Memorable experience

Sir,

I would just like to write you a line saying what a very lovely three days we’ve spent in and around Campbeltown staying at the wonderful Machrihanish Holiday Park.

The specific reason for

my writing is to share our highlight - meeting Eddie Maguire at his Seabird Observatory, a simply memorable experience. Aside from the work he does being very important, it seems to me he encapsulates the spirit of the place.

A real character, happy in his solitude, yet equally happy to extend a warm welcome to visitors sharing his local knowledge and giving us a tip on an excellent seal-spotting location. Thanks to him we had the delight of seeing some seals fairly close up, sunning themselves on rocks and what a joy it was.

He is clearly very knowledgeable about birds and handed us his binoculars and gave us the chance to snap some pictures on his precious camera.

Having worked in travel PR for 15 years, promoting international, national and regional boards to the UK market, this sort of unique, local ‘character based’ story is exactly what editors look for nowadays, recognising the demand for local, experiential based experiences. We will not forget Eddie, nor in turn, this part of Kintyre. I very much hope the local community carry on supporting his work and can see what great value he brings to the area.

Jessica Hilliard 15 Crescent Place Brighton.

Call for friendly farming

KINTYRE bird expert Eddie Maguire, of Campbeltown, has backed up a plea from the RSPB for urgent action to protect wildlife from destruction.

Eddie, who is the official recorder of the newly-formed Kintyre Bird Club, earmarked one of the main problems in Kintyre as the gradual disappearance of habitats.

He said: ‘Habitats are fundamentally important for the existence of all species.’

But he said intensive farming, which aims at getting the most out of the available land, often means the destruction of scrub-land and hedgerows – which are homes to many animals and birds.

Eddie said the lapwing was an example of one species in decline in south Kintyre.

He said: ‘Twenty years ago, these birds were relatively common on all the fields on the Laggan and at Southend. Now there are only ten breeding pairs in the whole of south Kintyre.’