Vol. 16 Issue 2 August/September 2020 £2 Facal a’ Bhraighe Theof lochaberbraes Your Community Newspaper & Guide to What’s On Follow us on: BBC Weather Watchers – Mark is finalist in Pic of the Season Deliveries with a smile From time to time we have featured a selection of our local BBC Weather Watchers’ pictures in The Braes. There has been some appreciative response to these and requests to see more of them. So today we feature some more local shots that made the tv screen. Special congratulations go to Spean Bridge Weather Watcher Brass in Community thanks the Braes who may need little identifying after his article similarly named. Mark’s stunning image of Glencoe was voted into the final ten in the Pic of the Season Marianne & Liam national competition. (Continued on page 5) We are now 18 weeks into lockdown. In the last Roy Bridge issue we showed how the community rallied to local needs. This issue looks at some of the ways Garden – individuals have been coping, many doing projects recreating - in the garden, art room, music room, kitchen, garage – wherever people find a focus on using and restoring - time and skills to advantage. Many have a lockdown exercised: walking, running, cycling, whilst others project spent more hours enjoying nature: all ways of achieving a sense of wellbeing. (Pages 18-19) Page 2 Friend of The Braes - Friends of Spean Bridge, Roy Bridge the Braes & Achnacarry SCIO Spean Bridge, Roy Bridge and Achnacarry Scottish Charitable We would like to thank the following for their Incorporated Organisation SCIO was set up in 2013 principally to ensure our residents benefitted from the Community generous support as Friends of the Braes Benefit paid by renewable energy schemes. Initially our SCIO struggled to attract members and funding, although the industrious Trustees did manage to carry out a feasibility study into toilet provision at the Commando Memorial. The innovative proposal foundered due to a lack of funding. Great Glen Since 2019 our fortunes have changed considerably. We Cattle Ranch now have 43 Members, 9 Trustees, and a regular and future income stream. Local and National Public Agencies recognize our Charity as one committed to supporting our residents and SSE has appointed us to administer their Stronelairg Wind Farm Micro Grant Scheme locally following the abeyance of Achnacarry the Community Council. The Trustees felt it appropriate at the start of the COVID19 Sporting & Country Lockdown to offer our funds unconditionally to those who Pursuits Ltd were volunteering to support those in need in our Communities. To avoid duplication and confusion we co- ordinated the response locally and so far have contributed £14,513 to the effort, and have received 43 separate donations from individuals, charities, and the Scottish Government to support our endeavour. R E Campbell Although our present priority is to maintain the support to (Joinery) Ltd those in need until the pandemic is over, the Trustees are Kinchellie Croft already looking forward with a community consultation to Self Catering formulate a community plan and the appointment of a development officer planned. It is important to us that we build on the community spirit so ably demonstrated by those Spean Bridge selfless volunteers who have supported us all. Roy Bridge If we can help in any way and you need support or you and Achnacarry would like to volunteer or to join our charity please contact SCIO 01397 470960 or email [email protected] and we will endeavour to assist. If you would like to apply for an SSE Micro Grant please request an application form. The Stonelairg Community Fund, an amount of money secured for the community by the previous Community Council, will be AB&C administered by Spean Bridge, Roy Bridge and GROUP Achnacarry SCIO, until the formation of a new Community Council. To get an application form and apply for a Micro Grant of up to £500, contact Smiddy House John Fotheringham. Tel: 01397 712779 Keppoch Farm Spean Lodge Or email: [email protected] If you would like to find out more about or become a Friend of the Braes please contact Janet Sidgwick at [email protected] Page 3 The Braes - Your Community Magazine How to buy The Braes The Braes is well established in the area as a vehicle for local news, information Printed Paper Copies: and historical articles. It is produced every two months by a small core group of volunteers with articles supplied from a variety of other sources. At the moment £2.00 - From local outlets the magazine is being produced by the absolute minimum number of people £18.00 - Annual Subscription, possible, this leaves it vulnerable. If being part of this group is something you feel posted to you 6 times a year. you would enjoy please don’t hesitate to contact our editor Margaret Sargent, Please contact: 01397 712371. It is important that The Braes continues to cover the whole community and this will only be possible if we have input from the whole area. Karen Venn 01397 712361, Prior to the Covid-19 lockdown we would print between 250-300 copies of the [email protected] magazine for sale at local outlets around the area. We also sent out digital pdf subscriptions to approximately 35 people. Digital Pdf Copies: The lockdown meant we had to change how £5.00 - Annual Subscription, we delivered the magazine. For the last two editions we took the decision to offer the digital emailed to you 6 times a year. pdf free of charge for anyone to download and Payment via Paypal enjoy and we were delighted to see so many Visit: www.thebraes.online people taking advantage of it. We also printed a and follow the link - Subscribe Here small quantity of magazines specifically for people who were unable to access the digital copy. This was also delivered free of charge thanks to financial help from the SCIO fund. Now that things are returning to a version of normal we need to make decisions based on how you, the reader, want to receive your copy of The Braes. Have you become used to receiving a full colour digital copy or would you prefer a printed version? This is the last issue of The Braes that will be available as a free of charge pdf copy, going forward you will still be able to access The Braes digitally but you will need to purchase a subscription. Thank you for Lockdown Braes I’ve just finished reading The Braes. Wonderful, well done! Lovely idea to From subscribers What a nice surprise! And what a good send it for free! I love the weather page! I have been a regular reader for some idea to send it out as a PDF. IS years now and am frequently up in the Congratulations to all! JM Thank you so much for sending this. It is area but the online edition makes sure I Thanks for your efforts, not just at the a very good publication and must have don’t miss out! AR moment but over the year. This looks a been quite a nightmare to put together Thanks for continuing to email The very nice edition of The Braes and very with all the changes in society, so close to Braes, it is much appreciated! clear and easy to read online. It is good to trying to get it published. Well done! be kept in touch. KG Family and friends are very impressed. We do enjoy reading it. ML Your magazine offered great reading. I Readers’ thanks for printed copies: discovered something about a village I Really enjoyed a read of The Braes, many expressed their gratitude verbally. didn’t know anything about. And thank thanks, especially the historical articles you for including us two ladies among and the lovely piece about Fr Tom. KK I thought it was a very good production such a dear group of people. We are very with lots of interesting articles. I’ve given Great read, how surprising to have a fortunate to have met you and now we my copy of The Braes to friends. So it Lovat Scout piece too! Well done for feel a little like part of your community. should now circulate locally. CC pulling this together. A.MD AF (Spain) So to see a copy of The Braes on my Thanks for The Braes. You do a great Wow, you have done a fabulous job on doorstep – the recent edition!! WAS a job! C.MK The Braes!..... Love your photos in the lovely surprise and fair lifted the old spirit! So this is to say “MANY thanks” last pages…. you should print them more I’ve read it in great detail. There’s to whoever thought of the exercise…..…. often. RN certainly a lot of interest in it. It clearly Really, surprised but delighted to get The emphasises the strong community the Thanks, Margaret, much appreciated. BL Braes copy and read all its news. Will publication represents. Lots of fun things check with neighbours to see if anyone Many thanks for The Braes. A touch of going on to keep up morale. who hasn’t seen a copy would like to normality in these strange times. KH Thank you! Brilliant read!!! Really have mine. BML enjoyed it! T.C Page 4 Farewell to Head Teacher Commando Memorial site Spean Bridge Primary violated by campers School and Invergarry Primary School have a new acting Head Teacher, Ms Emily Brown who has taken over from Mrs Kim Bentley who has taken up a new role as Head Teacher at Kilchattan Primary School on the Isle of Colonsay.