Notice board Planning decisions by ministers raise a lot of questions

l Screenings of To See Ourselves, Jane McAllister’s documentary about the 2014 independence referendum, are taking place at 6.30pm tomorrow at Strathearn Arts, Crieff; and 2pm on Sunday, April 7 at Cameo Cinema, Edinburgh. Each screening will be followed by a Q&A with the director. To buy tickets see toseeourselves.film/ see-the-film

l Yes Musselburgh 2017 will hold their AGM at 7pm on Monday, March 25 in Staggs (The Volunteer Arms), 81 North High Street. From 7.30-9pm journalist, consultant and university lecturer Simon Pia will give the annual Kathleen McDonald Memorial Talk on “Escaping an Involuntary Union”. Free tickets available from Eventbrite.

l An Evening With Alex Gray is being held at 7pm on Thursday, March 28 at Waterstones Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow; and at 7pm on Tuesday, April 9 at Waterstones Kirkcaldy. The author will be discussing her best-selling series of crime novels staring DSI William Lorimer and giving the scoop on Out Of Darkness, the latest book in the series. To book a free ticket, see www.waterstones.com.

l Author Tim Bell will be talking about his book Choose Life. Choose Leith: Trainspotting On Location at 6.30pm on Wednesday, April 3 at Edinburgh Central Library in the George Washington Browne Room. Free tickets available from www.ticketsource.co.uk

l Lesley Riddoch is touring with her new film Denmark: The State Of Happiness. There are screenings at 6.30pm on Thursday, April 4 at Cameo Cinema, Edinburgh; at 7pm on Friday, April 5 at Adam Smith Theatre, Kirkcaldy; and at 7.30pm on Friday, April 26 at Corrie and Sannox Village Hall, Arran. Lesley will be doing Q&A sessions after the screenings. For full tour dates and to book see lesleyriddoch.com/events.

JUST how do our Scottish ministers decide on planning issues? What prompted me to question this now? The “controversial” Coul Links issue has generated quite a few column issues. Aside from the merits of the proposals themselves, the planning authority, Highland Council gave it a “big tick” but by just eight to six! Then our Scottish ministers decided to “call in” the proposal.

So what was the justification? Was it to reinforce the environmental safeguards? (Think back to Trump and the Mennie Estate. How have the environmental safeguards put in place back then performed?)

All this is in contrast to the decision by our Scottish ministers to approve on February 9, just as the ink was barely dry on the reporter’s recommendation of that day, the siting of a solar array farm in the middle of a nature reserve on the highest point on the Isle of Cumbrae despite all the protests of the islanders over may years, the objection of the local community council and the proposal being rejected by the democratic planning authority, North Ayrshire Council.

There was a lot of deliberation about that one? So just how do they make decisions? Have a second look a yet another golf course when lots seem to be struggling. But it is all right to effectively vandalise the seascape/landscape views of Cumbrae? Was that deemed to be “in the national interest”?

They don’t even have to tell our parliament – far less justify their decisions. Surely the system needs to be reformed.

Willie Oswald via email

THE Clearances are being reversed, mainly from south of the Border. Rhoda Meek’s article in the Sunday National (What do we do in the winter? We worry about the summer season, Mar 17), tells us that living on tourism is a leading concern.

Seventy and more years ago, to her welcoming moo, I milked the house cow twice a day, cleaned the byre, fed the hens, the sheep and a pony. Looking forward to the swallows’ return to their nests in the byre, I carted out and spread last year’s dung for the next hay crop, took pleasure in saving skylarks’ nests when cutting it. No TV – summer’s peats gave warmth to a winter evening’s read of Walter Scott.

Subsistence living, a dram and a musical night with the neighbours! Unchlorinated water from a well,