Visitor Levy consultation opens and Clan Donald Cup kicks off

Welcome to this week's Wester Ross Round-up, which is making its way to 1,263 erudite readers. As ever, we bring you a carefully-curated selection of locally-sourced news. If you know of something we should include in the next Round-up, please tell us! You can do that here. Are you signed up to receive this bulletin by email each week? If not, just tap the button below. (If you already are, why not give a nudge to a friend or neighbour? Every new sign-up puts a smile on our faces.)

🟡 Highland Council have opened the public consultation on the Tiered Fixed-Amount Visitor Levy proposal this week: all residents, businesses, community groups and visitors are being encouraged to have their say. Convener of The Highland Council, Councillor Bill Lobban, said: "A Visitor Levy has the potential to provide a new source of funding of around £9 million per year, to support, develop and sustain tourism infrastructure, local communities and visitor services across the Highlands."

The consultation will run for 12 weeks and can be completed at Engage Highland. Once you've completed the consultation, the G&DT would love to know your views on the proposed levy. You can let us know your thoughts here.

🟡 Gairloch Aultbea United Football Club will host Portree FC for the first fixture for the Clan Donald Cup at Maclennan Park, Aultbea on Saturday 12 September. They're buzzing to play their first match at Aultbea in eight years, and are calling for strong local support, saying: "we will need as many of you as we can on Saturday". Come along if you can. More: Facebook.

🟡 A "beautiful area of owner-occupied croft land with native woodland and lochside cottage site" at Bad na Scalaig has been listed for sale for offers over £600,000. Agent Galbraith says: "Bad na Scalaig croft is a large upland land holding, extending to approximately 360.74 Ha of owner occupied croft land, plus a further 2.36 Ha of non crofted land on the shores of Loch Bad na Scalaig."

🟡 Highland Council have advised of a temporary planned road closure of Poolewe Bridge on the A832 to allow for an inspection of the bridge. The road will be closed on Thursday 24 September between 9am and 12 noon, with timed access at 10am and 11am. More: Facebook. Mackenzie and Maclennan have confirmed that this will delay the 707 Westerbus service that morning by approximately 35 minutes.

🟡 Alongside books, you can now borrow a bat detector from Gairloch or Ullapool Library. More: High Life Highland Libraries.

🟡 Wester Ross Biosphere want to know the challenges and opportunities facing communities and businesses in the region, and what role the Biosphere should play over the next ten years. Take part in their survey here.

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.

🟡 ART WEEK 2026: Home is where the art is – artist book making with Adelle Diggle Seaton
In this full-day workshop we will explore the theme of home using the medium of artists' books. Participants will learn three different book formats and use collage, sewing, text, handmade stamps, pop-ups and drawn elements to express what home means to them. All materials will be provided.
Sat 12 Sep | 10.00am | An Talla Solais · Ullapool | More info

🟡 Doors Open Day
This is Scotland's largest free festival. As well as entry being free on Saturday there will be behind-the-scenes tours of the Museum store (please book as places limited). Overside Wool will be demonstrating the skill of spinning: come and have a go.
Sat 12 Sep | 10.00am | Gairloch Museum · Gairloch | More info

🟡 Papier-Mâché Sculpture Day With Julia Barton
Join Julia at Studio Tigh Fada Beag, Dornie, Achiltibuie. Just drop in for an hour or two: learn about maerl & make unique maerl sculptures. FREE
Sat 12 Sep | 11.00am | Studio Tigh Fada Beag · Achiltibuie & Summer Isles | More info

🟡 Lochbroom 12K
Starting at 11.00am, the Lochbroom 12K and new 6K option are suitable for runners and walkers. Starting at Clachan Church, Inverbroom, IV23 2RZ, both distance options are out-and-back routes, mainly flat and taking in river, woodland and good farm tracks. Entry by donation.
Sat 12 Sep | 11.00am | Clachan Church · Ullapool | More info

🟡 Autumn Candle Making + Gift Styling
Time for you. Time to slow down, create and enjoy. This autumn, spend a few relaxing hours exploring beautiful scents and creating your own unique candle, then style it in a beautiful gift box, ready to keep or give to someone special.
Sat 12 Sep | 2.00pm | Old School Inverasdale · Poolewe | More info

🟡 ART WEEK 2026: Drop-in, Insects in Clay, Community Ceramics Workshop with Steve Patterson
Make ceramic insects and leaves with Steve Paterson in this free drop-in community project. Make little clay creatures which will be glazed and fired and will be placed to adorn garden planters filled with insect friendly plants in our ATS wildflower garden. No experience necessary. All welcome. 2 time slots: 12-2pm or 3-5pm.
Sun 13 Sep | 12.00pm | An Talla Solais · Ullapool | More info

🟡 Budapest Café Orchestra
Budapest Café Orchestra bring you gypsy and folk-flavoured music in their own fresh and surprising way. From Balkan and Ukranian traditional pieces to Gaelic folk anthems, their infectious music will get into your veins and stay there forever.
Sun 13 Sep | 7.30pm | Poolewe Village Hall · Poolewe | More info

🟡 Memories & Connections
Come and join us for an evening of reminiscence and storytelling – a relaxed and informal chance to come together, enjoy a cuppa and share memories of days gone by.
Tue 15 Sep | 7.00pm | The Old Inverasdale Schoolhouse Tearoom · Poolewe | More info

🟡 Guided Walk: Gairloch Cemetery
Join Roy Macintyre and Katie Grant for an exploration of the Old Burial Ground at Gairloch. As well as hearing stories of the people who lived here, you will be introduced to the diverse natural life thriving within the burial ground. ​
Thu 17 Sep | 3.30pm | Gairloch Museum · Gairloch | More info

🟡 LUCT Annual General Meeting
Short AGM followed by a community meeting to hear about projects and progress to meet our community priorities which form our 2030 vision goals. Your chance to have your say.
Thu 17 Sep | 6.00pm | Ullapool Village Hall · Ullapool | More info

🟡 Cardiac Risk in the Young | Free Heart Test [Until Sun]
Cardiac Screening for the Young (CRY) aims to offer free cardiac screening to people aged between 14-35. Sometimes an individual may have a cardiac abnormality without any symptoms. Screening with an electrocardiogram (ECG) is aimed at identifying people with conditions such as heart muscle disorders or electrical faults of the heart.
Fri 18 Sep | 9.00am | Macphail Centre · Ullapool | More info

🟡 Sustainable Growing – Gardening with and for Nature
A hands-on session filled with practical advice on creating a wildlife-friendly garden! Learn about making spaces in your garden to support your local wildlife. Discover the permaculture techniques that can boost both wildlife and your flower and vegetable gardening success. Get inspired to create a space for wildlife in your garden.
Fri 18 Sep | 2.30pm | Gairloch Community Library · Gairloch | More info

🟡 Introduction to facilitating Outdoor Child-led Play
Joni from Kindercroft will explore the benefits of facilitating outdoor play. This is an introductory session, designed to develop confidence in parents and volunteers to become enablers of outdoor child-led play. Including ideas for creating your own toolkit of loose parts for creative play.
Sat 19 Sep | 10.00am | Slattadale Forest - way in · Kinlochewe & Torridon | More info

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.

🟡 Shieldaig Lodge are looking for enthusiastic people to join their team. Specifically, two Housekeepers and one General Assistant. To apply email [email protected].

🟡 Corrie Recruitment are looking to fill a range of roles at Dundonnell including Groundworkers/Labourers and a Working Supervisor. They're also looking for Concrete Finishers near Lochcarron. More: Facebook.

More News

🟡Network Rail have announced £9m upgrade works are to be carried out on Inverness station and the Kyle line. The works will require a three-week closure, during which no trains will run between Dingwall and Kyle of Lochalsh from Saturday 28 November to Friday 18 December. ScotRail said: "we’ll have a rail replacement plan in place to ensure customers can still travel reliably throughout the works." More: Network Rail

🟡 Do you know a mountain path in need of some TLC? The It’s Up To Us campaign need help to choose their next project, following repair work on An Teallach. You can make suggestions here.

🟡 NatureScot have issued a reminder that as of 15 September 2026, it will be an offence to carry out muirburn without a licence. Licence applications can be made here.

🟡 Two men have been arrested in connection with the theft of a vehicle in Ullapool. More: Facebook

🟡 Happy Birthday to the Shieldaig-Torridon Road, aka Balgy Gap, which turned 63 years old this week. Am Baile marked the occasion by sharing this rather charming Balgy Road Opening Ceremony booklet from its archives.

🟡 The Torridon has been named amongst 15 of the best luxury hotels in Scotland. More: Scottish Field | Ellie Forbes

🟡 Aultbea Hotel have installed an electric vehicle charger. Customers can treat their EV to a boost while enjoying (non-alcoholic) refreshments themselves. More: Facebook

🟡 Pool House in Poolewe has been turning heads with an artistic makeover to an external wall. You can read more about it in Issue 18 of the G&DT, out on Friday 11 September.

🟡 It may not be in Wester Ross, but drivers here will know it well: Highland Council want your views on the A835 Conon Bridge and Corntown junctions. Complete their survey here.

🟡 Finally, a kayaker with Shieldaig Outdoor Adventures experienced a breath-taking encounter with a white-tailed eagle while out dolphin watching. More: Facebook.