Egg Shed hatches in Ardrishaig
Ardrishaig’s new heritage and community hub, the Egg Shed, opened to the public on Friday August 2, with music, entertainment and lots of sunshine, writes Janet West.
The Egg Shed, which had historically been used as an egg grading station, has been revived from a disused building into a bespoke interpretation and community centre which tells the story of the Crinan Canal and the communities which lie on its banks.
The building is now home to a living archive with stories, photographs and memorabilia, much of it donated by the community.
In among the formalities of opening the £1.5 million Egg Shed and marking the official twinning of the Crinan Canal with Sweden’s Dalslands Kanal, there was plenty of time for some fun in the Ardrishaig sunshine.
Ardrishaig Bothy was open and help was on hand to introduce youngsters to riding a bike, or to brush up on their cycle control skills.
There was also a unique opportunity to join the 5th Duke of Argyll on a walking tour of the Crinan Canal.
Mid Argyll Pipe Band took time off from competition to play to the crowds.
They joined some local bands who made sure toes were tapping from early morning until the end of the day.
Scottish Canals chief executive Catherine Topley together with chief executive of Argyll and Bute Council Cleland Sneddon addressed the crowd before enlisting the help of some young Ardrishaig helpers to cut the ribbon and allow the first guests to flood in.
As well as learning more about ‘Britain’s most beautiful shortcut’, and its souvenir shop, the Egg Shed hosts a multi-purpose community space, free for the community to use in a multitude of ways.
It currently hosts an exhibition of Crinan Canal paintings by artist Richard Demarko, who when asked how he would describe them said they were ‘a love letter to the Crinan Canal’.
The Egg Shed is the latest marker in the regeneration of Ardrishaig Harbour and has already been taken to the community’s heart.