THE ARRAN BANNER 20 YEARS AGO

Saturday December 5, 1998

Millennium Tower

As Arran searches for a way to mark the year 2000, Bob Haddow of Arran Transport has presented his idea of a Millennium Tower.

It may sound absurd and grandiose but it has been partially built already. We have all seen it and hardly given it a thought. It is the corrugated iron tower at Brodick Pier which was the nerve centre of the sand plant. Out of use for two years, he now has to pull this down. Close up, it looks like something from a deserted gold-mining town but hidden among the scrap is a robust steel skeleton.

The core of the tower was built by Mr Haddow and David Warwick in 1971. It is made of steel girders and is four storeys high. They used to be filtering stages for sand but, according to Mr Haddow, they could be four levels of an attractive modern building, and that is what he has in mind. He wants to dismantle the covers and transfer the main structure to the corner between Stagecoach and the chip shop. Here it could stand, possibly with a glass frontage and, while it may seem farfetched now, it could be the Millennium project that Arran has been looking for.

Mussels farm

A planning application has been lodged for a mussels farming site at Cordon, Lamlash. A long way from the existing fish farm, it would be located on the shore itself. Anticipated maximum production could be up to 100 tonnes a year and the enterprise goes under the name of Arran Shellfish.

The overall area would cover 300 metres by 300 metres and is planned for six mussel rafts, each 14 metres by 14.5 metres. From the surface, nothing would be seen of the farm except buoys as enclosed ropes hang down internally from the rafts, upon which the mussels grow. Since mussels are plankton feeders, there is no discharge from the farm and they can live side-by-side with the nearby fish farm.

Ferry to Tarbert

This is the first winter through which Arran will have a daily ferry service from Lochranza. It is not too frequent, but compared to the Tuesday and Wednesday service that ran for a few years, it is a tremendous advance.

It appears to be working well but is not well patronised. The Loch Riddon is doing the route, which takes one hour and 20 minutes. So this winter Arran is truly connected to the mainland on both sides and hopefully the traffic might increase for, even with subsidies, its future may not be assured.

01_B49twe02 The Royal Highland Fusiliers were recruiting in Arran last week. Pictured on a windswept Brodick front are Fusilier Aaron Sloan, Corporal Harkiss and Fusilier Colin Lewis.

01_B49twe03 Arran music teacher Moira Starks has submitted a new song entitled Scotland Will Live Forever which has been entered into a competition as a contender for Scotland’s national anthem. The winner will be announced on Burns’ Day.

01_B49twe05 Some of the winners in the Arran Challenge trophy played at Shiskine and concluded last weekend. They are Raymond Taylor, Colin Greig, Peter Young, R Ferguson, Doris Corkindale, Wilma Robertson, Elaine Wood, Denise Sherwood, Liz Kerr and Louise McAlister.

01_B49twe01 Bob Haddow on the tower he hopes will be rebuilt to mark Arran’s Millennium.

01_B49twe04 Bronze and silver Duke of Edinburgh Award achievers are: David Murchie, Colin Tinto, Katie Glew, Alison McNeice, Emma Kelly, Mark Taylor, Andrew Young, Alan Tinto and Shiona Murchie.