An island of two halves no more as work begins on £700,000 link road
IT IS an island that has always been divided, with its only road covering half of the population and the rest left to rely on tracks to get to the other side.
Now tiny Kerrera, which sits in Oban Bay and has a population of just 70, is losing its status as an island of two halves.
After decades of campaigning by its residents, Kerrera is getting a road linking each end of the island.
When complete, it will connect for the first time the population in the north of the island to the middle, where the ferry lands.
Due to be completed by next March, the road is only about a mile long, but the implications for the people who live there go a very long way.
It means they can easily visit their neighbours as, crucially, the islanders in the north will now have guaranteed access to the ferry for the first time.
Work on the first stage of the road project began this month, the Isle of Kerrera Development Trust (IKDT) has announced.
The work will see around one mile of forestry grade track connecting the community in the north to the middle of the island.
Isle of Kerrera Development Trust members Tim Vollum, Martin Shields and Gill Vollum oversee the work.
The £500,000 cost is being funded by the Scottish Government’s Islands Programme.
The job is being carried out by
A&L Mcrae on behalf of IKDT and is expected to take two to three months to complete.
In the next stage, Argyll and Bute Council is funding tar topping for the track at a cost of around £200,000, which is to be carried out before next March.
Islander David Keys said: “Having been a resident at the north end of Kerrera for 25 years and been involved in the struggle to see the island linked up by road for the whole of this time, the road will be transformational for the families and businesses in not only north Kerrera but for the whole island.
“We will have, for the first time, guaranteed access to a public ferry, with all the benefits that brings, and the ability to meet our fellow islanders without a cross-country trek or quad bike ride in the middle of winter.
“Our thanks go to the SG Islands team and Argyll and Bute Council for enabling this to happen and for the many hours of community input over the last 20 odd years to get to this point.”
Kerrera is breaking the trend of practically every other island in Scotland by doubling its population.
At the last census in 2011, only 30 people lived there but now the 70 residents are split more or less equally on the two ends of the island.
The enterprising community has been trying for more than 20 years to build a road and residents are pleased that they have been able to work in partnership with both local and national government to deliver the project.
Kerrera resident and link road project manager Martin Shields said: “It was an incredible feeling to see the huge machines mobilising for this monumental project.
“Myself and my fellow board members have worked on this for seven years and some for even longer than that.
“At times it has felt like it would never happen so it’s great to see them making headway.
“The road is going to have such a positive impact for the whole of Kerrera, in particular for the north end residents, who will finally have access to the Calmac service, as well as our new community hub at the old school.
“It will also give the rest of the island access to the excellent marina facilities in the north and allow us to work on a much needed island-wide resilience plan.”
Mairi Gougeon, the Scottish Government’s rural affairs and islands secretary, said: “This project is really important to the residents of Kerrera and provides critical infrastructure to support the island’s resilience.
“This is a great example of what can be achieved through strong collaboration between communities, Scottish Government, and local authorities.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the finished track and hearing about the positive impact this will have on the island.”
The road is going to have such a positive impact for the whole of Kerrera