Arnish Lighthouse

<![CDATA[ In the light of the current problems (hopefully soon resolved) with pictures, I put this post in good hope and spirit.

This evening, I went for a walk to Goat Island. This is the island in Stornoway Harbour, linked to the town via a causeway from the Coastguard Station. It is an industrial area, without being on the plans as such. It contains a fish processing factory and a unit that houses live crustaceans (crabs and the like). Every now and again, a lorry comes to take the creatures away to the restaurants elsewhere.

Goat Island also houses a boatyard, on which vessels up to 850 tons can be hauled up the slipway for maintenance. Those that follow my other blogs will be aware that one boat has been there for nearly 2 months. Local info has it that the Cuma, is awaiting a new propellor. The Cuma operates out of Miavaig (Uig, West Lewis), offering week long cruises to St Kilda, the Flannan Isles, Monach Isles and North Rona and Sulasgeir.

Another boat I found there was the Sgoth , a traditional sailing boat which used to operate out of Ness. She was being readied for summer outings.

]]>

<![CDATA[ This week, we're having a new moon. The combined forces of sun and moon therefore bring about a spring tide. A level of 5 metres is pretty high, but as the weather is quiet at the moment, today's high tides passed off without incident. The low tides were the lowest I have seen so far in Stornoway (not been observing for all that long), but they did help to reveal a small piece of the town's history.

This unsalubrious image shows the Inner Harbour. My interest focuses on the set of stepping stones which sit in the middle of the flow of water, towards the bottom of the picture. This water is actually NOT salty, it's the outflow of the Willowglen Burn. Until the policies of the Castle Grounds were established in the 19th century, residents from Lochs and Harris would arrive in Stornoway by crossing the Inner Harbour via these stepping stones.

The low tides also bring a dangerous temptation at the outflow of the Newton Basin, on the eastern side of Stornoway. From the picture below, you might assume that it's possible to cross to Goat Island, in the distance.

Picture below shows a close-up, taken a month ago, of what might have appeared to have been a safe passage from Newton Street to Goat Island.

This afternoon, the situation was similar and two youngsters were seen riding across the sand towards the crossing. Their bikes sank into the quicksand of the outflow, and they could only just make it back safely with bikes and all, without being stuck in the quicksand. ]]>

<![CDATA[ Today's news on the renewable energy front is the reduction by Lewis Windpower (the company that wants to build the North Lewis Windfarm) in the number of windturbines for its project from 234 to 190. New technology has come on the market which makes the turbines more efficient. When I was in the Council Chambers on Monday, I saw the maps which showed the intended location of the towers. I know the Lewis moors quite well, and was shocked. My picture on the "Windfarms Revisited" post should have given an idea of the size of the things. I was equally dumbstruck by the assertion of the LWP representative, being quizzed by MSPs, that the "footprint" of the turbines on the ground will only be small. Rarely heard such a misrepresentation of the facts. A network of access roads is required to the towers for purposes of maintenance over their 25 year lifespan. That won't have an environmental impact, will it? A huge amount of peat will have to be dug out for each turbine, and that won't disturb the balance of the peat will it?

The Factor for the Stornoway Trust expressed hope that the reduction in the numbers of turbines would make the project more attractive for a larger number of people. Methinks not. Less unacceptable, perhaps.

It's not just the environmental impact that places me in the opposition camp to the Lewis Windfarm. On the policy side of things, I feel that too much of an emphasis has been placed on wind energy. Tidal and wavepower should have a far larger place in the total energy picture. The Prime Minister's idea that nuclear energy should have a new place in the provision of energy to the UK is ludicrous. The issue of waste disposal has not been properly addressed; today, official policy was announced that nuclear waste would be dumped in a hole in the ground. Two of those holes could be located in the islands of Fuday and Sandray, to the north and south of Barra respectively. Not acceptable.

We'll have to await the Scottish Executive's decision on the Lewis Windfarms. ]]>

<![CDATA[
The Arnish Lighthouse stands at the entrance to Stornoway Harbour, and looks out over to Stornoway, about 2 miles to the north and Lower Sandwick, directly across the channel. The light was automated in the 1970s or thereabouts, after which the keeper's cottage was converted into a private residence. You can reach it from the entrance gates to the Arnish Fabrication Yard, which lies 5 miles south of Stornoway. The access road starts on the Lochs Road (A859), a few miles west of the town. The road offers very nice views across the harbour, to Point and (on clear days) to the mainland mountains.

The Arnish Light also witnessed the tragedy of the Iolaire's sinking in 1919. Every islander will know he is home as soon as he passes the lighthouse.
Every islander's heart bleeds when the demure building slowly recedes behind the ferry on the way to the mainland. It has witnessed the mass emigrations on ships like the Metagama in 1923. It has seen Mod competitors come and go, latterly in October 2005.

Arnish Light looks out over the Minch, and watches over the fishermen, risking life and limb in pursuit of fish and other seacreatures. In December 2004, one of their number perished on rocks only 100 yards from the Lighthouse.
The Arnish Light winks at the crofters of Lower Sandwick, and is a familiar nocturnal companion for those in Stornoway who live on the waterfront. It looks out over the town, the sea and the island. Although in an isolated position, it is every bit a part of island life as Stornoway itself. ]]>

<![CDATA[ A tentative foray into the thorny issue of crofting reform.

The current situation eats at the very root of the institution of crofting. Back in 1886, legislation was put into place to safeguard security of tenure for crofters. Following an uprising in Skye, where the people of Braes turned on police officers and the estate factor, the Napier Commission concluded that great injustice was being inflicted on the crofters of Skye and elsewhere in Scotland. Up to the mid 1880s, tenants could be evicted at the whim of a landlord, and no consideration was being given to economic and / or financial hardship.

Crofters are principally tenants on an estate, but with unlimited tenure. A croft is an agricultural unit, but not by definition with a house on it. If a bareland croft is purchased or rented, the crofter can build a house on it (an “improvement”), and a grant of about

<![CDATA[ As I reported over the last few weeks, the proposed windfarm for Eishken has been reduced in size from 133 to 53 turbines. Landowner Nick Oppenheimer said he had done so following expressions of concern over the environmental impact of the scheme.

Objections can be raised until May 12th. In order to inform local residents about the process, three meetings will be organised in Lewis. The Muaitheabhal Trust kicks off on May 4th. This is the body which has a share in the Eishken windfarm. Because of the reduction in the size of the project, its share and its projected income stands to be reduced.
The landlord has his own meeting the next day.
Lochs councillor Annie MacDonald and an expert on the planning process will hold a walk-in meeting on May 10th. Exact details on time and place of each meeting will be made available locally.

Readers should bear in mind that the project came within a cat's whisker of being rejected by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar back in June 2005. Although the Muaitheabhal Trust is the community representative, the legal wranglings over windfarms in this district of Lewis mean that the community doesn't stand to gain from it as much as might be anticipated.

In my post Windfarms Revisited of April 19th, I alluded to a reconsideration of the North Lewis windfarm as well, which appears to have disappeared into the mists. Bearing in mind the hostility shown towards a representative of Lewis Windpower (aims to build the windfarm in North Lewis) at a Scottish Parliamentary Committee meeting yesterday, the building of said windfarm is by no means a foregone conclusion.

The Comhairle has submitted the planning application for the North Lewis scheme to the Scottish Executive. Anyone with comments can submit them through this page. ]]>

<![CDATA[ Remember that huge fire at the Buncefield Oil Depot back in December? At the time, I launched the question whether it was such a good idea to have the oil depot in Stornoway in the town centre. An off-the-record reply from a local councillor back in December stated that they had no intention of shifting the tankpark.

Just to show you the situation at Stornoway. The tanks are within the yellow circle; I have pointed out the school (Nicolson Institute) and the ferry terminal for reference.

Nonetheless, it was recommended today that all such tanks be relocated out of built-up areas in the wake of the Buncefield fire. They were lucky that there were no casualties 4 months ago. Here in Stornoway, there shouldn't really be a problem. The tanks could easily be relocated 4 miles down the road to Arnish Point. There is no problem getting the tanker to berth there, as Glumag Harbour is very deep. ]]>

<![CDATA[ Crofting is a subject that I have so far gingerly avoided, as I am not well versed in it. However, I would like to use this blog to publicise the Crofting Reform &c Bill which is currently going through the Committee stage of the Scottish Parliament. The Environment and Rural Development Committee is currently seeking opinions from those involved in crofting on the Reform Bill.
The text of the Bill is available for viewing (all 70 pages of it) on the Scottish Parliament website.

Today, the Committee came to Stornoway and held a session in which representatives of crofters, housing organisations, Highlands & Islands Enterprise, Lewis Wind Power, Stornoway Trust, Pairc Trust and other interested parties answered questions from the MSPs on the Committee.

They were clustered together in 4 panels - crofters, (prospective) landowners, housing and developers. Members of the public present at the meeting were also given the opportunity to address the Committee.

Anyone who has views on this issue, is invited to submit them to the Committee either in person at their next public meetings at Inverness and Oban, or by writing (by 8 May 2006) to:

Committee Clerks
The Environment and Rural Development Committee
Room T1.01
The Scottish Parliament
Holyrood
Edinburgh EH99 1SP ]]>