Islanders go global with online plea ...for a road

A HEBRIDEAN island with only nine residents is raising funds to build its first road.

The Inner Hebridean Isle of Sanday lies about 32 miles west of the Inverness-shire port of Mallaig.

It is connected to the larger island of Canna but is reached only by a rocky track, most of which disappears at high tide.

Now islanders hope to raise £14,708 towards building a 1.5-mile road linking the two islands, with trails branching off to points of interest.

An online fundraising campaign set up last week has already raised more than £1,420.

Set up by the Isle of Canna Community Development Trust on the JustGiving website, it states: ‘Creating this track will be life-changing for residents and vital to encourage new people to settle on the island.’

One couple, who signed their names simply as Gordon and Julie, were moved to donate £1,000 to the cause.

In an accompanying message, they wrote: ‘We can’t bear the thought of Murdo’s poor bones being shaken for yet another winter on that rocky old road!’

Another donor, Ishbel Campbell wrote: ‘Such a beautiful place... hope the target is reached to enable folk to continue living and working there.’

A further £16,750 towards the total cost has already been awarded by organisations including the National Trust for Scotland, owner of Sanday following its donation by the previous owner, the MacIntosh Foundation, and local businesses.