FROM OUR FILES
TEN YEARS AGO Thursday July 4, 2013 Save Our Strontian Salmon!
Residents and anglers are making determined efforts to restore native salmon to a Lochaber river.
No salmon have been caught on the Strontian River for many years and the number of juvenile fish suggested that only a handful were spawning each year.
Now the Sunart Community Company and Strontian Angling Association – assisted by Torlundy based conservation charity the Lochaber Fisheries Trust (LFT) – have embarked on an ambitious long-term plan to save the Strontian’s salmon from possible extinction.
Last month more than 10,000 young hatchery-reared salmon were released into the river in an attempt to restore the species.
Dr Diane Baum biologist for LFT said: “The stocking of hatchery-reared salmon into rivers is not new but the desire to preserve the unique indigenous Strontian line meant that innovative ways had to be found to source eggs from the extremely small number of salmon in the river.
“Working with the LFT, the angling association collected 30 young salmon parr from the Strontian. These fish were no more than six inches long at capture and had never left the river and migrated to sea.
“With funding from the Nineveh Charitable Trust and Sunart Community Council, the salmon were reared in tanks by Pete Madden and other members of the local angling association and then at a commercial hatchery.
“After two years of dedicated care they were full-grown adults ready to produce the next generation of Strontian salmon.”
Dr Baum said that in an ideal world salmon would prosper without human intervention but the population on the Strontian was so precarious that extinction was a real possibility. We have done everything possible to ensure that the fry stocked into the river are as fit and healthy as possible,” she said.
“Great credit must go to the Strontian Angling Association for their vision and hard work to reach this point.”
Pupils from the local primary school helped with the releasing of salmon into suitable areas along the river and will be following their progress closely.
The hope is that in a few years these fish will return as adults to spawn and recreate a thriving salmon population.
Pete Madden, secretary of the Strontian Angling Association, which manages the fishery for the Sunart Community Company, recalled: “I can remember that as a teenager in the 1960s during summer evenings we used to meet on the Strontian Bridge and watch the salmon come up the river mouth on the high tide. Also, when standing on the bridge at the Church Pool when water levels were low, we could always see a half-dozen or so salmon in the pool below.
“If someone then had said that the salmon would be virtually gone from the river in 40 years we would not have believed them. Maybe we will see them splashing in the pools again.”
TWENTY FIVE YEARS AGO Saturday July 4, 1998 Eigg chalets approved
Eigg ‘exile’ John Campbell who, according to local councillor Charlie King, has ‘Been kept waiting long enough to spend his money’ on his native island, received the go-ahead last week to build four holiday chalets at Cnoc Mor, Cleadale.
Mr Campbell’s application for two pairs of semi-detached chalets had been described by area planning manager, Ken Johnston, as being significantly different from the terms of his original outline permission.
Mr Johnston, however, although recommending conditional approval of the proposals, had suggested that further discussions with Mr Campbell and the committee should take place.
Scottish Natural Heritage, as a consultee, had also weighed in with a written objection to the development, suggesting it would have ‘a detrimental impact on the visual amenity and landscape character of the Isle of Eigg within the Small Isles National Scenic Area’.
However the councillors were unanimous in giving the go-ahead for the chalet project. Local member, Councillor Charlie King, observed that, like similar buildings constructed in Arisaig, the Eigg chalets would ‘blend in well with the landscape’.
And he added: “I want to see Mr Campbell being able to spend his money in his native island. He has been kept waiting long enough.”
SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO Saturday July 3, 1948 Memorable visit if the King and Queen and Princess Margaret
Those of us who were fortunate enough to see the Highland Show at Inverness will agree that at no time during the long and honourable record of organisation by the Highland and Agricultural Society has Scotland’s farming industry been presented to greater advantage.
The presence of the King and Queen, and Princess Margaret made the occasion still more memorable.
It was particularly pleasing that His Majesty should announce at this Highland Show- the first he has attended since he ascended the throne - the signal honour of making the society the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland.
Inverness itself could not hold all the people who wanted to see Their Majesties and Princess Margaret, and to attend the show.
Every hotel, boarding house and farm house within 40 miles of the Highland capital had its accommodation fully booked up for months before last week’s great event.
It was estimated that there were more than 70,000 people in Inverness on the Thursday, which was the first day of the Royal visit.
The number who paid for admission to the show from Tuesday to Friday was 87,076, compared with 38’619 at the 1932 Inverness ‘Highland’.
The total was only over 10,000 short of Edinburgh’s 1939 record.
The organisation required for an event of the magnitude of the 1948 Highland reflects the greatest credit on the office-bearers of the Society, with Sir Donald W Cameron of Lochiel KT, CMG as president, Lord Lovat, DSO, MC, as Convener and the always courteous and ever popular secretary, Mr John Stirton, OBE Edinburgh.
Lochiel, in his dual role of president, and Lord Lieutenant of Inverness-shire, was, with Lord Lovat, in the forefront in extending a welcome to Their Majesties and conducting them through the show yard.
The livestock exhibits, in which the King, as a leading farmer himself, was particularly interested, were proudly presented by Lord Lovat.
Their Majesties won the hearts of all by the informality and friendliness of their approach.
They frequently stepped aside to chat to people in the crowd and at the stands which they visited.
When the Royal party approached the WRI stand, the soft, lilting strains of a Hebridean spinning song could be heard.
The singing spinners were Mrs John Macdonald and Mrs R Macdonald from Tarbert, Harris, Mrs Annie Macinnes, a St Kildan who now lives in the Black Isle.
The Queen, as the song finished, went forward and asked for an encore. Mrs Macdonald told her the song had been composed by an uncle before he immigrated from Harris to America.
The song was sung again in response to the Queen’s request as she and Princess Margaret left the stand accompanied by Mrs Norman Kennedy chairman of the Central Council of the SWRI and Mrs Gooch, the former chairman whose presence was particularly welcomed.
The Royal party stopped to watch a handloom weaver at work at the Cuchullin stand where they stayed awhile to exchange greetings with Captain John, Macleod, MP for Ross and Cromarty, who is a son of Mr Duncan Macleod of Skeabost.
The Queen looked longingly at some tartans and then turning away was heard to say: ‘If it were not for the coupons.’
The Queen, however, bought a rug made in the school at Kilmuir, Skye, which was among the exhibits at the Highland Home Industries stand.
The King at one point lingered to examine pullovers. He was so much interested in them that he became separated from the Queen and the Princess as they moved on to the next stand.
While he quickened his pace to catch up with them Miss Jean Bruce Edinburgh, organising secretary of Highland Home Industries picked up the pullover and walked by his side telling him how it was made.
The girls from the school for handicrafts at Morar had a special thrill when the Queen stopped to speak to them about their work.
When Her Majesty commented specially on the brighter colours now being introduced and made enquiry about the types of dye used in the tweeds, the King recalled that his own kilt had been woven at Kilmuir.
The Queen, it is believed, chose a present for the King at the Garve (Ross-shire) Work Society’s stand.
She asked that a leather sporran should be set aside for her. She also bought a deerskin handbag with stag horn fastener.
ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO Saturday July 7, 1923 Barra News
FISHING: The herring fishing has been practically a complete failure at Castlebay this season, so far, and fish curers who have incurred considerable expense in preparing for this fishing are anxious and getting somewhat disheartened about the matter. No East coast boats were at Castlebay over the week-end.
SALE: Messes Thomas Corson and Coy Ltd., auctioneers, Oban, conducted their annual summer sale of cattle and horses at Castlebay on Saturday June 30. A large number of stock was exposed for sale, and prices were on the whole better than exposers expected. An unusually large number of dealers were present.
NURSING ASSOCIATION: Mr K. Macleod, banker, Castlebay, Secretary of the Barra Committee of the Nursing Association, received £30 forwarded from New York by Macneil of Barra, in aid of the funds for the upkeep of two trained nurses for the use of the parish of Barra.
This sum was kindly subscribed by Macneil himself and some other kind friends in New York who take a kindly interest in the welfare of the people Barra.
Clansmen of the Chief of the Macneils and Barra people generally, at home and abroad, will be interested to know that Macneil of Barra was married in New York on the 14th June, last.
WHIST DRIVE: A successful whist drive and dance was held in Castlebay Hall in aid of the funds of the School Children’s annual picnic. The members of the fish trade at Castlebay have kindly entertained the school children here to a picnic and juvenile sports on the Machair lands annually for a number of years.