The hunt for lost parrot Zoey and Lochcarron tartan week

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🟡 Gairloch locals are being urged to keep a look out for a missing parrot called Zoey. The exotic feathered creature went astray after getting a fright near the Gairloch filling station. A subsequent attempt by the owner to recover the bird unfortunately ended up with him taking an unplanned trip to hospital. At the time of writing the whereabouts of the parrot were still unknown, but details of what to do if you see Zoey are on social media. More: Facebook

🟡 A former World War One drill hall at Coigach which housed historic archives, including old photographs, has sadly been completely destroyed in a fire. More: Andrew Thomson | BBC News

🟡 A large, and increasingly notorious, local pothole has finally been fixed by the council this week, after one local went to extraordinary lengths to publicise the road defect on social media. Reporting it through the usual channels seemingly did not work, although one local councillor urged people to contact them directly should council officials fail to deal with potholes with sufficient urgency. More: Facebook

🟡 "Unexpected technical difficulties," mean that Gairloch Community Pharmacy are currently unable to process any walk-in prescriptions. They say other prescriptions are likely to take up to three days to process whilst their systems remain down. More: Facebook

🟡 A Holyrood petition started by Lochcarron resident, Robin Pettigrew, that calls for a ban on informal camping in vehicles such as motorhomes is to be considered by the parliament's Rural Affairs Committee. Local MSP David Green urged fellow MSPs to give the petition further consideration and said: "While tourism in the Highlands is important to our local economy, it is simply not acceptable that farmers and residents are left clearing up and paying for other people's waste." More: Scottish Parliament

Events

This is just a selection from all the events that have been posted to our people-powered Wester Ross events calendar. There are many more events to check out here. If you know of an event that is not listed on the calendar yet you can help by adding it using this form. It's the best way to get something listed in this newsletter and in the What's On section of the Gairloch and District Times.

Correction: Due to a calendar mix-up we got the dates of the Parkinson's Support Group at Poolewe Village Hall wrong in the last issue of the paper, as well as online. The next event will not be today, it will be on October 22.

🟡 Tartan Week 2026 Art & Craft Fair
Exhibition of paintings, prints and more by local artists. Local craft and maker stalls & workshops. Teas, coffees, savoury snacks and cakes. Lots to see...do...and buy!
Thu 01 Oct – Sat 03 Oct | From 10am | Lochcarron Village Hall | More info

🟡 For more Tartan Week events see: https://www.lochcarron.org.uk/tartanweek

🟡 It's the Ullapool Guitar Festival from 2–4 October. Tickets and details of all the events can be found on the festival website. More: UllapoolGuitarFestival.com

🟡 Carboot Sale & Strupag
Your weekend shopping destination. Raffle prizes. Raising funds to support hall activities.
Sat 03 Oct | 12.00pm | Applecross Community Hall · Applecross & Shieldaig | More info

🟡 Ceilidh House Gathering
Our Ceilidh House gatherings meet once a fortnight and are a welcoming group who enjoy making music, singing or the spoken word. Come and sing a song, tell a tale, read a poem, play a tune, bring your knitting or sit back and enjoy the atmosphere.
Mon 05 Oct | 7.00pm | Gairloch Museum · Gairloch | More info

🟡 Breakfast for Men
All male residents of Coigach are welcome to come along for a bacon roll, tea/coffee and a blether.
Tue 06 Oct | 9.30am | Coigach Community Hall · Achiltibuie & Summer Isles | More info

🟡 Childcare in Aultbea discussion session
We want to hear from local families about childcare in the area. A friendly, family event to share your views and help shape the future of childcare in our community.
Wed 07 Oct | 10.00am | Aultbea Hall · Aultbea & Laide | More info

🟡 Louise Scott: Artist Talk & Demonstration
Artist / Printmaker Louise Scott will be talking about her artwork; the thoughts and ideas behind its creation and she will also have her small travelling printing press with her to demonstrate how she makes and prints her work. Also gift ideas and greetings cards. All welcome.
Wed 07 Oct & Sun 11 Oct | 1.00pm | Inchgowan Fine Art · Gairloch | More info

🟡 Wester Loch Ewe Community Council Meeting
All welcome. Get in touch on [email protected]
Wed 07 Oct | 7.30pm | Old School Inverasdale · Poolewe | More info

🟡 Make Do & Mend
Drop-in sewing and mending sessions with volunteer support to mend and repurpose your own textiles. Delivered in partnership with Gairloch Museum, where people of all skill levels come together to repair, refresh, or recreate with textiles.
Fri 09 Oct & Sat Oct 10 | Old School Inverasdale · Poolewe | More info

🟡 Ullapool Book Festival: Bernard MacLaverty
Author Bernard MacLaverty will be chaired by Chris Dolan, UBF's honorary president. Bernard was born in Belfast and lived there until 1975 when he moved to Scotland. He has published six collections of short stories and five novels. His latest book is Bland Pages & Other Stories.
Sat 10 Oct | 2.30pm | Ullapool Ferry Terminal · Ullapool | More info

🟡 All About Bats and Moths
As autumn comes in, bats get busy feeding up for winter. Come and learn about our native species of bats and the moths that make up some of their diet.
Mon 12 Oct | 5.30pm | Clachan Church · Ullapool | More info

If you know of a local event that's worth sharing add it to our online calendar here, for free.

Jobs

Do you have a job vacancy you are trying to fill? Reach even more local people by advertising in the Gairloch and District Times. You can book space here.

🟡 Highland Council are looking for a Support Worker (Early Learning & Childcare) (Gaelic) to work at Gairloch Primary School for just four hours per week. More: MyJobScotland

🟡 The Oil and Pipelines Agency are still looking for a part-time cleaner to work at their Aultbea facility. More: OPA

More News

🟡 Fancy joining the Screen Machine audience panel? They're looking for new members in advance of their new mobile cinema hitting the road. Sign-up here: Regional Screen Scotland

🟡 Congratulation to Iain Meadows from Radio Wester Ross. He has been short-listed in the 2026 Community Radio Awards in the Presenter of the Year – Man, category. More: RadioToday.co.uk

🟡 Congratulations also to The University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) as they were ranked top in Scotland for education and second for music in the Guardian University Guide 2027. More: Jonny Clark | Inverness Courier

🟡 The Scottish Government's Scottish Emergency Heating Oil Scheme has been extended in light of continuing high fuel oil prices. There is no fixed date for how long the extension to the fund will last, so if you think you might qualify it might be worth getting an application in soon. More: BBC News

🟡 Gairloch Library is planning a half-term Lego club. Dates and details here: Facebook

🟡 Wester Loch Ewe Community Council has made an archive of minutes and other meeting documentation available online. You can find it here: Google Drive

🟡 James, Fatboy Slim and Amy MacDonald have been announced as the headline acts for the 2027 Belladrum Music Festival. More: TartanHeartFestival.com

🟡 And finally...Wester Ross Fisheries Trust have published a nice short video explaining how they plant seagrass on the sea floor. More: Instagram