ARDGAY & DISTRICT Community Council newsletter Price: £1.00 ISSN 2514-8400 = Issue No. 42 = WINTER 2018-19 = EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH THE NEW MANAGER OF THE KYLE OF SUTHERLAND DEVELOPMENT TRUST David Watson: “I’m fully committed to the area, I believe it can be a strong sustainable community.” ORIGINALLY FROM ALTASS, Rural De- velopment expert David Watson has worked in places such as the Cairn- gorms National Park, Shetland and Inverness. He is now returning to this area to take on the role of Kyle of Sutherland Development Trust Manager. -How does it feel coming back? -This is very different for me than when I was working in other are- as because there are friends of mine from when I went to Primary School who still live in the area, my moth- er still lives in this area, my auntie lives in this area... I have to answer to those people. -The stakes are higher... -The stakes are much higher. That David Watson (centre) with some of the Kyle of Sutherland Development Trust Team. doesn’t intimidate me, I actually find it a really good challenge. I know able place to move forward. I really stand why we are doing things. It’s that the Trust is not going to be able want to do what is best for the com- easy to see what we are doing, we want to please everybody but we are trying munity and I’m hopeful that we can to be even better in telling people why to do what we think will work for the work with the different communities we are doing things and why it mat- community to make it a more sustain- within our area to help them under- ters to them. (Continues on page 4) Ardgay Public Hall 50th Consult the amended plans Anniversary: stories of the Hall for the tree planting proposal at opening and who used it Page 12 Poplars (Jubilee Hill) Page 7 History of farming in The missing a Ardgay: grain salmon 36 pages featuring Lettes to the Editor, harvest project Opening times, Telephone guide, Bus & Train timetable, Page 16 Page 9 Sudokus & Crossword MENU SAMPLE MENU 11.30am until 2pm Bonar Bridge Community Hall Everyone Welcome Lentil Broth —00— Chicken Pie, Carrots and Roast Potatoes —00— Strawberry Gateau and Ice Cream —00— Toasties - Cheese/Tuna mayo/Ham —00— Childrens’ Snack Boxes (sandwich, yoghurt, raisins and fresh fruit juice) —OO— Cappuccino, Mocha, Latte or Hot Chocolate Tea/Coffee Fruit Juice, Bottled Water—Still or Sparkling —OO— Takeaways must be ordered before 11.30am and collected by 1pm. Please phone 0798 5626340/01863 766554 to order. ARDGAY & DISTRICT Community Council newsletter WINTER 2018-2019 = Page 3 Contents 11 14 20 27 ARDGAY NEWS =The Energy Advice Service Carbon WHAt’S ON IN THE AREA ����������������26 =Interview with David Watson, new Literacy workshops ������������������������������ 14 Manager at the Kyle of Sutherland =History of farming in Ardgay: WILDLIFE ���������������������������������������������������� 27 Development Trust ������������������������������������4 grain harvest �������������������������������������������� 16 =Amended plans for the tree =The ‘Old School Embo’ project ����19 ADULT CLUBS & SOCIETIES �������������28 planting proposal at Jubilee Hill �������� 7 =Remembrance Sunday 2018 ��������� 20 =How to contact your CC������������������� 8 =Falls of Shin receives two IAA GEARRCHOILLE WOOD ��������������������29 =The Missing Salmon project �������������9 Awards �����������������������������������������������������������21 =Highland Wireless extends its =How to apply for wind farm funds �22 CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE ��������30 Superfast Broadband coverage ������ 10 =Directors sought for High Life =Festive season for the clients at the Highlands ��������������������������������������������������������22 CHURCHES ������������������������������������������������32 Bradbury Centre ��������������������������������������11 =Volunteers needed at CAB �������������� 11 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR LOCAL SERVICES A-Z ��������������������������33 =Ardgay Public Hall celebrates its =Winter Resilience Plan ��������������������������24 50th Anniversary ����������������������������������� 12 =Concerns over Croick Church ����������� 25 PUZZLES ������������������������������������������������������ 35 Ardgay & District photographs EDITor’S LETTER Looking back here are quite a few anniver- Tsaries in 2018 (200 years of Carron Bridge, 100 years of the Armistice, 50 years of Ardgay Hall), and some of you have approached me to share photos and stories of past times -which I am very grateful for- (history of farming, past and present of Croick Church). So, in the pages of this Winter edition, we’ll look closely at local history and heritage, hopefully to learn something and to get inspiration moving forward. To balance this, I hope you’ll enjoy the interview Bridge over the river Carron by Donald Bain with David Watson, new man- 2018 marks the 200th anniversary of Carron Bridge, built by Alexander Thomas ager at the Development Trust, Luirson� The inscription on a plaque which is centre on the downstream side reads: who speaks about the future of “This bridge was erected at the expense of the Second District of Roads in Ross- the Kyle of Sutherland. < shire in 1818�” This date is unusually early for a highland road bridge, reflecting the importance of the area� Its alternative Gaelic name is ‘Torran Dubh’� Silvia Muras Editor Page 4 = WINTER 2018-2019 ARDGAY & DISTRICT Community Council newsletter Ardgay & District News INTERVIEW WITH DAVID WATSON, KYLE OF SUTHERLAND DEVELOPMENT TRUST MANAGER: “We want to be even better in telling people why we are doing things and why it matters to them” (Starts on front page ) David Watson received A^DCC edi- tor at his office at the Barn. Approach- able, sharp and direct, he speaks very passionately about the area and his job at the front of the Trust. -You are originally from Altass. How does it feel coming back after being away? -Really good. I’ve worked in many places through the Highlands and further afield but never really felt like home. This is home. I hope to move back to the area shortly. It’s always been really important for me to come back, so I’m really happy, this is in the essence my dream job. -What are your first impres- projects there, I would always had on sions? “Wherever I was under- the back of my mind: “I wonder how -First impressions are really good taking projects in other would this work back at home”. I’ve and it’s incredible the amount of good areas, I would always have always felt a huge sense of belonging work that the Trust has done in the to where I come from. I’m very proud last five years and in particular when at the back on my mind, of being a Highlander and very proud Helen Houston was the Manager. I’ve ‘I wonder how would this of being from Sutherland, so it’s been come into an organisation that has work back at home’ something that probably is a passion 16 other staff apart from me. That’s a for me as much as work. I’m doing huge amount for a development trust ested in rural development and over work that I really enjoy. in a small rural area. I’m massively the years I’ve seen the rural areas -You’ve been the Economic De- impressed with all the staff and the change. There were 30 children in velopment Manager at the Cairn- professionalism of the good people we Rosehall Primary School when I left, gorms National Park, and your have working here. There is actually a and there are significantly less than studies are focused on Economics. good amount of people from the local that now. But there was a lot more Are you going to put the word ‘Eco- area employed, which is really posi- opportunities for young people, and nomic’ in the Kyle of Sutherland tive as well. That shows that some of people were able to work the land Development Trust? the work -as far as economic develop- a lot more. I’ve seen that gradually -My most recent job is Economic ment- is working, because young peo- deteriorate as far as the economic Development Manager at the Nation- ple with degrees have the opportunity opportunities and the opportunities al Park. I have often had Economic in to work in their profession. for economic reactive people in the my title, but I am not a person who be- -What motivates you? area, and it’s always been something lieves in the economics of growth at all -Growing up in a rural area. My that I’ve wanted to try and do some- costs. I think sustainability is the most family has been in the same croft in thing about. So whenever I’ve been important aspect, especially in rural Altass since the 1880s. My granny, working in these other areas, wheth- communities. At the same time, I do who was the head of the family, she er it be Shetland or Inverness and believe that figures have to add up, always instilled the real sense of be- Nairn and Moray and the National and if you are assessing a project you longing to us. So I was always inter- Park, wherever I was undertaking have to make sure that it’s sustainable. ARDGAY & DISTRICT Community Council newsletter WINTER 2018-2019 = Page 5 Ardgay & District News Not all of the things that we choose to ing things out there and we have been do from a social perspective are go- “People are the strongest successful doing other contracts, the ing to be economically sustainable, so asset to any area, especially reason we do that is to continue to sometimes what we have to do is find when you talk about rural work within the Kyle of Sutherland. other ways of bringing in the ability to areas. If you don’t have -Who should approach the De- sustain services that are necessary for people, a mix of people, velopment Trust? the population but aren’t always going the whole place dies” Anybody that has a real interest to be able to make money and to sus- in helping the community to thrive tain themselves.