Strathburn jobs and a massive ceramic tattie

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🥔 Ahead of a couple of Tattie Harvest events on August 23, Gairloch Museum have shared images of one of the more intriguing objects in their collection - a giant ceramic tattie. The massive vegetable artwork is pictured at the top of this round-up. According to the Museum, the "potato was donated to the Museum by Kay Matheson. It contained whisky and was made to commemorate a monster potato that was grown at Diabaig, Torridon." More details of the Tattie Harvest events: Facebook

SPONSORED BY Poolewe TUESDAY Market

Poolewe Tuesday Market - a great variety of around 20 stalls selling crafts, gifts, produce and more. Held every Tuesday from the last Tuesday in March until the last Tuesday in October at Poolewe Village Hall 10am-2.30pm. Visit our Facebook page for full details of the stalls attending each week.

🛌 Local politician, MSP Maree Todd visited the reopened Strathburn Care Home in Gairloch recently. She said: "The reopening of Strathburn House is ultimately a testament to the determination, compassion, and perseverance of the Gairloch community." However, she also said ongoing recruitment challenges at the home are exacerbated by restrictive UK Government immigration policies. More: Hector MacKenzie | Ross Shire Journal (£)

🧑‍⚕️ If you, or someone you know, are interested in working at Strathburn, NHS Highland are advertising for a part-time Assistant Cook, a full-time Domestic Assistant, and a full-time Social Care Assistant.

🏨 The Millcroft Hotel in Gairloch are recruiting for part-time or full-time housekeeping staff. If you are interested email [email protected] for more info.

👨‍🍳 Highland Council are looking to hire a part-time cook for Applecross Primary School. More: Hi-Jobs.

🛍️ Ullapool Unpacked are looking for a paid part-time shop assistant. They have also announced that the popular Re-Loved Clothing Fair is due to make a return to Ullapool Village Hall on Friday 12 and Saturday 13 of September. More: Facebook

🚗 Both the Gairloch Community Car Scheme and South West Ross Community Car Schemes have been advertising for more volunteers recently.

🍦 Linzi's Lolly's ice cream van had such a great reception in Gairloch on Wednesday that she's planning on coming back on Friday. Just in time for the sun coming out. To find out where she'll be contact her on Facebook.

👣 Good luck to everyone taking part in the Great Wilderness Challenge this weekend. The event is based in Poolewe, so the village is going to be very busy. You can find all the key info for this year's event here: Great Wilderness Challenge.

🍰 Andy and Kimberley from Oran Na Mara Aultbea have confirmed they will be reopening from Friday August 15. More: Facebook

Gairloch Primary School Parent Council have put a call out for helpers, raffle prizes and home baking ahead of the Poolewe Cèilidh on August 20. If you can help email: [email protected]

🚸 The Den Youth Club is set to reopen after the summer break on Friday August 22.  It is open from 19:00 to 22.30 every Friday night in term time for anyone of high school age at Gairloch Community Hall. All parents of the new S1 year group are asked to email [email protected] with their emergency contact details - also to ask any questions.

⛵ The Lochcarron Sailing Club Annual Regatta takes place on August 23 and 24. More: Lochcarron Sailing Club.

👂Douglas Hudson is bringing his "transformative Sound Bathing experience" to Scoraig Community Hall on August 30. More: Facebook

🎻 Folk band North Sea Gas are playing a gig at The Old Inn in Gairloch on August 31. More: Facebook

🎄 Sorry to put the c-word into this newsletter when the summer holidays haven't even finished but the sponsors of this week's newsletter, Poolewe Market, are planning ahead and have confirmed dates for their Christmas markets at Poolewe Village Hall. The Christmas markets will be held on: Saturday November 29 11am-3pm, Friday December 5 1-5pm, and Saturday December 6 11am-3pm.

⚡ Just when you thought the power cuts were over, SSEN has issued a weather warning for the Highlands due to expected lightning today, August 14, advising people to prepare for potential power disruptions. More: SSEN and the MET Office.

🔥 And there's also a "very high" warning of wildfires affecting the west of Scotland from August 16-19, just as the shooting season for red grouse gets going. More: Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

🏛️ The Torridon District Community Association have published a newsletter to update folk on their work. They are currently looking for new Directors and volunteers. More: Loch Torridon Community Centre

⚡ The latest draft of Torridon and Kinlochewe Community Council (TKCC) Minutes have been published. At the meeting TKCC members agreed that they should write to the developer (and the land owner) of a proposed hydro electricity scheme on the Coulin Estate "to ask whether any thought has been given to sharing the benefits of the scheme with the community." More: tkcc.scot

💷 The Gairloch and Loch Ewe Action Forum (GALE) has published its 2024 accounts. At December 31 2024 the organisation had free unrestricted funds of £66,646, and net assets of £1.54m up from £830,945 the previous year. On average it employed 20 people through the year, down one from the previous year. More: Companies House

☢️ Following a report commissioned by Highlands campaign group Communities B4 Power Companies that claimed wind energy developments in the area risked human health by disturbing peat lands that were contaminated by radioactive material from the Chernobyl power station disaster, environmental watchdog SEPA released research that concludes: "There is no realistic risk posed to the public... as a result of any release due to windfarm construction in Scotland." More: SEPA (pdf) News report: Alan Hendry | Inverness Courier (£)

💷 Applecross Primary School reportedly came out top in the Dingwall Tesco Blue Token challenge. They will receive £1500 towards the school's garden project growing food for the use of the Nursery, Primary and Seniors' Lunch Club. More: Facebook

📘 A 1934 guide book to Gairloch called "Three weeks in Gairloch" by F.Reid Carson has appeared for sale on Ebay. At the time of writing the bidding had surpassed the £30 mark. More: Ebay

🐟 Norwegian multinational Mowi will no longer use lumpfish as "cleaner fish" at its fish farms in Scotland, after 135,000 lumpfish died on a Mowi farm in Loch Torridon. More: The Ferret (£)

🥧 The Highland Good Food Partnership is holding a series of gatherings around the region, including one in Plockton on September 20. More: Highland Good Food Partnership

🚤 A Russian bank tycoon's superyacht, La Datcha, has been spotted in Plockton. Reportedly, the yacht is owned by Oleg Tinkov, founder of Tinkoff Bank. More: Iona M.J. MacDonald | Ross Shire Journal (£)

🎻 And lastly, the Gille Brighde in Diabaig have shared a video of the "skinniest cèilidh ever" that broke out when the Fèis Rois Cèilidh Trail youngsters played an informal gig there last weekend: More: Facebook

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