Warm Mondays and Thursday Markets are coming back

Hello! Has spring sprung? Possibly not, but it's starting to feel like it might be just around the corner.

This week the Wester Ross Round-up is wending it's way to 749 email inboxes. If you've signed-up recently - welcome! This newsletter is only as good as the things we can find to put in it - so if you see something you think should be included in the next one - tell us here.

🍲 Popular winter social event, Warm Mondays have been off for the last couple of weeks whilst the Gairloch Community Hall has a new heating system installed. The work has now been completed, so we're pleased to report that the soup ladies (see issue 1 for more) are all set to make a return from Monday February 10.

🍰 Bualnaluib Primary are organising a Pop Up Cafe on Thursday February 13 from 11-2pm in Lochewe Community Church. It's a Valentine's theme and aims to raise funds so that the P6 and P7 pupils can go away on a residential trip.

🎭 And in other schools news, all are welcome to attend the Gairloch High School drama festival. The show will start at 6pm at the school multi-purpose hall on March 6. More details on the school Facebook Page.

☕ The Old Schoolhouse at Inverasdale has also confirmed when it will open over the coming weeks. There will be a social drop in on Tuesdays between 2-4pm. The tearoom and second-hand shop will be open on Wednesdays 2-4pm.

🐾 For nature lovers, there are a couple of mammal themed events coming up. At the Gairloch Museum Professor Xavier Lambin from the University of Aberdeen will talk about efforts to protect native wildlife through the control of mink on Friday February 21 at 7pm. You can attend in person or watch online, but either way you need to book. And The Mammal Society is running a free Mammal Tracks and Signs training day led by naturalist and wildlife tracker Dan Puplett at Poolewe Village Hall on March 1. You can book a place for this event here.

🏢 The Annual General Meeting of Aultbea Hall [SCIO] will be held on Tuesday 11 March 2025, 7.30pm in the Crow’s Nest, Aultbea Hall. Everyone welcome. More details here.

🙋 The Gairloch Area Development Trust is also holding it's AGM on April 1, at 5pm in the Loft Room at Gairloch Community Hall. They said: "All welcome especially new members who wish to support the work of the charity."

🛍️ Last December it looked like there might not be any more Gairloch Thursday Markets. But in a bit of excellent news for local makers, the organisers are back with a new logo and a new set of dates for 2025, thanks to the "unending kindness" of supporters. According to social media, the market will resume from April 16.

💉 In Issue 2 we covered news that responsibility for delivering vaccine services may be returning to local doctors, after an attempt to centralise management of this vital aspect of healthcare at health board level turned out not to work as well. Now NHS Highland say they are considering a "hybrid" model that will see local doctors deliver some vaccines, whilst responsibliy for others will stay with the health board. There's a little more detail in The Inverness Courier.

💷 Anyone over 16 with a good business idea is invited to enter the UHI Business Competition. There is a total prize fund this year of up to £8,500 plus accountancy, legal and IT packages of support. More info on how to enter here.

🔫 Fees for shotgun licenses have gone up by 144%. Farmers Weekly cover criticism of the fee hike, and local MP Angus MacDonald has been asking questions of the Home Office about it.

📱Planners are set to make a decision on another controversial mobile phone mast proposal 13.5km NE of Kinlochewe. RSPB have raised concerns about the impact of construction on local golden eagles, NatureScot have concerns about the adverse impact on wildland areas, and Torridon and Kinlochewe Community Council have objected strongly along with several individuals from near and far. Find out more by searching for 24/02818/FUL here.

🚌 Highland Council has begun running it's own bus services. The council started in Inverness, and has recently announced that it has bought D&E coaches for an undisclosed amount. Neither the council, nor D&E coaches run services to Gairloch, but D&E do have routes that serve the Ullapool area. According to the council press release: "The Council spends around £25m on school and public transport throughout the region.  The last tendering round saw an increase of £8m in one financial year, which led to the Council setting up an in-house bus team."

✊ Following the release of a report by the Scottish Human Rights Commission that raised concerns that Highlanders human rights were not being adequately met, (see also issue 24 last year) the watchdog has organised a series of follow-up events to "to engage further with communities to empower them to use human rights to advocate for change." The nearest event to Gairloch will be held in Ullapool on February 21. Places are limited so if you want to go you need to book.

🚚 And finally, here's a video of road salt being unloaded from a ship at Gairloch Harbour, posted by Alex Gray.

Did we miss something important? Let us know and we'll try to make sure we cover it next week. Nice photos of the area are also particularly welcome 😄.

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