A look back on a year like no other – July to December
July
Lochgilphead solicitor Mrs Jane MacLeod was appointed by Her Majesty the Queen to succeed Patrick Stewart as the first female Lord-Lieutenant for Argyll and Bute.
Mrs MacLeod said: ‘I only hope I can carry on his good work and I am very much looking forward to embarking on this new challenge.’
Plans to transform Mid Argyll Community Pool (MACPool) into a health and well-being community hub were boosted by a £700,000 grant from the National Lottery Community Fund, to add to £400,000 from the Scottish Government Regeneration Capital Grant Fund awarded in February and £95,000 from the Robertson Trust.
The lottery funding meant that Mid Argyll Community Enterprises Ltd could brief architects and move closer to the construction stage.
August
On August 4 a major landslide struck the A83 at the Rest and be Thankful, the latest in a series over the previous decade and a half. Six weeks later, it happened again in a prolonged landslide. The old military road, running below the A83 at the foot of Glen Croe, has been used as a detour but, with safety in mind, the trunk road operator and Transport Scotland have regularly closed this too, during heavy rainfall, given the instability of the slope above. While government seeks a better solution, teams have worked in tough conditions to repair the road, build new ‘catch pits’, install a debris barrier above the A83 and, more recently, place a barrier or bund beside the old military road as protection.
September
Though not the first cases in Mid Argyll, Covid-19 suddenly seemed closer than ever after two senior pupils at Lochgilphead Joint Campus tested positive for the virus. Contact tracing and isolation protocols were put in place in a safety-first approach by health and local authorities.
Transport Scotland unveiled 11 alternatives to the current A83 at the Rest, including some expensive ideas with multiple bridges – but no tunnels – across Loch Fyne, Loch Long and the Firth of Clyde. With a decision yet to be made, many believe the chosen route will be one of the cheapest – simply up the opposite side of Glen Croe.
Meanwhile, Lochgilphead librarian Carol Lawson climbed the equivalent of Everest in her dad’s memory, raising more than £3,000 for Macmillan Cancer support.
October
Mid Argyll was set to lose yet another bank after TSB announced plans to close its Lochgilphead branch in 2021, as part of 73 such closures, including Campbeltown, Dunoon and Rothesay.
A bank spokesperson said the bank was ‘clearly witnessing a substantial shift towards digital banking’. Mid Argyll councillor Dougie Philand said: ‘The banks were bailed out by public money years ago and now should be supporting fragile communities at this difficult time.’
Less than a month after its launch, the fund to purchase Inveraray Pier for the community had raised almost £3,000 towards a £100,000 target. The neglected pier has been offered to the community by new owner Geaspar Byrne for the price he paid for it.
To donate, visit the GoFundMe website and search ‘Inveraray Pier Fund’.
November
Jilly Wilson of Lochgilphead’s Square Peg was crowned the overall Argyll and Bute champion in the first High Street Heroes awards.
She was recognised for supporting communities in Lochgilphead and in Tayvallich, during lockdown, working seven days a week to fulfil orders from her shop. She and her small team of staff also fed between 120 and 180 Balfour Beatty and other essential workers during lockdown.
Midton Acrylics and the Salty Dog Cafe were also honoured as Lochgilphead High Street Heroes.
Tributes were paid to Argyll and Bute provost Len Scoullar, who passed away aged 81 on November 15. The Bute member was described as ‘a gentleman and model councillor’.
December
Not for the first time, the people of Tarbert and Mid Argyll showed generosity described as ‘amazing’ by organisers of the area’s Salvation Army Christmas appeal.
One young Tarbert girl, Grace McArthur, used her birthday money to buy gifts – and ordered her family to do the same.
Speaking for her proud family, Grace’s aunty Marie said: ‘She’s the most selfless eight-year-old I know.’
After a year like no other, Tarbert has come up with a Christmas tree like few in existence.
Rather than a Sitka spruce, the village took inspiration from its fishing heritage to create a spectacular Christmas ‘tree’ from fishing creels.