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ISSUE 228 NOVEMBER 2011 ISSUE 228 NOVEMBER 2011 ISSUE 228 NOVEMBER 2011

IFAREVIEWING YOUR FINANCES?

Areas of Financial PlanningProtection - Personal, Mortgage,

Business and Income.Savings / Investments - Annual ISAAllowance / Low interest rates, thereare alternatives offering potentially

greater Capital Growth and or Income.Pension Planning - Plans should be

reviewed on a Annual Basis.Under the current Economic Climatereviewing your Finances should be

seriously considered. We offer, in theprivacy of your own home, a free

Personal Review covering all theabove, meetings can be arranged by

calling:-Contact numbers are 01586-552598 /0779 857 4890 / or 0141 887 6778.

Alasdair McPhee, Financial Consultantwas born in Carradale, lives and works

in Campbeltown.

Financial Planning Made Simple

e-mail: amcphee@hotmail.com,St James Business Centre,

Linwood Rd, Paisley PA3 3ATTel: 0141 887 6778 Fax: 0141 887 6344Alasdair McPhee Financial Services is an ap-

pointed representative of Personal Touch Finan-cial Services Limited which is authorised andregulated by the Financial Services Authority

Principal Alasdair M. McPheeCert.PFS MLIA(dip)

Alasdair McPheeFINANCIAL SERVICES

A BLACK, , GREY AND GREEN TREATMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL & COMMUNITY ISSUES

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INDOOR CARBOOT SALE

PENINVER HALL2-4pm SUNDAY23rd OCTOBER

Tables will be charged at £7 or£5 in the car park.

Contact Hilary Lord 01586 552488to rent a table.

Teas and biscuits.

P 2 Environmental matters - the SKDT’s USA hair shirt.P 3 Honest John’s explosive ideas and Wind-farm topics.P 4 Green issues, Duncan McEachran and Banking.P 5 Community Business, CHUG, Rain, Guild & RNLI.

P 6-10 Carradale Harbour and Tourism: some ideas.P 11 Duck race results, Gardens, Men’s Golf & Cars.P 12 Primary school topic, South Kintyre Seniors

Forum, & Repairs to the War Memorial.

GOLF ANNUAL DINNER DANCECarradale Golf Club is holding its Annual DinnerDance in Carradale Hotel on Saturday 5 November2011, 7 for 7.30pm. Tickets are priced £23 per personand are available NOW from Alan Walker, Dede Rob-ertson and Janeta King. On the night, there will be thePresentation of Prizes and a raffle. M. Richardson.

VILLAGE QUESTIONNAIRESThe Editor would like to thank Antler distributors andothers involved in preparing and delivering two recentvillage questionnaires, one which almost doubled theweight pushed through East Kintyre letterboxes. Nosummary results were published from the first issue,but is hoped to receive a feed-back from the second,once replies have been received and classified.

NETWORK CARRADALE LIMITEDAnnual General Meeting

Carradale Village Hall Library7.30pm Friday 11th NovemberAll welcome but only members are eligible to vote.

If YOU ...

Then you should become a member of

Network Carradale Limited.Pick up a leaflet in the Post Office

would like to be a part of some interesting village projects, would like to influence what could be done in Carradale

Derby Day at Waterfoot on Saturday September 24th.Photo courtesy of Dave Mercer. See page 4 for Dede Robertson’s report.

NETWORK REOPENSFRIDAY 21st OCTOBERWinter hours 11am-4pm

Closed Wednesdays &Thursdays

CARRADALE GOLF CLUB TELEPHONE 01583 431788 Further information is on page 11.

THE SECRETARY IS MARGARET RICHARDSON2, OLD SCHOOLHOUSE CARRADALE PA28 6QJ

HOLIDAY ANTLERCOMBINED DECEMBER &

JANUARY ISSUEThe combined December 2011 and Janu-ary 2012 issue will be sent to the printerson Thursday 17th of November. Items forthis issue will need to be in the hands ofthe Editor by Sunday 13th of November..

IN THIS ISSUE - IN THIS ISSUE - IN THIS ISSUE - IN THIS ISSUE

2

ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERSDOES ONE SIZE HAIR SHIRT FIT ALL?

VERY FRIENDLY AMERICAN ADVICE FROM S.K.D.TDespite the good work being carried out in Campbeltown by the SouthKintyre Development Trust, under its Project Officer, Malcolm McMil-lan, and by East Kintyre Community Council in its drive towards a‘Community Plan’, a disturbing trend is emerging to find inspiration fromalien cultures for community plans and environmental projects.The most recent evidence comes from an add-on to the SKDT web-sitefrom an American provider. Please do not presume from the followingAntler comments (in bold italic) that community plans and environ-mental projects are necessarily out of kilter with local communities, butthat there is a constant need to calibrate how appropriate the proposalsare for specific localities; a ‘one size fits all’ approach is unlikely tomatch the unmet requirements of third world communities and theprofligacy of developed countries. Here is an edited selection of advicefrom the American ‘Green Living’ addition to the SKDT web-site.

THE SOUTH KINTYRE DEVELOPMENT TRUST WEB-SITE ‘GREEN LIVING TIPS’.

‘These are some of the tips which can help you to make the world alittle bit more greener’.

(This is obviously not for those who are jet-washing moss offtheir roofs, or algae from their plastic fascias)

� CHANGE TO FLUORESCENT BULBS – If every house in the UNIT-ED STATES changed all of the light bulbs in their house, that wouldbe equivalent to taking one million cars off the streets. (Cars arealready off some Carradale streets which are too narrow forparking, or are occupying wider sections, officially designatedas passing places).

HANG OUTSIDE TO DRY – (No not another American ‘rendering’technique) - Get a cloth(e)s line or rack to dry your cloths. Yourcloths (weather permitting) will last longer and you will savemoney

GET RID OF BATHS – Do not take baths, take showers. (Goodbyeto soothing relaxing ‘Radox’ – you will need to buy morecalming replacement drugs – bring back tobacco) You will inaverage save about half the amount of water that you would if you

were taking a bath. (in the non-drought Kintyre situation thelogic of this statement is as much at risk as the implied faultylogic that a shower saves half as much as a bath, - should thatbe twice as much?).

SHORTEN YOUR SHOWER (No, forget sawing it down - just useless rare Scottish water) – Every minute you cut from your shower(they’ve got the saw out again) is roughly 5 gallons of water ( thisis a new version of the saying ‘time is money – I’m sureScottish Water will be pleased to learn that ‘time is water’) Theless time your shower takes, the lower your impact on the environ-ment (unless in common American practice after your largerAmerican shower you reach for a hot dog and settle your 16stone into a sagging chair in front of a gas flame fire).

RECYCLE GLASS – If you do not recycle this, it will take a millionyears to decompose. (Those abstainers who do not indulge arenot playing their part and must start drinking right away toshare in the recycling process).

TURN DOWN YOUR THERMOSTAT – Every degree lower in thewinter or higher in the summer you put it is a 10 percent decreaseon your energy bill. (If you don’t have, or can’t afford to runcentral heating or air-conditioning, show your support bywearing an extra green pullover ).

DO NOT GET A PAPER PHONE BOOK – Instead of getting a paperphone book. (Obviously not for those in Waterfoot who are stillwaiting for the 2009, 2010 & 2011 directories) Use a onlinedirectory instead (You haven’t got a computer? When you getone you’ll be using even more electricity).

GO TO A CAR WASH – Going to a car wash is a lot more waterefficient then washing your car at home. (What a pity we don’thave enough rain in Kintyre to wash the cars for us).

GET A REUSABLE BAG – You can not recycle plastic bags, insteadget yourself a reusable bag so that you will not have to worry aboutcarrying your necessities. (Obviously American bags havewheels and engines – taxis).

PLANT A TREE – It is good for the air, can keep you cool, and canincrease your property value (You’ll certainly face more insur-ance questions and costs).

WALK OR RIDE YOUR BIKE WHEN (if) YOU CAN – If you have togo somewhere close consider riding your bike or walking thereinstead of your car. It is better on the environment and healthier.(This advice is at a time when the only retailer of cycles andcycle spares in Campbeltown has closed his business).

The unfortunate thing about the serious work being done to saveresources is now encouraging a return to an early form of Puritanismwhere a bath is seen as an instrument of the devil, enjoyment is nolonger allowed and deviation from the official environmental line is anoffence to the community at large and should be suppressed in line withthe latest community plan; curtains will part to see if septic tanks andsewer outfalls are running over with bath suds. The big Americanbrother is now wearing a kilt and has supporters in Burnside Square.SKDT should clean up their already attractive web-site with its‘mountainous’ seaside view and remove inappropriate add-ons.

For those not in the know: SKDT was a funding follow-on from theDalintober and Millknowe Tenants and Residents Association, after theCouncil & the Scottish Government decided that with Campbeltownlosing its areas of depravation (at least in housing terms) the need wasto extend financial parameters and embrace the southern half ofKintyre. This gave rise to appointments in Campbeltown to spread thedevelopment word further north.

Co-incidentally the rise of ‘Community Forums’ and the introductionof a flurry of initiatives around the concept of ‘Community Planning’came under threat from Scottish Government Funding, unless Argyll &Bute Council agreed to a complicated series of community initiatives.This has now seeped down through the Council’s community councilstructure and community planning groups, flourishing under SKDTadvice and help in the form of community planning projects and devel-opmental initiatives.

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THE SCENE IN OTHER COUNTRIESWith Greece constantly in the news itwas particularly interesting to readthat Crete has a tourist attraction inthe form of ‘the plain of the thousandwind machines’. Unfortunately, al-though they are given a version ofthe Forth Bridge treatment with anew coat of paint every year, theydon’t actually produce any electricity.

It seems that some areas of the Unit-ed States which embraced wind-power several decades ago have asimilar problem - areas of the WestCoast have their ‘Green’ attractionsin the form of derelict towers withblades missing and little prospect ofrepair or removal because of inade-quate financial outlay for decommis-sioning.

TOO WINDY TO WORK MINDY & MORK TAKE CONTROL OF WIND-FARM INCOME

While Kintyre has had at least one problem with control gear failure resultingin blades spinning out of control in high winds and buckling a tower, it is notclear if and when local wind-farm blades have been feathered to stop damage.However it seems that there have been instances elsewhere where a wind-farm company was paid more than £1 million to stop producing electricity formore than eight and a half hours simply because of fears that the electricitynetwork would be overloaded in high winds. In total Eleven wind-farms wereshut down during the period when high winds from the disintegrating hurricaneKatia - almost certainly compensating payments made to the companies willbe passed on to consumers.

UNABLE TO WORK WITHOUT WINDReports coming in from one of the heat-stressed areas in West Sussex, wherethe local district council ‘has refused applications for the installation of smallwind generators in rural areas because the benefits outweigh the disadvantag-es of noise, visual impact and possible electromagnetic interference’, suggestthat land-based turbines in Britain supply energy typically for 25% of the yearand the capital cost per kilowatt-hour generated is likely to be three times ormore that of conventional generators. While the situation with noise andelectromagnetic interference has not been a problem for wind-farms in Kintyreand isolated single wind generators are unlikely to cause problems except totheir owners, this is another case of one policy not suiting all communities. Therecent experience in Southend makes it imperative that all residents mustmake their views known well before planning permission is considered.

WIND-FARM EXHIBITIONNORTH BEACHMORE WIND DEVELOPMENT : OUTDATED INVITATION

Tayinloan: 5-8pm Sunday 25th September & 4-7pm Monday 26thThe project is for one 500-900KW wind turbine which will connect to thenational grid. The turbine will be owned and operated by a partnership betweenCommunity Energy Scotland (Trading) which is the trading arm of a registeredScottish charity and a local farmer. Community Energy Scotland (CES) is a registered Scottish Charity sup-porting community development through renewable energy initiatives. It hassupported many projects within Kintyre and offers free advice and support toall community and non profit making organisations. CES Trading's income from the turbine will be donated to CommunityEnergy Scotland to improve its support for community groups. In addition therewill be local community benefit payment of £5,000 per annum. (This is twicethe average commercial rate for a turbine of this size). The site has beendesigned to reduce impact wherever possible. Come and see our proposal,discuss our ideas and give your own thoughts on the project and potentialbenefits of the community fund. Further information can be requested fromkevin.dickspin @community energyscotland.org.uk.

3

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VOLCANIC OUTLOOKHONEST JOHN & SP’s EXPLOSIVE LOGIC

Car fanatics and Telegraph readers are aware of the excellentadvice offered by the most unlikely title for a motoring corre-spondent and one-time vehicle dealer, but in a recent issue heventured to include a letter from SP of Narborough which hassome startling environmental statements. SP begins by saying that last year’s Icelandic volcaniceruption produced more carbon dioxide than was saved by fiveyears of Government and voluntary reduction. Continuing thesame theme SP states the the eruption of Mount Pinatubo inthe Philippines in 1991 discharged more greenhouse gasesinto the atmosphere than the whole human race has emittedthoughout its entire existence.

Going further SP refers to the additional pollution from solarand cosmic activity and bush fires as well as the 800 yearwarming and cooling climatic cycle and finishing with a flourishand an acknowledgement that during the past century the earthhas cooled by 0.7deg. Not to be outdone Honest John com-ments that vehicles are responsible for global cooling!

But what can we deduce from the contrast between thecontested ‘scientific’ views of the Green lobby and the defencefrom those who have a vested interest in the traditional pleas-ures of the open road? Is it to extend investigations intoalternative sources of energy without desecrating land andseascapes, moderating the insistent demands of the Greenlobby or simply economising on the earth’s limited resourcesin a sensible manner. The government view that industrialpollution is the only important cause of climatic change is akinto a blinkered political or religious belief; change is inevitablein every aspect of life. Blaming all atmospheric pollution onthose who drive vehicles, use solid fuel, oil, gas or electricity tomaintain the semblance of a developed society will have theeffect of returning western democracy to mediaeval times,where a single unelected figure or authoritarian group deter-mines the future of the nation. G.P.

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GREEN WITH ENVYHOW TO MAKE A PRINCELY SUM

Although most people are prepared to pay a bit more fortheir electricity if they know that part of their payment goesto encourage the development of alternative means ofproducing power, but when this extra ‘tax’ is used to boostsubsidised wind turbines on their neighbours house, re-sistance starts to mount. However when it turns out thatthose with large houses and even larger schemes arebenefitting most from the largesse of the energy compa-nies Government inspired scheme, things take on a verydifferent aspect. The latest news is that Prince Charles, always asupporter of ‘Green’ initiatives, will receive over £600,000from the subsidy after installing 400 panels on his HomeFarm dairy this spring, just before the tariff was reduced.The widely published figures quote an installation fee of£300,000 producing £27,000 a year for 25 years. Whilewe may well hesitate to spend £7,000 to £12,000 inresponse to TV and newspaper advertising, the subsidymay well disappear when the Government’s Europeanobligations are met. Although Charles is guaranteed hisincome, those of us still trying to work out if the cost ofsmall private schemes will find projected incomes disap-pearing as quickly as water runs off a Waterfoot plasticduck’s back.

GREEN STREET TRADINGUNCHARITABLE REPORTING

Be warned - if you put some of your garden produce outfor sale you may be reported to the Council. However ifyou have a trading licence, or are collecting on behalf of acharity and the charity is aware of your action on its behalf,no action will be taken. Argyll and Bute Council Legal Department was madeaware of someone selling produce outside their home inKintyre and were obliged to contact the house-owner, butwhat a sad day when someone is so upset by a neighbourthat they have to resort to these kind of tactics. Gardenersin other rural parts of the UK offer surplus fruit, vegetablesand flowers outside their property at prices well belowshop prices and without a trading licence. Why not here?

GREEN PRODUCECAMPBELTOWN COMMUNITY ORGANIC GARDEN

New! - Fresh, seasonal, organic garden produce deliveredto your door. We are starting a 3 month pilot study,delivering fresh, community garden produce to those whofind difficulty in shopping for their fresh fruit, veg andherbs. We have been granted funding to pilot a schemewhich aims to provide one area of the support needed tohelp isolated elderly and disabled people remain livingindependently within their own home. We are looking todeliver our seasonal community garden produce to thosefinding it difficult, for whatever reason, to shop for theseitems themselves. Although our prime aim is the isolatedelderly and disabled, your age will not exclude you fromour delivery service. We are currently compiling a list ofpossible customers and if you, or someone you know,could benefit from our delivery service please contactSandra on 07510179394. Steve Byrne.

DUNCAN McEACHRANTHE GLOBAL REACH OF THE ANTLER

I recently offered a short note for the Antler on the distinguished son of a Campbel-town Blacksmith who went on to become the father of modern Veterinary Education.Duncan McEachran was virtually unknown in his native Kintyre and I felt it was ofinterest to get something of his story into the Antler. For me it is nowadays the bestinformation Journal that we have. I did not realize, however, how international itsreadership was until I received an email message from the other side of the world. After my article appeared, the Campbeltown librarian received a messageenquiring about my address which she passed on to Councillor Kelly and eventuallyI received a letter from a distinguished Canadian Veterinarian, Dr. David Green, whoin his retirement had been contracted to write the definitive biography of the famousCanadian Veterinarian McEachran and had used my article, which he had read inthe Antler, as a starting point for describing his early life in Kintyre. David Green has very much more information than I was able to garner aboutthe man and his book which should be published next year will finally put on therecord one of Kintyre's most distinguished sons. One of the interesting snippets thathe has acquired is the information that the two plaques on the plinth of the Camp-beltown Cross, one in Gaelic and the second a translation from the Gaelic wereprovided and paid for by McEachran in 1905. Whether he was a descendent of theIvar McEachran named on the Cross I do not know but it is an interesting specula-tion. Another of Dr Green's discoveries was that McEachran was not educated inthe Grammar School as I had thought. In fact as his father was an adherent to thebreakaway Gaelic Free Church established by Rev. McNab at the disruption of theKirks in 1840, he was educated in the Free Church School that McNab and hiscongregation established, presumably the building now being converted into abunkhouse at the Big Kiln. As another Campbeltown veterinarian who has tried to influence internationalveterinary education, I am very grateful to Mr Page and his organ for providing mewith this route into furthering my knowledge of Duncan McEachran and his achieve-ments. I am also very impressed with the internationality of its readership.

Yours Sincerely, Ronald J. Roberts.Dr. Roberts, Emeritus Professor of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, Chairman ofArgyll & Bute Countryside Trust, and Bill Middlemiss, the Trust’s Manager, wereinstrumental in sourcing funding for the now well-known Network exhibition and tearoom in Carradale, and in encouraging local residents to become involved in theconversion, research and stocking of the dilapidated forestry buildings. Ed.

ABBEYFIELDABBEYFIELD REGAINS ITS COUNTRY STATUS

Abbeyfield in Scotland became a Region of England in 2007. Over the past 18months, Stuart Irvine, Chairman for Scotland, has been campaigning to restore theorganisation in Scotland to have devolved Country status.

As a Region of England, Scottish Societies paid the same affiliation fee asEnglish ones but received very little benefit from the main office in St Albans. Thiswas mainly due to devolution of Government in Scotland and the fact that all theRegulators in Housing, Care, Charities and Local Authority were based in Scotland.There were many differences in practice between the two Countries.

At the Annual General Meeting in London, covering the whole of the UK, it wasagreed that Scotland, and indeed Wales and Northern Ireland would revert to havingCountry status. Along with this was a reduction in affiliation fees of 50% to 75% ofwhat was paid in the past.

Stuart says “It was a long and harrowing exercise but with a very satisfactoryending”.

Abbeyfield in Scotland has 23 Societies totalling 48 Sheltered Houses and 8Care Homes.Throughout the whole of the UK there are now around 300 AbbeyfieldSocieties and Abbeyfield in now also represented in 15 overseas Countriesincluding France, Belgium, Holland, Italy, USA, Canada, Mexico, South Africa,Australia, New Zealand & Japan.

5

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WHAT IS OUR ‘COMMUNITY BUSINESS’?A community business is a not-for-profit distribution legal entity set upto run a project, or projects, on behalf of the community, all profits orsurpluses are used by the business for other projects of benefit to thecommunity. For example, the Campbeltown Community Business Ltdoperates the Picture House. Network Carradale Limited (NCL) has runthe Heritage Centre for the last 15 years and for the last five years ithas leased the Network Tearoom to the present excellent manager,Josie McKinnon.

But what is the future of the business? Despite its name, from thebeginning Network Carradale Ltd. was set up to “Preserve, conserve,restore and improve the environment and, in particular, the area ofCarradale and East Kintyre, Argyll.” NCL’s remit, in fact, covers notonly the village of Carradale, but the entire area of the present surveywhich will form the basis of the East Kintyre Community Plan.

About 18 months ago the Carradale Harbour Users Group (CHUG)was brought under the auspices of NCL. With the support of a publicmeeting for consultation, CHUG is now working towards a plan for theharbour and looking into sources of funding. NCL’s interests havegrown to include Carradale East as well as the Heritage Centre andTearoom in Carradale West. But where should the business go next?

Everyone has had the opportunity to contribute to East Kintyre’sCommunity Plan for the future by filling in the survey questionnaire.The results of the survey will be published in a few months. Alreadyexciting ideas are floating about which could be implemented by NCL.A community owned petrol pump? Workshop units? Self-containedoffices? A small ferry to Arran? A snooker hall or a gym in the old GlenRestaurant! Go to www.villageweb.org.uk to read more – look for EastKintyre Pipe Dreams.

Network Carradale Limited invites all the residents of East Kintyreto its Annual General Meeting on the 11th of November at 7.30pm atthe Carradale Village Hall. Come and join in the discussion.

Better still, if you are not already a member of NCL, join us. Thereis still time. You will need to complete an application form and buy ashare of the company for £1. The forms are available in Semple’s andPaterson’s shops. If you would like to be a director the NCL secretary,Stuart Irvine, must receive your application for membership andnomination as a director as well as your pound by Thursday the 3rd ofNovember (7 clear days before the AGM). His address is on theapplication form.

All company members are entitled to vote for resolutions, theadoption of accounts,  the appointment of  directors  and to offerthemselves as candidates for membership on the board of directors.

At this extraordinary AGM all of the current directors of NCL will bestanding down and a new board of directors will be elected by thecompany members. No director is paid, (sorry, not even a little tinybonus) but, in these interesting times, the job should be its ownreward. Directors, Network Carradale Limited.

CHUGThe latest harbour committee meeting took place on Thursday October6th. We expect to send documents to Argyll & Bute Council shortlyregarding our preliminary proposal for a joint management structure forthis area. If and when agreement is reached it will allow us to take overvarious aspects of the harbour management and permit the raising offunds for future development of the harbour environs. It was also agreed to actively pursue the placing of moorings off theharbour entrance once matters regarding insurance and logistics havebeen satisfactorily attended to. This is considered a project that shouldbe achievable within the next 6 months. Marcus Adams.

SEPTEMBER RAINFALLThere’s a saying “It never rains but it pours.” This is certainly true of thismonth’s rainfall statistics, as there were only three dry blinks in Sep-tember- at the very beginning, at the very end and right in themiddle(14th/15th). When it rained it rained….. not the odd shower butheavy prolonged rain. In total 216 mm was recorded (over eight and ahalf inches.) Surprisingly this high total was not record breaking as Septembertotals in 2004, 2006 and 2005 were all higher with monthly figures of219mm, 222mm, and 242mm respectively. This brings the total rainfallto date in 2011 as 1222 mm (nearly 49 inches) much as one mightexpect in an average years’ rainfall at this stage of the year. The finaloutcome will depend on how wet an autumn and early winter we get.Only time will tell. M.L.

GUILD MEETINGS: CHANGED DATESThere are changes to the subject of two meetings; Alistair Cousin willgive his talk on ‘Life of a Kintyre Vet’ at 7.30pm on Tuesday 21stFebruary and David McEwan has agreed to talk on ‘Old Campbeltown’2.30pm on Tuesday 31st January. M.L.

RNLI BONUS BALL WINNERS

HMS Sutherland: travelling south in Kilbrannan Sound on Sunday 2ndOctober before returning to Libya. Photos courtesy of M.M.

The following day a Border Agency vessel was watching for illegalentrants, locals fleeing to Iberia for the winter and others likely to be

engaged in borderline illegal environmental acts.

30th July D McKinnon6 th Aug M O13th Aug Frank King20th Aug Joanna McMillan27th Aug Martin Hughes

3 rd Sept Bar Person10th Sept C. McKinnon17th Sept Leah McConnachie27th Sept B McMillan1st Oct No Winner

It is a dictum in the tourist industry that to succeed an attraction needsa loo, a view, and a brew. Carradale harbour has a spectacular view, itcould be provided with better toilets and a café but what is its actualattraction? The appeal of Carradale lies in its natural beauty and tranquillity.However, in this regard, Carradale does not especially stand out fromcountless other seaside villages in Scotland. Unless people havehistoric family connections, they have no particular reason to comehere rather than any other pretty, peaceful little place. Visitors aredrawn by shopping opportunities or a ‘visitor attraction’. This might bea heritage asset - a stately home, a garden or an archaeological sitebut Carradale has no such unique selling point. Inthe era of the ring net fishing the harbour was suchan asset but today it cannot compete with thecharms of Gigha and Tarbert. Other places have demonstrated that with au-dacity it is possible to invent a visitor attraction. TheLondon Eye, and the Eden Centre are iconic. TheFalkirk Wheel and The Loch Fyne Oyster Bar aremore modest examples. None of these relied on‘heritage’ to justify themselves. Out of the blue some-one had an idea which became a catalyst for a rangeof associated enterprises. Carradale cannot notcompete in terms of scale with these projects, norwould many of us want to. But if we set ourselves tomarshal sufficient resources Carradale could putitself on the map by doing something outrageously different, whilst notundermining its existing tranquil appeal. The population of East Kintyre is a little over 800. If Carradale is towin significant funding for physical improvements, we will need to makea case for the benefits reaching more widely than our immediatecommunity. We need a focal point with the potential to make a regionalimpact – we need to think big.

The Kintyre ClockThis proposal is for an attraction with a strong maritime theme. It will bea building by the harbour car park. The building will contain, and tosome extent be, a large and complex clock. The clock will not simplydisplay the time but show the state of the tide, the phase of the moon,the time and location of sunrise and sunset, eclipses, and more. It willbuild on the strong links between nautical navigation, time and astron-

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omy. A clock with many moving parts would not do well externally in ourclimate so the clock will be inside. An exception to this will be the “TideStaff” which displays the current tide, the height of the high and lowtide, and indicates whether the tide is ebbing or flushing. This will bedisplayed prominently outside. The aim will be for the clock to mark numerous ‘events’. Eventscreate a sense of occasion and an excuse for being there. Despite ourdigital age people love mechanical gadgets – from the Falkirk wheel toThe Waverley. In many cities, particularly on mainland Europe, touristsgather on the hour to watch little figures emerge from clocks and strikebells. Daily at 1pm tourists in Edinburgh gather for the one-o-clock

cannon. At Greenwich and a few other coastal loca-tions a ‘Time Ball’ is still lowered at 1pm.The most frequent event will be a the striking of thenaval one to eight bells every half hour – with, as isapparently traditional, sixteen bells at New Year’s Eve.But daily events such as the highest elevation of thesun, and the highest and lowest tides will also bemarked along with periodic momentary events such asthe precise moment of full and new moon, the solstic-es and the equinoxes, the transit of the sun from onepart of the zodiac to the next, spring and neap tides.While the emphasis will be on mechanical movementthere will also be computer displays showing thetime around the world and the night sky. People will befree to visit the clock and any ancillary exhibits, but the

clock room can also serve as a tea room or a restaurant, or both, sothat when Arran is invisible visitors can contemplate the clock whilesipping their brew. The windows will show a spectacular view of Arranas well as the harbour, and an outside terrace, like the Skipnesssea-food cabin, will provide fair-weather dining with sunshine and aview. The building will contain a toilet block. When the cafe-restaurantand the clock room is closed, the toilet block, with showers and laundryfacilities, will still be open to the public. The building will also contain abunk house to accommodate the growing numbers of budget travellersusing the National Cycle Route and the Kintyre Way. The developmentwill also include a petrol and diesel filling station, a new slipway, apromenade, a small-boat store, a re-cycling point, and four smallerbuildings: ‘The Gate House’, ‘The Compass Room’ and two sheds.

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Potential spin-offs� A significant attraction at the harbour will strengthen the case for a

passenger/cycle ferry from Arran to Carradale (see Annex 1). Theferry would land at the new slipway. The presence of a ferry woulditself be a force for change and bring custom to local businesses.

� A companion to this proposal suggests a circular walk around thevillage (see Annex 2) – the ‘Carradale Loop’ (subject to the agree-ment of land owners). The walk includes a sea-front walk linkingthe harbour to Port Righ and Carradale Bay, with their restaurantsand the caravan park. Following the theme of the clock one couldimagine two or three large sundials at various stages on the loop –things to go and see.

� If there were more people coming to the harbour there would bemore justification for a fresh fish ‘shop’ or stall dealing both withsalmon from the fish-farm and fish landed by the boats (see Annex3).

� Throughout the country there is growing interest in “dark skies”(see Annex 4). Kintyre is well placed for dark skies. Dark skies andastronomy generally would fit well with the clock theme. A bunkhouse in the forestry could be designed to facilitate star gazing. Wedo not make enough of the fact that the man known as the fatherof astro-archaeology, Professor Alexander Thom (1894 – 1985),was born at the Mains Farm in Carradale.

� If the attraction succeeds, the ‘Clock House’ could become a venuefor wedding parties, small conferences, courses and the like.

� The development encompasses the area currently occupied by thecar park and the fisherman’s storage area. It also builds out overthe rocks to reach sufficiently deep water to build an all-tide slip-way.

In this proposal the stretch of the shore road which runs alongside thecar park is removed and the car park relocated to exploit this space andto create space on the water-side of the car park for a promenade. Thepromenade is curved both to aesthetically ‘complete’ the harbour andalso to allow space for large vehicles, such as coaches, comfortably toturn around. The current re-cycle 5 bins are relocated to the other endof the car park allowing the re-cycle lorry to empty the bins withoutobstructing the road. The fisherman’s store is re-modelled to provide both outdoor spacein bays and a covered store or workroom – ‘the west shed’. Thisbuilding will also provide a visual screen from the Shore road to theoutdoor store. The outdoor store will be further screened by a woodenfence on the road-side. A second shed, ‘the east shed’ provides both storage for the fishfarm and for the ‘Clock House’. The storage needs of the Clock House

will depend on how it is used. It may be needed for storing chairs andtables, dry goods, freezers and the like. The entrance to the east shedcould become an ad hoc fish shop. Alongside the east shed are the above ground fuel tanks for the fuelpumps. The objective is to serve both the petrol and diesel needs of thevillage and of visiting boats. The presence of a filling station, if wellsignposted, would itself be an attraction to the harbour for sometravellers along the east road. The slipway is designed to be long enough to provide access to thewater at all states of the tide. It has a vertical side so that, when thereis sufficient water, boats can pull up alongside and people can disem-bark without having to climb ladders. This would be particularly impor-tant if there were to be a passenger/cycle ferry from Arran (see Annex1). Subject to the permission of land owners the development includesa path through Spoot Wood up towards the centre of the village. Thewalk includes a covered viewpoint – ‘the Compass Room’ with viewsover the Sound and fixed binoculars.

The ClockhouseThe Clock House is the centre-piece of the development. The intentionis that it should have a strongly maritime feel. The building is toppedwith a “tide staff” which gives a full size representation of the state of

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the tide. In this draft design,the three horizontal disksindicate the position of hightide, low tide, and the cur-rent state of the tide. Thecone at the top points up ona flushing tide and down onan ebb tide. The outside of the build-ing is encased in verticaltimber cladding. A coveredway provides sheltered ac-cess to the toilets while also

making them accessible to the public when the rest of the building isclosed. It also encompasses a ramp for disabled access.

The ground floorplan

On entering the buildingthough the lobby the ‘clock’is immediately to the left.The ‘clock’ is some threemetres wide by five metreshigh and consist of numer-ous different displays. Theclock passes up though aspace in the upper floor andlight floods down from rooflights around the tide staff.When the downstairs roomis being used as a tea roomcustomers will, if theychoose, be able to sit attheir tables and look at theclock. The downstairs roomopens out on to the terrace

which in fine weather can be used for sitting out. The kitchen has acounter to the downstairs room, a door to the terrace, a ‘dumb waiter’for serving the upstairs gallery, and a separate door out to the bins. Italso has its own private toilet and washroom. The public toilet has three uni-sex toilets each equipped for disa-

bled access and baby-changing, and with theirown wash-hand basins.There are two showers, alaundry area, and acleaner’s store. The first floor gallery isopen to the roof structure. Ithas a large end window giv-ing a spectacular view overArran and the harbour ap-proach so that people willhave a close view of boatscoming and going. At theother end of the room abalcony looks out over aspace in front of the clock.The gallery spaces to eitherside of this space have wallspace for additional dis-

plays related to the clockand its theme. In the centreof this space hangs the low-er half of the tide staff. Peo-ple will be able to read offthe measurements forstates of the tide. The first floor, apartfrom the main galleryspace, also contains a sim-ple bunk house. The bunkhouse includes a sittingroom with a view up theSound. The room includes a sink and space for a microwave. Thereare two bedrooms each with two bunks. In addition, regulations permit-ting, there is a “loft” space which can take additional mattresses. Thebunk house is accessed from an external staircase and balcony. Itdoes not have its own bathroom but makes use of the public facilitiesbelow.

The Gate HouseThe Gate House is seen asa gateway to the village forpeople arriving by boat. Itmarks the start of the pathwhich will run up to the cen-tre of the village. The build-ing will include a smalloffice for use by the fishfarm. The office will be pro-vided with its own toilet andwashroom.The ‘gateway’ includes an-other decorative clock thatwill chime the nautical eightbells. This small externalclock will be something tosee when the Clock House is closed.

The Compass RoomThe ‘compass room’ is the name given to the covered view point on thepath up to the village.The Compass Room is a simple octagonal shelter containing benchseats and a fixed pair of powerful binoculars. The floor will be decorat-ed with a compass rose and each of the columns will be labelled with

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the name of the corresponding compass point. On the four sides whichare open to the view there will be marks and text indicating landmarksthat can be seen from that direction. The text will name the land markand its distance from the viewer.

ObstaclesThere are clearly many obstacles to realising this scheme, not least theexpense. The tide staff and the clock are substantial and specialistitems of engineering and will require the input of various experts. Theparticulars of the actual clock are not being shown here since even itsoutline design will need significant input. Other obstacles include the necessary sewerage arrangementsalong the Shore Road; the rules and regulations which no doubt areinvolved with dealing with fuel supply; the unknown marine engineeringissues involved in building a slipway and adequate storm protection tothe building and car park; and generating sufficient operational incometo make it viable. There is also a question as to whether it is realistic to build anythingat all on a plot of land so vulnerable to storms.However, if the logic of the situation is that a significant visitor attractionis required to act as a catalyst for economic development, somethingout of the ordinary is required.

The Storm over The Kintyre Clock – with apologies to William McTaggart

Annex 1: A proposal for a Carradale – Arran passenger/cycle ferryIf there is a single change which has the most potential to transformCarradale’s prospects it is surely to change Carradale’s status fromcul-de-sac to feature on a circuit. If Carradale were linked by a smallseasonal, subject to weather, passenger/cycle ferry to Arran then itwould open up the kind of circular walks and cycle rides which growingnumbers of tourists want. The Claonig ferry and a new Carradale ferrycould become the two ends of a section of the Kintyre way. Similarly

they could effectively linktwo of the National CycleRoutes, NR73 andNR78. A ferry would openpossibilities for day tripsfrom Carradale to visitthe stone circles atMachrie or for walks inthe Goat fell area.

Tourists coming from England or the south would be able to leave theircars in Ardrossan and come by ferry/bus/ferry to Carradale making itmore attractive to people who might be tempted to moor or store theirboats at Carradale. Argyll and Bute Council already operate apassenger/cycle ferry at Lismore and support a passenger ferry toJura. Maybe a Carradale fishing boat could act as a ferry in thesummer? A Carradale based ferry operator might be able to work on demandoutside of the high season and might be able to offer other servicessuch as from Arran to the Landmark Trust properties at Saddell allow-ing renters to arrive by sea.

Annex 2: A proposal for‘The Carradale Loop’While Carradale has manypaths it could benefit froma named walk, in the samesense that the Kintyre Wayis a named walk. The 10km ‘Carradale Loop’ wouldbe a good morning’s orafternoon’s walk that em-braces the village. To make a completeloop requires forming twonew sections: a cliff-topwalk around the golfcourse and a path acrossthe base of CarradalePoint, linking Port Righ toCarradale Bay. These willclearly require the agree-ment of the land owners. Inthe case of the golf course there is already a footpath across the middleof the golf course, although on the ground its route is not clear. Ourproposal would establish a clearly signposted route around the edge ofthe golf course, which would not cross any fairways, and which mightactually reduce the number of walkers crossing the golf course. Thiswalk would take in Airds Castle which is currently under exploited asan attraction. The additional path on Carradale point would be a short section,about 200 metres, linking the entrance to the old Nature Reserve,below Dunvalenree, to Bruce’s cave and on to the existing path thatgoes down the spine of Carradale Point. The Loop would link to other walks, such as Sally’s walk, CarradalePoint, Crow Wood, and Deer Hill. It provides visitors at the caravan sitewith a coastal path to Port Righ and the harbour. It will bring walkerspast the facilities at Port Righ and The Network Centre, as well as anyfuture facilities at the harbour.Creating the Loop would involve clearing paths, building steps andsmall bridges, adding finger posts, seats, and creating publicity materi-al.

Annex 3: Fish shop and fish clubUsing modern communication technology, SMS texting and/or e-mail,it ought to be possible for Carradale fisherman to report what fish theyare bringing in for which they do not already have a buyer. Thesedetails could be displayed on a screen somewhere around the harbour.Or it could be on a web site with the option that potential clients can buythe fish in advance. If people knew what fish was available then therewould be a motivation to go to the harbour and buy direct – either direct

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Telephone 01583 431725from the boat or from a community outlet at the harbour. This would be valuable forresidents, local restaurants, and visitors alike. Even without the internet communication there would still be value in a community outlet(or a commercial outlet) through which surplus fish could be sold for a greater mark-up thanwould be got through a commercial wholesaler. The fish shop (or stall or self-service freezer) could also be an outlet for the fish farm tosell salmon direct. It would be possible to set up a fish club where potential buyers were put in touch withpotential sellers, rather like a simplified form of e-bay or Amazon marketplace. Memberswould register with a web site either as a buyer or a seller. An on-line form would let a seller(a fisherman) maybe using a smart-phone to say what they had, what price they wanted, a

time of availability, and maybe choose a deliveryoption (e.g. at the boat, at some shop/office atthe harbour, home delivery in Carradale?). Thisitem would then appear on the web site and,optionally, be sent as an e-mail to all registeredbuyers. If a buyer wanted it they would then gothe web site and confirm that they were buying itat which point they would be committed and thelisting would disappear from the web site – or itwould be shown as ‘sold’. An automatic e-mailwould inform the seller who was buying. Theweb site would not deal with the money. Similarly, a buyer using another form couldpublish a request – “I am in the market for...” –with a time frame – i.e. I need this for tonight, orany day this week. It would be possible to comeup with some on-line system of ‘offers’ but prob-ably the easiest is that a potential seller couldthen e-mail the potential buyer with details ofprice. If the fish club worked it could be broadened

to include other fresh food stuffs such as venison, baking, vegetables, fruit etc.

Annex 4: Dark skiesA recent item on the BBC web site highlightedthe growing importance of ‘Dark Sky tourism’ andhow an area’s lack of light pollution can be anasset (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-11949767).The top image on the left shows light pollutionlevels. Despite some pollution around Campbel-town, central Kintyre is protected from the lightsof Glasgow by Arran. The lower image alsoshows ‘clear nights per year’ which shows howKintyre does better than most of highland Scot-land.In 2009 The Galloway Forest became the first

‘Dark Sky Park’ in the UK, and one of the first in Europe. Exmoor also now has a Dark Skypark. The sky over Kintyre is darker still. ‘Dark Sky park status’ and ‘Dark Sky communitystatus’ is a title awarded by the International Dark Sky Association (www.darksky.org)Wouldn’t it be good if East Kintyre could acquire this status? There are also ‘Dark SkyDiscovery Sites’ which is a status awarded by Dark Sky Scotland (www.darkskyscotland.org.uk). So far there are just two sites, Glen Nevis and Newbattle Abbey inDalkeith (see guidelines for establishing a ‘discovery site’). One of the attractions of Dark Sky tourism is that its best time is from October throughto April – in other words the time when other tourism is quiet, as are the midges. One canpromote Dark Sky Tourism without any special infrastructure but facilities such as bunkhouses in the forestry would be an advantage. The Dark Sky park in Galloway was set upand organized by the Forestry commission. Cathy Forbes & Eric Dudley.

TOWN HALL WEB-SITELAUNCHED

‘A new web-site dedicated to the Town Hall inCampbeltown was launched on September 30th;www.campbeltowntownhall.org provides membersof the public with the latest information regardingthe Town Hall Project along with regular updatesby the newly appointed Town Hall CommunityDevelopment Worker, Claudia Albrecht’.‘The web-site will enable people to have their say and puttheir ideas forward in creating a 21st CenturyTown Hall which is built around them and theirneeds’. ‘Talking about the launch, Claudia said:“The web-site raises awareness of the Town Halland enables the people of Campbeltown to havetheir say on what they would like to see happen toit. The Town Hall is an important asset to the townand it’s extremely important that people’s opinionsare heard. I’d also like to say a huge thanks you toTrevor Oxborrow, Director, South KintyreDevelopment Trust (SKDT), for his tireless work increating the web-site and to everyone who helpedby providing images for the web-site and helpingto pick a domain name”.’‘The project is funded by ‘LEADER Argyll and theIslands’ and ‘Investing in Ideas’.Cara Browning, Administrative & Finance Assist-ant, Campbeltown Town-scape Heritage Initiative

THE TRON BANDBELATED BUT VERY APPRECIATIVE THANKSIt was with excitement, anticipation and a bit ofdisbelief that we made our way to the village hallon Saturday 17 July to hear the ‘legendary’ TronBand. The last time I heard Duncan McCrone waswhen the Clydesiders played the hall, must be, 15or so years ago. And here he was, back with agroup of fabulous musicians : Cy Jack, keyboard and bass; Chris Stout, fid-dle; Finlay MacDonald, pipes; Ray Laidlaw, drumsand Michael Brian guitar. From the start the atmosphere was good, thehall set out cafe style, filling up with an enthusiasticaudience. The first set featured the whole bandplaying Duncan’s ballad style songs, traditionaland original. There was a lump in my throat whenhe sang ‘The Surf and the Silver Fishes’. Thetempo hotted up when the amazing duo of Chrisand Finlay, fiddle and pipes, played the most excit-ing, energetic and foot stomping set. They wereFANTASTIC, I didn’t want them to stop. But thenthe full band regrouped for a final few songs andencores. The gig was a gas, an unexpected treat….and the Carradale rolls and sausage were wellworth the wait! A huge thank you to Shelagh, Lachie and allthe helpers for bringing such a seminal piece ofScottish culture and music to Carradale. Not to beforgotten. Linda Martin.

11

CARRADALE GOLF CLUB

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For further information contact The Secretary, Margaret Richardson,2 Old Schoolhouse Carradale, PA28 6QJ Tel: 01583 431788

DUCK RACE RESULTSThe 15th Annual Duck Race was held on Saturday 24th Septemberto raise funds for Saddell & Carradale Church. A sunny day resulted in a great turnout and everyone enjoyed theburgers, sausages, chicken and clams from the BBQ. There werealso stalls serving soups, crepes, roulades, drinks, sweets and teasaccompanied by the usual high standard of home baking. Therewere also activities for children, including a coconut shy and skittles. Local young piper Charlotte Semple piped the crowd to the banksof the river Carra and 340 ducks were released at the starting line.

The prizewinners were as follows:-1. Pauline Burrows (£150)2. Jas Webb (£100)3. I. Tinny (Round of golf at Carradale Golf Club for 4)4. B. & M .Owen (Calmac voucher)5. Mariam McNair (Seatours voucher)6. Alison Milstead (Springbank Whisky)7. Callum Irvine (Aqualibrium voucher)8. Kenny McNab (Carradale Hotel voucher)9. F. Morran (Camera Club photograph)10. Tommy McKinnon (Network voucher)11. R. Murchie (Ashbank voucher)12. Cathie Baker (G10 Bistro voucher)13. Jamie & Lorna Campbell (Carradale pony trekking voucher)The Booby prize for the last duck was won by Julie, Sandra & GavinSmall, and Raymond & Zoe Gosling won the prize for the best name– WILMADUCKWIN Once again we were most grateful to Michael and Moira Foremanfor the use of their garden. Also a big thank you to all of our sponsors,those who bought a duck, donated to the event, or worked so hard tomake the day such a success. A total of well over £4500 was raisedfor church funds. Dede Robertson.

GARDEN OF THE MONTHWith no sight of a return to the days when local residents opened theirgardens in an ‘Open Day’ or competed for class prizes at the ‘ProduceShow,’ perhaps it is time to search out and praise those who spendtheir free-time among the flowering plants and vegetables, makingEast Kintyre a bit more photogenic. With individual residentscontinuing their valuable ‘tub’ planting, and the Community Councilinto planting fruit trees and seeking sites for birch trees raised byElspeth Anderson, the Antler invites readers to send in nominations fora ‘Garden, or Gardener, of the Month’. Although November is notnoted for its exuberant displays, spring is just around the corner!

CARRADALE GOLF CLUBMEN’S SECTION COMPETITION WINNERS IN 2011

The following won the competitions held between June and October: June Medal: R. J. Abernethy 60 (scratch 67) President’s Cup: J. Robertson 43pts (scratch 65) Fishermen’s Cup: J. Robertson 61 (scratch 68) July Medal: J. Paterson 64 Duncan Fisher Mem: D. Dunlop 58 (scratch 66) July Open: W. S. Ritchie 58 (scratch 70) Walker Quaich: J. McFadyen 67 August Medal: D. Dunlop 67 Captain’s Day D. Galbraith 37 pts Foulds Martin Trophy: D. Dunlop 59 (scratch 66) August Cup: D. Dunlop 65 September Medal: A. G. T. Walker 60 Matchplay Champion: J. W. Campbell Club Championship: J. W. Campbell 204 Greenkeeper’s Cup: J. Paterson 196 Billy Martindale Mem.: J. W. Campbell & D. Galbraith 58 October Medal: A. Dunlop 63 Medals Final Trophy: W. S. Ritchie 69 (bih)

What a fume,Down the road,Left in its wake,A cloud of smoke,Made people choke.

Going places,Up and downhill,At your will,Not to kill,Over bumps,Round bends,Give them thrills and chills.The engine roars,Doing its chores,Coughing and spluttering,As winter came,Isn’t it a shame,If the car had a brain,It would go insane,As if to complain.Paintwork rusty,"Couldn’t sell this car",Mr Claxton said in woe,"The only thing that works,Is the radio”.

The door creaked,The petrol tank leaked,The boot springs open,The car is no hoping.The brake, accelerator and clutch,Don't work,We'll have to get a towing truck.The truck appeared, off to the dump,Clitter, clatter sighs of woe,The dump is the place to go,At the dump the driver stops,He relaxes and sighs,"That car has had its chances,Tyres worn, Metal torn,Ages old, can't be sold”.The car lies there,Like a lump,In all that pile,Of forgotten junk.

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LATE SUBMISSIONSAlthough the deadlines for the combined December 2011/January2012 are on the front page, it is worth reinforcing the message that theAntler usually goes to print on a Thursday at 9am in the middle of themonth. As the following month proceeds, the chance of finding spacediminishes. This month the Cinema advert was withdrawn as no dateshad been received, and a late request to include suggestions from oneof the many ‘dreams’ for Carradale and Kintyre from www.villageweb.org.uk, had to be left with a number of other articles for possibleinclusion in the next issue. It is often the case that an interesting articleis promised, takes three weeks to arrive and contains something whichcould be written in twenty seconds on the back of a postage stamp!

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SOUTH KINTYRESENIORS FORUMMINUTES OF THE MEETING

AT KINLOCH HALL, CAMPBELTOWNON 8TH OCTOBER 2011

The meeting opened with an interesting talk onthe history and local workings of the Red Crossfrom Ann Cousin.APOLOGIES: Ailsa Stewart, Geoffrey Page,

Jean Miller & Douglas McKerral.MINUTES: The minutes of the previous meeting

were agreed, proposed by Janet Miller andseconded by Jenny Miller.

TOWN HALL: It was agreed that Claudia fromthe town hall project be invited to come tothe next meeting.

FINANCIAL STATEMENT: Margaret Turner ad-vised that there was £282.99 in the bankaccount. It was agreed to change the banksignatures. Ian Teesdale and Val Cannellshould be taken off and Emily McDonaldand Margaret Turner should be put on andGeorge McMillan should stay on. 100stamps were given to AVA for mailing outminutes and calling letters for meetingswhich should be sent out near the nextmeeting.It was agreed that Margaret Turnerwould write to Rotary to ask for a donationto cover rent and stationary.

AOCB: Some members have been having trou-ble with their televisions since the digitalchangeover. This will be reviewed at thenext meeting. A letter had been receivedfrom Age Scotland inviting members to anassembly.

WAR MEMORIALAfter years of neglect and promises the Car-radale War Memorial has been restored. Wayback in the 1990s Community Councils madepleas for the post to be removed, repairs to becarried out to the Memorial’s surrounding walland for the lettering to be treated. A number ofresidents have also made representations to theCouncil and at last, thanks to their efforts and aplea from Lachie Paterson, things are looking abit tidier just in time for this year’s ceremony.Let’s hope that another over the next twentyyears that residents will keep an eye on itscondition and help to keep it tidy.

A COLOUR VERSION OF ‘THE ANTLER’ ISAVAILABLE ON ‘THE CARRADALE GOAT’ WEB-SITE & ON ‘THE KINTYRE COMMUNITY FORUM’

WEB-SITE THROUGH THE AGENCY OF‘SCRIBD’.

EDITORIAL CONTACT: 01583 431281or geoffreyf.page@homecall.co.uk

PRIMARY SCHOOLJOINT HEADSHIPS

ARGYLL & BUTE COUNCIL LOOKS ATJOINT HEADSHIPS FOR CERTAIN

PRIMARY SCHOOLSArgyll and Bute Council is to explore theestablishment of joint headships of primaryschools in the wake of a highly successfulpilot project. The move follows an in-depth evaluationof the pilot at Carradale and Drumlembleprimaries, which have been sharing a headteacher since May 2010. Today, the councilagreed to looking into establishing similararrangements in the future in other locations,provided various criteria are met. The deci-sion was welcomed by Argyll and Bute’sspokesperson for education and lifelonglearning Councillor Ellen Morton, who said itcould prove a major factor in helping to en-sure that the area’s schools remain sustain-able. “In the Carradale and Drumlemble case,both sets of parents and parent councilswere consulted on the proposal before itactually happened and the pilot went aheadwith their approval. The resulting evaluation- along with the direct feedback we receivedfrom the parents, staff and pupils in bothschools – was overwhelmingly positive andthe arrangement will now become a perma-nent one. The obvious benefits of a jointheadship are clear to everyone who hasbeen involved in this pilot, and I am delightedthat this is an option which we will now beable to consider, in appropriate circumstanc-es, in the future.” At present, a significant number of headteachers in Argyll and Bute’s smaller, morerural schools have a class teaching commit-ment, which can be as much as three and ahalf days each week. The remaining time isused for managing the day to day running ofthe school and its ongoing development. Councillor Morton said:“Even in a school with a relatively low pupilroll, managing the school and teaching aclass can be extremely demanding as it issometimes difficult to maintain an appropri-ate balance between the two roles. Mattersof high importance cannot always be left untillater and, as a result, teaching time can bedisrupted when a head teacher has to dealwith such issues. In addition, access to ahead teacher’s time for meetings with par-ents, visitors and other staff can be limited bythat teaching commitment, putting additionalpressure on a head teacher to fit manage-ment duties into a limited period each week.”

“The council believes that joint headshipsof two geographically close schools couldhave major benefits in such a situation.These benefits would not necessarily includesignificant cost savings, as additional classteachers may be taken on – perhaps in pro-moted posts – to pick up the teaching re-quirements in both schools previouslycovered by the head teacher. The feedbackfrom those involved in Carradale and Drum-lemble primaries has been extremely positivewith teachers, parents and carers and thehead teacher herself all indicating their satis-faction with the arrangement”. “Among the most obvious benefits werehaving a full time class teacher who does nothave to leave the class to deal with manage-rial issues, having access to the head teach-er at any time of day and the opportunity forstaff from each school to meet with theircounterparts from the other school on anorganised basis to share experiences andideas and plan common activities for thebenefit of both schools”. “The feedback from this pilot has been sooverwhelmingly positive that it has encour-aged us to consider that this might be asuitable arrangement in other locations,”Councillor Morton said. “Any opportunity fora similar arrangement which arises in thefuture will be considered on its own merit,and will be assessed against a comprehen-sive list of criteria. We will of course involveparent councils at an early stage in any pro-posed joint headship. We want to ensure thatwe do all we can to keep our rural schoolsvibrant and sustainable, and this could wellprove a significant way of enabling that tohappen in particular circumstances.” The council agreed today that the criteria forconsidering future joint headships in Argylland Bute should be:1. Suitable head teacher vacancies becom-

ing available in schools.2. A maximum of two schools for a joint

headship arrangement.3. Location of partner schools (member of

an existing cluster) and within a reason-able drive time.

4. The consideration of schools’ similaritiesand differences based on each school’sself-evaluation information, council eval-uations and HMIE reports.

5. Travel implications for a joint headship(costs, travel times etc).

6. The ability and experience of applicantsto match the criteria set out in the Scot-tish Qualification for Headship.

7. Consultation with both parent councilsand the wider parent body.

8. Financial sustainability.