TWENTY YEARS AGO
Change in the church
Father Shaunie MacAuley, who has been priest of the Church of the Holy Cross in Brodick, for the past five years or so, is to leave Arran in August. He is going to work at Oban Cathedral. Taking over from him will be Father Noel Colford, who is coming from Glasgow.
During Father MacAuley’s stay he was also working in the office of annulments in Glasgow so was not on the island fulltime. Father Colford’s position will be a resident post for the growing congregation of the Holy Cross.
Ferry tales
A new book published two weeks ago called Ferry Tales of Argyll and the Isles by Walter Weyndling devotes a chapter to some 16 routes and islands – and Arran is the first of these.
The first Arran ferry identified between Lochranza and Bute was in 1684. That service did not last very long and, in 1769, an advert was read out in Arran churches to consider establishing a packet boat.
Within two years Saltcoats was chosen as the terminal and two boats were running, one from Saltcoats to Brodick and the other from Imacher to Grogport or Carradale.
Ferry Tales makes for an interesting read and is published by Alan Sutton Publishing of Stroud, Gloucestershire.
Mercat fair
The 200th anniversary of the death of Robert Burns is to be well marked on Arran. There will be the professional Jolly Beggars Show and the one-man show by John Cairney which is to be held at Shiskine Hall and which will now be joined by another ‘Burns event’.
The Mercat Fayre is to be held on Brodick Beach throughout this Friday and it is aimed at those who might have difficulty with Burns’ words.
There will be nine performers in a tented village around a mercat cross and the audience may watch or join in with the Bard, his friends and the townspeople. The event is being presented by the Heritage Events Company on behalf of North Ayrshire Council.