Shockwaves will reverberate in this rural idyll far into future

THE shootings that left one man dead and others injured will have a major impact on local communities for ‘a long time’, a councillor has admitted.

Last night, John Finlayson, councillor for Skye and Raasay, said: ‘People across both communities, Skye and in Lochalsh, are still in shock over what has happened.

‘Yesterday everybody was in shock as things developed and this morning they were waking up to the reality of what happened and they are still in shock.

‘The community spirit is still strong. People want to support each other and they are also keen to support the families in any way they can.

‘But at the same time we need to respect the privacy of the families, and our prayers and best wishes go to them and to those who are in hospital, fighting for their lives probably.

‘What happened yesterday is going to have an impact for a long time on the individuals, but also on the communities.’

He added: ‘I have had contact with close friends and neighbours and there is obviously deep concern for those involved. We just need to make sure that the support is there for them.’

Hamish Fraser, of Broadford and Strath community council, said that the events of Wednesday were unheard of in living memory and the shockwaves would be felt across local communities for months.

Ian Blackford, MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber, yesterday described it as a ‘very, very dark period’ for Skye and Lochalsh.

The SNP Westminster leader told the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland: ‘These are small communities where everybody tends to know everyone and there is a real sense of shock.’

He praised the response of the emergency services and said it was important that ‘we continue to assess where we are’ in relation to firearms regulations.

‘These are very controversial topics and, in these rural areas, we’re all aware there are applications from time to time for people that have licences for guns, particularly when it comes to agricultural matters’, Mr Blackford said.

Finance Secretary Kate Forbes, Nationalist MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, said that the close-knit communities had been ‘shattered to our core’.

‘Shattered to our core’