ISLE MARTIN TRUST
NEWSLETTER – Spring 2009
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A FEW WORDS FROM THE CHAIRMAN:
As we go into the next summer season on Isle Martin I am happy to report that there will be a lot happening. We are delighted to welcome the Ullapool Book Festival to the island on Friday 8 May and to see author Andro Linklater back in the Mill House, if only for a day. The Board is also making plans for the 10th Anniversary Celebrations of the Handover of the island by the RSPB to the communities of Lochbroom and Coigach. More details inside this newsletter. We are also looking forward to seeing Alistair Noble from the U.S.A. and his family and we will be watching with interest as his major project "Mapping Arcadia" unfolds on the island during July. Bookings for the Croft House and the Mill House are up on last year already and we are very pleased that Joan and Sheila have agreed to do some more of their popular History Walks/Talks, and that our Warden, Cat Logie, has agreed to stay on for the rest of the summer.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the hard working Board of Isle Martin Trust who throughout the whole year continue to work towards maintaining this beautiful island for not only local people, but also visitors and future generations.
So, there is a lot happening on Isle Martin this year and we hope that Trust members will show their support by renewing their membership, encouraging others to join and coming along to the AGM and the events that are planned for Summer 2009.
Kenneth MacLeod
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OPEN DAY to CELEBRATE the 10th ANNIVERSARY of the HANDING OVER of ISLE MARTIN to the COMMUNITIES of LOCHBROOM and COIGACH
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This will take place on Saturday 23 May, weather permitting. Everyone is welcome, not only IMT members, and there will be a BBQ, Games for the Kids, History Walks/Talks, and an opportunity to explore this beautiful island on your own. We will operate the ferry at half price, i.e. £3.00 return fare for adults with children under 10 going free. Times of the ferry will be published in the Ullapool News or email
islemartin@lochbroomfreeserve.co uk for details nearer the time.
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THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Will take place at 7.30pm in the Committee Room of Ullapool Village Hall on Thursday, 14th May. We hope as many members as possible will attend to show their support.
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WARDEN CAT LOGIE:
Cat remained on the island this winter and there don’t seem to have been too many problems as she wishes to stay on for the rest of the summer…! Not a lot to report, still no rabbits but a very large flock of geese decided to nest on the island so she has a lot of clearing up to do before the Book Festival event early in May..! She has been removing all the large stones from the area in front of the Mill House and continues to shore up the path from the jetty to the Mill House. Cat will also prepare the Mill House and the Croft House for the first of the lettings in May and also strim a path from the graveyard through the bracken to the wall to allow access to the Commemorative Tree Plantation in time for the Open Day on Saturday 23 May.
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NEWSLETTERS BY EMAIL:
If you would like to receive future newsletters by email, thus saving us the cost of postage, paper or if you live in the village Paddy’s shoe leather as she very nobly hand delivers those she can get to, please contact Sheila at islemartin@lochbroom.freeserve.co.uk and we will try to make the arrangements in time for the Autumn newsletter.
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ULLAPOOL BOOK FESTIVAL
We were delighted to learn that the organizers of the annual Ullapool Book Festival wished to have one full day on Isle Martin this year and this has been arranged for Friday 8 May. The local cruise boat will leave Ullapool Harbour at 9.30am and four events will be held on the island. These will be held in a marquee (to be erected with the help of our local Sub Aqua group) hopefully with the sides up to allow the sunshine in…! The price of £25.00 includes the boat trip, the four events and tea/coffee at lunch time, participants should bring their own packed lunch. The agenda is as follows:
9.15am Gather at Ullapool Pier
9.30am Depart on the Summer Queen
10.15am Arrive Isle Martin & Welcome by poet and journalist DONNY O’ROURKE, honorary president of Ullapool Book Festival followed by author ANDRO LINKLATER (son of novelist Eric Linklater) who lived on Isle Martin from 1979 - 1984. During that time he wrote his biography of Sir Compton Mackenzie and an early version of his book on Iban headhunters, Wild People. He will talk about these two books, and about living on the island. Chaired by Stuart Kelly
11.40pm ANGUS PETER CAMPBELL & DERRICK McCLURE: Angus Peter will read from his book of poetry Fruit on Branches published in three languages, Gaelic, Scots and English. Derrick translated the poems into Scots. Angus Peter will also preview his new novella Tilleadh Dhachaigh (Homecoming). Chaired by Mark Wringe
12.50 LUNCH TIME:
Joan and Sheila will lead a short history walk/talk for those who would like to learn a little more about the island - or people can explore on their own.
2pm MARGARET BENNETT: The title of author, singer and songwriter Margaret Bennett’s talk is Heartbreak and Hope : Highland Emigration to Eastern Canada in the 19th century. Margaret is widely regarded as Scotland’s "foremost folklorist". Chaired by Mark Wringe
3.15pm JAMES GRAHAM: Songs of Ross-shire and Sutherland Bards. James, from Lochinver in Assynt, was Mod Gold Medallist in 2008 and in 2005 won Scottish Young Traditional Musician of the Year. Chaired by Mark Wringe.
4.30pm Board the Summer Queen for return journey to Ullapool
Tickets available from The Booth(
www.thebooth.co.uk) or in person from Ullapool Bookshop or The Ceilidh Place Bookshop, West Argyle Street, Ullapool
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MAPPING ARCADIA: ISLE MARTIN
and the
TOPOGRAPHY of PLACE
Project on Isle Martin scheduled for July 2009 led by Alistair Noble, Assistant Professor, Sculpture, of Lafayette College, U.S.A. Project Manager in Ullapool is Dr. Lindsay Blair together with members of the An Talla Solais art group who now based at the old Health Centre building on Market Street. Mapping Arcadia is described by Alistair as follows:
"Mapping Arcadia: Isle Martin and the Topography of Place derives from the short story On the Exactitude of Science by Borges. The tale speaks of mapping an empire and how this map progressively grows over time to embrace the whole of the land. On the Exactitude of Science investigates the concepts of representation and the value of mapping, copying or representation itself. Published in 1946, it is still pertinent within our current cultural context of electronic media in which everything is reproduced, copied and simulated. What is a map, what is to be mapped, what is its value, and what does it mean in different communities? These are the questions that this story poses and the questions Noble proposes to investigate throughout the development of this project."
Alistair came to Ullapool for a few days in March and was able to visit the island and spend some time exploring the terrain and looking at the Croft House where he will live with his family from the 6-18 July. He also gave a very interesting talk at An Talla Solais showing slides of his previous work and explaining the reasoning behind Mapping Arcadia. Members of the community will be able to go over to the island in July to help Alistair and there will be an Open Day on Saturday 18 July. This is a very interesting and unusual diversion for the Isle Martin Trust and we hope that it will raise awareness of the island and provide some good publicity for us. We need to raise as much money as possible to be able to keep this very special place in the hands of the communities of Lochbroom and Coigach.
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HISTORY WALKS & TALKS 2009:
Joan and Sheila have agreed to do another series of walks and talks on the island this summer. The walks last year were very popular and they enjoyed doing them so much that it seemed a good idea to plan some more for this year. The following Sundays have been put into the diary:|
8 May |
part of the Book Festival Day on the island |
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23 May |
part of the 10th Anniversary of the Handover of the island by the RSPB |
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28 June |
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12 July |
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26 July |
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2nd August |
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16 August |
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30 August |
Times of sailings depend on the state of the tide on that particular day and, of course, the weather…!! Details will be published in our local weekly newspaper The Ullapool News nearer the time or e-mail:
islemartin@lochbroom.freeserve.co.uk.
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CATRIONA ROSE
Following persistent problems last summer with the boat engine of our ferry, the Catriona Rose, it was decided to seek funding to replace the engine and upgrade it from 20hp to 40hp. Joan got to work on her computer and with the help of Jean Urquhart, our local councillor, we applied to Highland Council for funding from the Ward Discretionary Budget. The application was successful and we received a cheque for £2550, approximately half of the cost of the new engine. We paid the balance from our hard earned Loopallu 2008 litter picking money and other fundraising activities.
The boat was transported to Caley Marine in Inverness for them to carry out the conversion. It has now been returned and antifouling was applied by Board members before she was put back into the water. We are hoping to sell the 20hp engine via Caley Marine to offset part of our financial contribution. Extra life jackets have also been purchased to allow a speedier turnaround of the ferry - i.e. Fraser can get passengers strapped in and kitted up while waiting for the ferry to return to Ardmair.
The boat is now on its mooring at Ardmair, ready for the coming season. Thanks are due to the following , Joan Michael for her hard work doing the paperwork involved with the grant application, Jean Urquhart, Robbie Bain, Ward Manager of Highland Council (Ross & Cromarty), Board Members Fraser, Derick and Murdo for overseeing the transporting of the boat to and from Inverness and the antifouling. Also thanks to Ullapool Construction for help with lifting and Peter Fraser of Ardmair for advice.
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PONTOON CHARGES
remain the same as last year:Yacht - Overnight £10.00
Yacht - Daytime: £5.00
Small Craft - Day or Overnight: £1.00
DONATION BOXES: We have installed donation boxes on the pontoon and on the storage shed at Ardmair Jetty. Both of these facilities are maintained by the Trust and we urge people who use either the pontoon or the jetty at Ardmair to put their hands in their pockets and make a donation towards the upkeep. The boxes are emptied regularly…!
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HEBRIDEAN PRINCESS: This beautiful cruise boat will again call at Isle Martin during 2009. The dates planned are: April 19, July 9 and September 3.
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UPGRADING OF MACLEOD’S HOUSE and the NEW SCHOOL
The Board are currently looking t ways to progress this major project so we hope to have more details available for the next newsletter. We have had a survey done so have approximate costs for the upgrading of MacLeod’s House but the debate continues as to how best we can preserve the corrugated iron structure that is the new school. We are delighted, however, to learn that the members of Ullapool Museum are happy to let us have items from their "School Room" display which is to be dismantled. This includes a very realistic model of a schoolteacher…!! Board Member Derick Boa went to the new school when he lived on the island in the 1940s so we can be sure the details will be accurate. Also Board Member Gregor MacDonald went to the "New School" when it was at the Strachan road end (opposite the Rhue road end) before it was dismantled and shipped to Isle Martin to progress the education of the Boa Family and other children on the island when the Flour Mill was operating.
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COMMEMORATIVE TREE PLANTATION:
We have fifteen trees ordered for the plantation and fourteen plaques have been engraved so far. Gregor continues to make the posts and Alex has confirmed that as much of the planting of the trees as possible will take place before the Open Day on Saturday 23 May. We also hope that part of the wall will be taken down to make a gap so that people will have easier access to the site of the plantation. Cat, our warden, will strim back the bracken to make a path through from the graveyard to the gap.If anyone else would like to have a tree planted in their name or in the name of a loved one, or to commemorate a significant event in their life, please contact Sheila Didcock on 01854 612937 or speak to any Board Member.
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CROFT HOUSE & MILL HOUSE BOOKINGS FOR 2009
: Quite a few of the Sub Aqua and Kayaking groups who stayed on the island last summer have decided to return and we are delighted to welcome them back. Also enquiries are starting to come from people wanting to get away from it all for either a night, weekend or a week, so if you are thinking about doing the same, contact Sheila on 01854 612937 or email islemartin@lochbroom.freeserve.co.uk as soon as possible. The cottages are let from May to September only and the price per night remains the same at £35.00 for each property. The Croft House sleeps 6 and the Mill House 10.
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Community Powerdown Project
Community Powerdown is a programme involving a consortium of Community Energy Scotland, in partnership with Development Trusts Association Scotland, and 27 community groups across Scotland. They have been awarded funding from the Scottish Government’s Climate Challenge Fund, creating 25 new community jobs. The purpose of the programme is to empower community groups across Scotland to find ways of reducing their dependence on fossil fuels, decouple their development from energy consumption and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It is fundamentally focussed on promoting behavioural change across communities, led by local community organisations.
As it was Lochbroom Community Council that was initially involved, it was necessary to form a separate community group in order to benefit fully from this project. Consequently, following a public meeting held on the 23rd February 2009, the Steering Group was given a clear mandate to proceed to take the necessary steps to register Ullapool Community Trust Limited as a company and that the members of the Steering Group, which includes a representative from Isle Martin Trust, would become the initial Member Directors of this new company. During the four weeks till the end of March, Ullapool Community Trust was registered as a company, membership of associated organisations applied for and granted, administration sorted out, web site set up, and recruitment and appointment of the Project Officer (Powerdown) finalised. Alison Hitchings from Achiltibuie took up her post as Project Officer on the 6th April 2009.
The five key projects identified for the first phase of the programme can now be taken forward and progressed. One of these projects is Isle Martin Trust’s wish to develop renewable energy systems for the properties on the island. Some initial background and previous survey information has already been passed to the Project Officer and arrangements are being made for her to visit the island in order to gain a better understanding of the existing arrangements and ascertain what methods of renewable energy we can realistically aim for.
MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS:
Board Member and Treasurer, Paddy Stowell, reminds everyone that membership renewals are due from 1st May. If you pay by standing order your membership will be automatically renewed, otherwise an application form will be enclosed with this newsletter. The cost remains the same at £5.00 per annum for adults, £1.50 for children or £12.00 for families. Life membership is £50.00. Please can we ask all of our members to encourage as many people as you can to join - the cost of £5.00 is minimal, less than 10p per week - as the more members we have, the more likely we are to get funding for our various projects. If you are a tax payer, please complete and sign the Gift Aid Declaration Form as we can claim back the tax. This is a good source of income for the Trust. Thanks must go to Laura Talbot for printing the membership cards and all her help generally.
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The Isle Martin Board, which meets in Ullapool on the first Wednesday of every month, now comprises:
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Chairman |
Kenny MacLeod |
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Vice Chairman |
Fraser Mackenzie |
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Treasurer |
Paddy Stowell |
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Interim Secretary |
Sheila Didcock |
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Derick Boa |
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Gregor MacDonald |
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Murdo Mackenzie |
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Joan Michael |
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Alex Scott |
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Jean Urquhart (Highland Councillor) |
The Board meets on the first Wednesday of every month in the registered office of MacLeods w.s., 26 Argyle Street, Ullapool.