OUTER HEBRIDES FOR SCOTTISH INDEPENDENCE MARCH TAKING PLACE ON SATURDAY
Stornoway is set for its first ever pro-Scottish Independence march this Saturday and local SNP MSP Alasdair Allan is excited to be taking part.
In recent years hundreds of independence marches have taken place all over Scotland. This Saturday’s march, organised by the group Outer Hebrides For Independence, was created to allow pro-independence supporters from the islands to take place in an independence march closer to home.
Everyone who wishes to attend is more than welcome. The march has been planned as a family-friendly day with live music, speakers, stalls and face painting.
The 35 piece Indy Pipe Band Saor Alba is coming up from the mainland and this will be their first march here in the Islands. Ceilidhs for attendees will also be held in the evening, with the ceilidh at the golf club being pay on the door.
Commenting, Alasdair Allan MSP said:
“It’s really exciting to see an activity of this kind taking place in Stornoway. It promises to be a fun day out for everyone, and I hope that as many independence-supporting islanders as possible will be able to attend.
“With marches for independence now taking place the length and breadth of Scotland, the UK Government can be in no doubt of the significant and growing appetite there is for Scotland to take control of its own affairs.
“I passionately believe that Scotland will flourish as an independent country free to make its own decisions, and I think we are at the point where a majority of people in Scotland believe that too.” The gathering point for the march is Old Acres Rugby Pitch across from the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar offices on Sandwick Road. People will be able to gather from noon onwards with the march itself to begin at 2pm. The march will be using only one lane of the road on Sandwick Rd onto Matheson Rd and from the Spar roundabout to the bottom of Kenneth St. The march will then have a full road closure from Kenneth St up to castle St where it will return to being a single lane closure back to the Rally point. The march will have a police car leading at the front and one following behind. Stewards will walk with the march to help ensure safety.
Read more: Local News for Friday 26th April 2019
STORNOWAY’S PEPPA PIG MUDDY PUDDLE WALK IS BACK!
Peppa Pig is in training for this year’s Stornoway Muddy Puddle Walk which will take place on Saturday May 4th in aid of Save the Children.
The first Peppa Pig Muddy Puddle Walk in Stornoway last year raised over £1,000 for children in need.
The walk is being organised by local mums in conjunction with the Lewis branch of Save the Children. The event is also being supported by the Bayhead Community Association and with sponsorship from the Western Isles Lottery.
The Multimedia Unit at Comhairle nan Eilean Siar are also assisting this year by providing a Gaelic element to some of the resources for the event.
Michelle Macleod, Organiser, said:
“We are very excited to be holding another Peppa Pig Muddy Puddle Walk in Stornoway and we hope that families will come along on May 4th for a fun morning in the park while also raising vital funds for Save the Children.
“We are very grateful for all the support we received at last year’s event from the community and also local businesses.
“The sponsorship from the Western Isles Lottery means we can have our very special guests Peppa and George Pig leading our walk once again and we are very grateful to them for that support.
“Entry is by donation on the day so please come along and join us!”
This year’s Walk will set off from Bayhead Playpark at 11am and will follow the same route as last year – proceeding to Porter’s Lodge and turning left into the Castle Grounds along to the YM bridge and then back to the Park. The route is suitable for all ages and abilities.
A JustGiving page has also been set up for the event for those who wish to sponsor their little ones:
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/michelle-macleod5
Read more: Local News for Thursday 25th April 2019
MP HAS TUNNEL VISION FOR THE ISLANDS
Na h-Eileanan an Iar SNP MP Angus MacNeil has written to Transport Minister Michael Matheson MSP to suggest the Scottish Government visit the Faroe Islands to see the new 11.2 km subsea tunnel.
Mr MacNeil has hailed the success of the Faroes in creating a highly advanced transportation infrastructure which includes 17 land tunnels and two subsea tunnels with another almost complete and construction on a further tunnel due to start soon.
The system, which will include the world’s first subsea roundabout, will virtually eradicate the need for ferry services.
Mr MacNeil said:
“The transport network in the Faroes is the kind of system we should aspire to follow in the Scottish islands.
“Infrastructure of this kind would have huge economic and social benefits to all parts of the islands and would remove travel disruption due to weather conditions or issues associated with capacity.”
The new Faroes tunnel will shorten the travel distance from the capital of Tórshavn to Runavík from 55 kilometres to 17 kilometres. The 64 minute drive will be shortened to 16 minutes.
Mr MacNeil has suggested to Transport Minister Michael Matheson that Transport Scotland should visit the nearly complete Faroese tunnel and learn from the Faroese experience of creating a seamless travel system.
Read more: Local News for Wednesday 24th April 2019
CALMAC ANNOUNCES SEASONAL JOBS IN WESTERN ISLES
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar has welcomed the announcement that CalMac is to locate five seasonal jobs in Stornoway this year.
Cllr Uisdean Robertson, Chairman of the Comhairle’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said:
“This is welcome news. We have long campaigned to see CalMac jobs located here in the Western Isles, amongst the communities which it serves.
“The impact of salaries in the Western Isles is much greater on the local economy than in the central belt and I would call on CalMac to give serious consideration to further devolution and relocation of jobs into the Islands. We would reiterate our suggestion that each and every island should have a fair share of central jobs and head office functions including senior management roles and would ask that the practice of centralisation of roles to a Head Office will cease and future vacancies will be advertised on a network wide basis instead of Head Office with a target of 30% of these jobs being based in the Western Isles by 2030. Not only would such a move be an economic boost but it would also continue to demonstrate CalMac’s commitment to the communities of the Islands.”
Read more: Local News for Tuesday 23rd April 2019
