Screen machine back and Gairloch High exam success

Read to the end for a rousing rendition of Kishorn Commandos

Screen machine back and Gairloch High exam success
A Wester Ross jellyfish | Credit: Chloe Hall

πŸŽ‰ We made it! Thank you to everyone who helped spread the word about this newsletter over the last few months. This week we're sending to 1005 inboxes. AW was our 1000th subscriber, and they have duly been awarded a free six-month digital subscription to the paper.

If you've just come across this newsletter for the first time, hit the button below to get on the mailing list. It's free - and beats relying on Facebook for local news :)

βœ”οΈ Just in: The latest figures for exam results at Gairloch High School for 2025 show it is punching above its weight for a small school.

For National 5 level exams, the A-C pass rate at the school was 91%, compared to a national average of 78.4%.

For Highers, the A-C pass rate at Gairloch High School was 79%, compared to a national average of 78.4%.

Of course a school is about more than just results, but well done all!

πŸ‘¨β€πŸ‘©β€πŸ‘§β€πŸ‘¦ Gairloch Primary School Parent Council are having their AGM on September 8 at 19:00. More: Facebook

And Gairloch High School Parent Council are having their AGM the following day, on September 9 at 18:00. More: Facebook

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πŸš£β€β™‚οΈ This week Isle Ewe resident Stephen Grant has appeared in a feature in The Sun, for having "Scotland's most bizarre commute." Every morning he sails to his job as Shop Manager at the Arctic Convoy Museum in Aultbea. More: Stuart Patterson | The Sun

🎦 Mobile Cinema, The Screen Machine is to make an appearance this Autumn in various Wester Ross towns and villages. Here are the dates:

Ullapool - 14 & 15 September
Gairloch - 16 & 17 September
Lochcarron - 18 & 19 September
Kyleakin - 20 & 21 September
Dornie - 22 & 23 September

You can find out more about the films being shown at each location and book tickets on their website: Screen Machine.

πŸŽ₯ But that's not all the local film news... On Saturday September 20 the Loch Torridon Community Centre film club are showing The Salt Path at 19:30. More: Loch Torridon Community Centre

πŸŽ₯ Meanwhile, 3 Lochs Cinema plan to show Evita at the Aultbea Hub on September 27. More details in the flyer below.

❌ Concert cancelled: Madam Hot Chilli Gamelan is not going to be playing a concert at Gairloch Hall on Friday September 5 after all. However, they will be hosting a small, informal evening of gamelan music at Waterside Cottage in Poolewe (opposite the Poolewe Hotel) from 19:00. Please contact [email protected] for info.

πŸ‘Ά Timings for the Baby Sensory and Toddlers groups that happen on Mondays in Kinlochewe Village Hall have changed. More: Facebook

πŸƒ On Saturday September 20, Ullapool Forest Runs are promoting a Loch Broom 12k race in aid of MacMillan Cancer Support. More: [email protected]

πŸ›’ The Gairloch Co-op is to open in mid-December. The new store will contain a laundromat, it turns out. More: Iona M.J MacDonald | Ross Shire Journal (Β£)

πŸ›οΈ Sadly, the SnSverse Crafts & Gifts shop in the Poolewe Village Hall Annexe has closed permanently. The space will be available to rent from mid-October. Email [email protected] for more.

🦌 The Scottish Wildlife Trust are hiring at Inverbroom Estate. They're looking for a Project Manager. More: Scottish Wildlife Trust

πŸ’· The Lochcarron Centre is looking for a part-time book keeper and admin person. More: Facebook

πŸ’‘
If you have an an event, family notice, community update, advert or press release you'd like us to include in the next issue of the paper, our deadline is Friday September 5 at 10am. Use this form to send us submissions, and this one to book advertising.

β˜• Coast Coffee at Gairloch Harbour are looking to hire someone to help out at the cafΓ© for the rest of September. More: Facebook

πŸ• Coast Pizza are calling this Friday as their last day for the summer season, but they say they are open to pop-up offers and invitations over the winter season. More: Facebook

Meanwhile, the last (for this season) Ewe Brew pizza and beer evening at Inverasdale has already been and gone. They will however be at Poolewe Village Hall tonight September 4 and Saturday, September 6. Their last pizza date for the season will be at Aultbea Village Hall as part of West Fest, Saturday 13 September.

πŸ₯– Crumbs takeaway has also announced it is moving to Autumn opening hours. More: Facebook

Good to know

🌊 Tides: High at 05:03 and 17:12. Low at 11:19 and 23:46
πŸŒ… Sunrise: 06:26
πŸŒ™ Sunset: 20:11
πŸͺ° Midges: 2/5
🌼 Pollen: Low
πŸ”† UV: Medium
🌊 Sea Temp: 14C
🌀️ Weekend Weather: East mainly dry on Friday, some light showers in west, more persistent rain for Isles in evening. Saturday mainly dry with some sunshine. Bright morning Sunday then rain arriving later.

Data: Met Office / Smidge / Tides Today / Seatemperature.info

🚧 Good news! This is a timetable for when the A835 "check corner" road works near Garve will finally get going. Bad news! They are not set to begin until November and will last until May 2026. Locals are unimpressed – citing safety concerns and significant delays as the project has been repeatedly postponed. More: Iona M.J MacDonald | Ross Shire Journal (Β£)

⚑The cost of using a public electric vehicle charger is set to rise as Highland Council moves away from Charge Point Scotland and starts a new twenty year contract with a firm called EZO. A comparison between the tariffs shown on the Charge Point Scotland website and the new tariffs in the council press release show prices per Kw/h will rise at every public charger we checked in Wester Ross. More: Highland Council

🎣 147 boats, including one from Gairloch, and 37 anglers took part in the Ullapool Angling Festival. Photos and details of the winners here: Facebook

πŸ™‹ Scotland’s Children’s Hearings System is seeking new volunteer Panel Members to make decisions in the interests of infants, children and young people in the Highlands. More: Children's Hearings Scotland

🚒 A report, commissioned by the cruise line industry, claims plans to give local authorities the power to introduce a Cruise Ship Levy that are currently being considered by the Scottish Government could cut the number of visitors cruise ships bring to Scottish ports. Highland Council has previously backed the new tax. Now, Ullapool Harbour Master Kevin Peach has also warned against the introduction of a levy. It is estimated the annual cruise business is now worth in the region of £3 million to the local community around Ullapool. More: Iona M.J. MacDonald | Ross-Shire Journal (£)

🐽 In 50 years time will we see wild boar in Wester Ross? A new report has sought to model how existing will populations of the animal might expand in the coming decades. More: BBC Scotland

β˜€οΈ Work installing solar panels on the roof of Gairloch Community Hall has now been completed. The scaffolding is to come down next week.

Gairloch Community Hall with solar panels on the roof
Gairloch Community Hall now has solar panels | Credit: Ally Tibbitt

‼️ A little reminder, even though, if you are like us, you will almost certainly forget about this until it gives you the fright of your life... On Sunday September 7 at 15:00 the UK Government plans to test the national emergency alert system by sending an alert to all compatible 4G and 5G mobile phones and tablets across the UK. You can find out more and opt out here: UK Government

🚨Not unrelatedly, Highland Council has teemed up with four other local authorities to encourage everyone to plan ahead for possible emergencies as part of a new Get Set September campaign. More: Highland Council

πŸͺ• And lastly, here's a short clip of North Sea Gas singing the Kishorn Commandos at The Old Inn last week. More: Facebook

PS - Thanks to everyone, including Chloe Hall, who sent us photos this week. Chloe took the great photo of the jellyfish at the top of this post. If your photo isn't in this week's round-up it might appear next week. If you've taken a photo that you're happy to share with us, you can send it to us using this form.