&1-UNGUAL NEWSPAPER OF CURRENT EVENTS IN THE HIGHLANDS AND THE ISLANDS AND IN SCOTLAND SUPPORT GAELIC For £1 per annum you can JOIN AN COMUNN GAIDHEALACH Abertarff House . Inverness Dl-ARDAOIN, 11 LATHA DEN OG-MHIOS 1970 THURSDAY, Hth JUNE 1970 No. 84 Sixpence Helmsdale Bridge To Be Replaced A SCHEME estimated to cost Construction will start this almost £500,000 for im- month under the supervision proving the A.9 trunk road of Messrs Babtie, Shaw and at Helmsdale in Sutherland, Morton, consulting engineers, has been approved by Mr Glasgow who have designed William Ross, Secretary of the scheme. It is expected to State for Scotland. The work take about two years to com- will be undertaken by Messrs plete. William Tawse Limited, Aber- deen who have been awarded the contract. Royal Thanks Under the approved scheme THE Provost of Stornoway, the bridge, carrying the A.9 Mr Donald J. Stewart, has over the River Helmsdale on received a letter of thanks which one-way working is from Kensington Palace re- now in force, will be replaced garding the recent Royal visit. by a steel and reinforced A letter from Princess concrete bridge, 300 ft. long. Alexandra’s Lady in Waiting, The new bridge will have a said: “Princess Alexandra 24 ft. carriageway flanked by has asked me to write and 8ft. wide footpaths. The say how very much she and scheme also includes the Mr Ogilvy enjoyed their visit building of a bridge over the to Stornoway on May 2nd. The heavy Atlantic swell on the west side of the remote Hebridean island of North Rona. railway, the realignment of “Her Royal Highness was This island, with St Kilda, Subsgeir, the Flannans, the Monach Isles, is the subject of a half-a-mile of the A.9 to the so touched by the very warm fresh socio-economic study contained iii a new book to be published next weeT' by Mr junction of Dunrobin Street welcome she and her husband Francis Thompson, a well-known writer, who is a native of Stornoway. in Helmsdale, and an associa- received and they were de- ted underpass of Shore Street, lighted to have the opportun- and some coast protection ity of meeting and talking to works. so many people.” SKYE COUNCIL was obvious to them that the agreed deadline for the intro- duction of the first ferry would PROTEST not be met, because the ferry was not ready and work on the Remarks made by the Scot- ing held under the auspices of pier was far behind. tish Transport Group’s Execu- the Skye Distria Council at tive Director Mr W. M. Little Portree on April 27, 1970.” Efficient Service about the Kyle-Kyleakin Ferry “Accordingly, I was instruc- The council remind the have brought a strong protest ted to write to you, expressing group of their requests put to from the Skye District Council. the Skye District Council’s the Secretary of State for In a recent statement he de- strong disapproval and concern Scotland. These were that a 24- scribed as “ grossly exaggera- that Mr Little should so lightly hour service be introduced im- ted ” complaints made about dismiss the criticisms emanat- mediately; an emergency accel- delays at the ferry. Mr Little ing from a responsible body. eration of work on the Kyle of has been asked to withdraw his “ This meeting was called by Lochalsh jetty in an effort to statement in a letter sent by the the Skye District Council as a meet the deadline; contingency Council to STG in which he is result of the deep concern felt plans to deal with any delays accused of being “ completely by the members about the and to ensure an efficient ser- out of touch with what is deteriorating situation at the vice, and the immediate rein- happening at the ferry.” ferry. statement of the m.v,. Clansman The letter made public on the Mallaig-Armadale run. earlier this week by Mr J. Out Of Touch The letter continues that it is Philip, Council Clerk, concern “ It would appear that Air of interest to note that the first is expressed at the “deteriorat- Little was completely out of three requests had been dealt ing situation. Mr Philip says touch with what was happening with fairly quickly. that Mr Little referred at a at the ferry — otherwise he “ The fact that the measures Press conference in Edinburgh would not have used the words proposed or suggested at the on April 30 to “ grossly exag- ‘ grossly exaggerated ’ when re- meeting have been partly intro- gerated, unreasonable and un- ferring to the complaints duced would indicate that some just statements” about the regarding delays.” note had been taken of the ferry. The letter says that during statements made at that meet- “ Mr Little did not refer April there were delays of ing and that they are not so specially to any particular per- three hours, occasionally longer. ‘ grossly exaggerated son or bodys as being respon- This was at the time when the The council hoped, therefore, sible for these statements. It is tourist traffic was very light. that Mr Little would reconsider quite obvious, however, that Mr The council feel that their the position and withdraw his Little was referring to the meet- action was fully justified as it remarks. TWO SRUTH, Di-ardaoin, 11 latha de’n Og-mhios 1970 perhaps a stronger and more effective Opposition might DI-ARDAOIN. 11 LATHA DE N OG-MHIOS 1970 well have carried public opinion with them to minimise the Transport Study /ruth THURSDAY. 11th JUNE 1970 effects of S.E.T. The numbers employed in primary production have decreased by some 25%. This has been almost offset by a Suggested similar increase in manufacturing. There has been a dis- A comprehensive study of DEAN DO ROGHAINN turbing increase in the administrative and hotel/eatering transport, tourist and amenity SEACHDAIN bho’n latha d’uigh theid iarraidh oirnn sections of employment. It may well be that these latter needs in the area between taghadh a deanamh a chum is gum bi roghainn nan daoine sections may taper off. But one will have to wait and see. the Moray Firth and Skye air fhoillseachadh a thaobh ’s co bhitheas ’gan riaghladh But is there time to wait and see? One cannot expect and Lewis, has been sugges- fad coig bliadhna eile. Tha gach taobh a cur an ceil a a refill of vinegar for the sponge from the Labour Govern- ted in a letter from the Scot- ghealltanan fhein agus a’ sior moladh dhuinn an rian aca ment if it gets returned. And one cannot define exactly tish Railway Development fhein feuch an gabh an luchd taghaidh ris agus gun toir what the Tories intend to do with the H.I.D.B. if they are Association to Mr Fred lad daibhsan cumhachd. Chan eil e duilich a thuigsinn gu returned. Mulley, Minister of Trans- bheil moran obrach, eadar dealbhachadh gach rian agus It may well be that Highland voters should cohsider port. tomhais na h-ama ceart air cul gach taghadh Parlamaid. the future of the H.I.D.B. in fhe context of their own The study should take place Tha a h-uile taobh a’feuchainn ri greim fhaighinn air future, and that of their growing children. It may even be before plans to close the Kyle siul chraobh sgaoilidh a chum is gun 1-eudaich iad gu mor to their advantage to consider the old and well-proven of Lochalsh-Dingwall railway air na riantan aca agus gur dbcha gun tional iad cuid de’n political role of the Highlands: Liberal and Radical. Not line are implemented in luchd taghaidh chuca fhein. Ris an t-suil reumach tha e to consider to where one bears one’s cross on June 18, may January 1972, says the uaireanan caran eoltachd ri dha no tri chearcan a’sporfhail well result in a heavy cross to bear for the rest of one’s life. Association. a measg torr mor sil. ’S docha gu bheil seo a’dol ro fhada ach tha e duilich ciall fhaioinn, mura bheilo thu uile gu leir faoin, ann an taghadh de’n t-seorsa seo. O chionn bhliadhnaichean bha an aon duine air a thilleadh bho Troimh Uinneag Na Gaidhlig moran de na roinn parlamaid. Tha seo a’foillseachadh cho stuama is a tha daoine ’nam beachd. Faodaidh luchd tomhais seo' a chur a mach ann am Ciamar a chumas duine a eil bias na Galldachd oirre! . Eisdibh ri . figearan nuair a dh’abras iad gum feum uiread seo a dhualchas gun chanan? Tha ma’s e Beurla Ocsford a tha “A dol an coinneamh a’ Phrionnsa dhaoine as a’cheud, gluasad bho aon taobh ris an taobh fios gle mhath aig na fir- sibh ag iaxraidh. ShaoilGum businn sunndach gum faigheamaid a bha sinne. cuis eile. A bharrachd, air cho math no dona bha an riaghaltas turuis an Leodhas no Barraidh Tha na leabhrichean an latha dheth no am ball parlamaid bithidh an luchd leanmhain gu gu bheil iad am measg sluagh an diugh a’ nochdadh dhomhsa ’S nach robh dhuinn ach dol g’a cunblhalach ’gan taghadh. sonraichte, nach eil? Ach de mu gu bheil Gaidhlig ’na canan shireadh . Feumaidh e bhith air aideachadh gu bheil buadhan dheidhinn Ceannloch, far nach bheo, oir chan i direach an An coimeas leis na tha- aige seo cuideachd. Tha an doigh seo a’toirt dhuinn cun- cluinn duine facal Gaidhlig, ach non Gaidhlig ris an canan a bh’ chair .