tuesday May 6 walk at Laide and Aultbea Community woodland here. On May 8, a similar guided walk is scheduled for Applecross Community Woodland at 11.30am.

🌳 Laide and Aultbea Community Woodland has also issued a call for volunteers. Although the group's website and email is not working at present, if you are interested in helping out you can simply turn up to the weekly volunteer sessions at the wood. They take place every Tuesday at 10am. Meet at the main car park.

🗣️ Ever wondered how many people speak gaelic where you live? Here's an interactive map that's based on census data.

🚜 National Farmers Union (NFU) Scotland claim that farmers and crofters could be presented with a £500 million opportunity if major food retailers stocked more Scottish produce. According to a report on the NFU "shelfwatch" initiative in The National, Aldi, Lidl and the Coop were the retailers making most use of local suppliers.

🐑 Meanwhile a report commissioned by the Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust to look into what needs to be done to support their crofters has found that many of the issues crofters on the island struggle with apply more broadly. Coverage of the Cultivating Change report in the Press and Journal warns that Scotland is "sleep walking towards a crofting catastrophe," if action is not taken.

🔥 A report published by the Royal Geographical Society of Scotland highlights the growing costs of climate change to the country. It includes some startling figures on the costs of wildfires in the Highlands. The fires are currently said to cost £500,000 to put out each year alone - with that cost predicted to rise fourfold by 2040. The full report can be found here, and it was also covered in The Herald.

👩 Writing on her website, SNP MSP for the Highlands and Islands Emma Roddick says her "heart sank" when she heard the outcome of a recent Supreme Court ruling on the meaning of "woman" in the Equalities Act. "I remain an ally and a voice in the Scottish Parliament standing up for LGBTQ+ rights – and I’m far from alone in that place, or my party," she adds.

🎵 And lastly, here's a music video from Rhuvaal that features some people and places you may recognise.

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