Kilmorack Times

Volume 1, Issue 1 April 2012

Launch of new web site

Kilmorack Community Council is pleased to announce the launch Inside this issue: of a new web site to Fairburn Ext 2 keep the community Druim Ba 2 up to date with what /Mossford 2 the Community Coun- Local Council Elections 2 cil is doing. It will con- tain the recent Beauly Denny 3 Minutes of all Meet- Health Intergration 3 ings, dates of Meet- Fire 4 ings and contact de- tails of your council- lors. It also has a News page for items Beauly Toll Barriers damaged barriers by the War Memorial across that are current. We are pleased to from Beauly Toll with a There is an option on announce that we wooden wicket fence. Special points of the contacts page to have just received Work will commence interest: make any comments funding from the shortly and will smarten Beauly Toll Barriers that you feel relevant. ward discretionary up an otherwise unsight- The address is: fund to replace the Cemetery Bus Stop http://kilmorackcc.org ly area. Glen Affric Parking Chairman’s Report Snow and Ice The last year has and around the area Balblair Quarry Liai- Druim Ba again been a busy that may directly or son Group and have Beauly/Mossford one for the Communi- indirectly affect them. also attended various Fairburn extension ty Council, we contin- During the last year meetings held by ue to build on the Inner Moray Firth Plan various committee Council. good relationships we members have been Following this years have with local resi- actively involved in Community Council dents and businesses representing the elections certain in the community and Community Council members notified of to inform them of de- on the Aigas Commu- their intentions to velopments and con- nity Forest and the stand down and the cerns occurring in Cont page 3 P AGE 2 K ILMORACK T IMES

Community Council activities Kilmorack Cemetery Car Park & Fairburn Wind Farm Exten- Bus Stop sion SSE has launched a consul- Plans are afoot to resurface the tation with regard to the car park at the cemetery and extension of the Fairburn install a wooden Bus Shelter Wind Farm with up to thir- ty six additional turbines. Parking Charges – Glen Affric There will be more detailed plans available in October and further consultation We have raised objections to will take place then. The the imposition of Parking site of the proposed exten- Charges in the FCS car parks in sion is in the centre of Glen Glen Affric and will shortly Orrin close to the Allt Goi- be meeting with FCS to discuss bhre Burn which forms the this further. There is a petition boundary of the KCC area. against the charges on From initial views it would www.glenaffric.org seem unlikely that it will have any visual impact on Beauly River Kilmorack. We have re- Druim Ba Wind Farm Proposal quested a consultation meeting at the Kilmorack “Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, Hall. The Inquiry into the Druim Ba over-civilized people are beginning to Wind Farm Section 36 Applica- find out that going to the mountains Beauly/Mossford Under- tion will take place at Kiltarlity is going home; that wildness is grounding and Beauly/Denny Hall from the 26th June 2012. necessity; that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as Mitigation The Reporter appointed by the fountains of timber and irrigating Scottish Ministers is Dan Jack- rivers, but as fountains of life.” son BA (Hons) MRTPI of the We have met with SSE and Directorate of Planning and — John Muir they have explained the works Environmental Appeals. scheduled for the Braes. The Altyre path and the Beauly Toll path will be going to planning Health service Integration by the end of April. Disruption for the undergrounding will Community Council members house and the difficul- be extensive but attended a presentation of this ties of getting agree- short lived. SSE will new scheme. In it the elderly ments across different be holding an open will be looked after entirely by organisations will be day at the Lovat in the NHS whilst the young and much reduced. Unfor- Beauly to explain the disabled will come under the tunately this does not details to the Com- care of Highland Council Edu- address the shortage of munity. Date to be cation and Social Services. This care staff in this area. confirmed. should be of benefit as each entity will be dealt with in V OLUME 1 , I SSUE 1 P AGE 3

Beauly-Denny Line We have had discussions with Lisa Kelly of SSE over several matters appertaining to the Beauly-Denny line over the winter. This included the felling of trees over the Christ- mas break and the re-location of Red Squirrels. Both took place with necessary approvals but we have taken a pro-active stance in assuring that the least disruption and damage is done to the Community. Prob- lems with bringing the Crane, needed to erect the next tow- ers, over the Black Bridge has resulted in re-routing through Kiltarlity. Communications are ongoing and discussions about the under-grounding as part of the mitigation have tak- en place recently where a Local Council Elections Inner Moray Firth Local number of Community mem- Thursday 3rd May 2012 bers were present.. Reduction Development Plan Local council elections take in the wire scape over the Braes will commence at the place on Thursday 3rd May. You end of the installation of the should have received your ballot The Highland Council has Beauly-Mossford underground papers by now. You must be produced a new plan and cable. registered by 18th April. there will be an opportuni- ty to discuss this with them You should also have received a at a Public Exhibition and leaflet on how to vote, Remem- Evening Workshop at “God never made an ugly ber you can vote for as many or Phipps Hall on Tuesday, landscape. All that sun shines on as few candidates as you wish. 24th April 2012 from is beautiful, so long as it is wild.” You do not have to vote for eve- 2.00pm to 6.30pm. ry candidate. As long as one — John Muir number is on your voting paper you will be counted. Cemetery Notice Any questions Chairman’s Report Continued Board Revamped www.aboutmyvote.co.uk Community Council acknowledge the invaluable The year ahead of us will again assistance that Adrian Todd, be a busy and sometimes a chal- James Martin and Kay Simon lenging one and I look forward have all contributed to the working with my other col- Community Council and leagues and friends on the Com- wished them all well in their munity Council. future ventures, they will all be Steve Byford—Chair greatly missed by the Commu- nity Council. Kilmorack Community Council

Mission Statement

Steve Byford - Chairman Kilmorack is situated to the southwest of Beauly at Phone: 01463 783850 (office) the entrance of Strathglass in the county of Inverness- 01463 783864 (home) shire. Bordered by the Beauly River to the south, the E-mail: [email protected] railway to the east, Glen Orrin to the north and Er- chless Estate to the east. It contains several dispersed communities at Crask of Aigas, Old Town of Aigas, We’re on the web Breakachy, Teanassie, Farley, Broallan, Drumindosair, http:// Dunmore, Leanassie, Torgomack, Ruilick, Ruisaurie, and Wester Balblair. kilmorackcc.org The Kilmorack Community Council operates under the auspices of Highland Council and is elected by the community of Kilmorack. It is there as a contact between the community and the Highland Council Mary Graham - Secretary to further the interests of that community. All meet- Phone: 01463 782534 E-mail: [email protected] ings are open to all members of the Community and are usually supported by at least one of our Highland Council Councillors.

Aigas Fire Storm Many homes in the Aigas area had a these sort of outbreaks and it is ex- close call when a brush fire swept over tremely lucky with the wind condi- the hill damaging 4 square kilometers tions on the day that the fires didn’t of land. Four households were evacu- get hold in the Aigas Forest. The ated in the early hours of the morn- snow that followed certainly finished ing as fireman fought to protect the off any remnant hot spots but Wild Fires Warning properties. By lunchtime it seemed to brought a 24hr power cut to the ar- be well under control but after initial ea. A timely reminder that the only success new isolated outbreaks result- firemen that you wish to see are ed in a helicopter being brought in the ones above, HAS by HIFRS and FCS which finally been put on high alert for wild- doused the fires. No injury or damage fires, with the Met Office advising to property was caused and we must that the unseasonally hot, dry thank the Firemen for their prompt weather has raised the Fire Sever- and valiant assistance. Also we ity Index to “elevated levels”. OK, should thank the Aigas rangers and the last few days snow has other locals who supported the fire damped down the ground but service and helped fight the fires. underneath the bracken and Whilst the damage is extensive from gorse are tinder dry. Take extra an ecological point of view fire is, of care when out. Make sure the course, an entirely natural event and cigarette butts are out and ten- regeneration of the ground will hope- ants and landowners should exer- fully soon be evident.. The dry weath- cise extreme caution with muir- er of the last few weeks has meant burn. that the conditions were ideal for