Community board to boost island business

CalMac’s independent community board has teamed up with the company to help raise the profile of Scotland’s west coast islands as business destinations.

The board has organised a business conference aboard the MV Clansman, on a non-landing cruise from Oban to Colonsay on March 27.

The event, Strengthening Communities: Diverse Approaches to Business Success, is targeting people thinking of locating to an island to set up a business or expanding an existing operation. They will hear from a range of speakers who have made a success of an island enterprise.

The initiative is the creation of community board member Ian Macfarlane, who has a career-long track record of successful business development.

He said: ‘Our islands and remote communities are not only wonderful places to live and visit, they are also great places to do business. We have a real can-do attitude to enterprise and business opportunities across a range of sectors which are there to be developed.’

The networking event will also give existing business owners a chance to share their experiences and expertise.

The range of speakers includes sessions from Isle of Colonsay Oysters, the Loch Melfort Hotel, Gael Force Group Holdings, Gigha Halibut Limited, the Tiree Music Festival and the Kilchoman Distillery Company Limited.

‘Every business presenting has a success story to tell and is sharing their expertise and experience with anyone interested in following their lead and expanding their business on the west coast,’ said Ian.

Anyone interested in attending can find more details and book at calmac.co.uk/CCB-initiatives