Dear Members,
Following our recent AGM on 1st March, 2025, there have been several changes to Office Bearer responsibilities owing to the departure of Brian and Sharon Pearson (Secretary) as Trustees. Special thanks to them for all their efforts over recent years, and we wish them luck at their new home in the Borders. Also thanks to Clara Barnett who stood down as Chair in 2024 owing to work commitments, for all her work in taking the Inchree Barn project forward.
As our capacity is slightly reduced, the Trustees agreed to divvy up the Secretary’s responsibilities until such time as more folk can be recruited. Becky Jury has taken over as Members Secretary, and will be named on our OSCR registration as ‘Secretary’. Lisa Glaze will act as Minutes Secretary for meetings, and I will take responsibility for communications, starting with this communique.
Roger Barnett remains in post as Treasurer, while I take up the role of Chair, with Gordon Milne as Vice-Chair.
We currently have nine Trustees, with room for another six if any Members want to get more involved and help the community association fulfil its charitable aims – ‘to make Nether Lochaber a better place to live, work and visit.’
Two updates regarding our website www.netherlochaber.org.uk should be noted.
- We have added an events calendar with provisional meeting and activity dates for anyone in the community to refer to, and the times and locations of these will be updated as required. All meetings and events remain open to everyone, and if any Nether Lochaber residents also want to become members (free), they will also receive newsletters such as this, invitations to attend our AGM and propose activities or constitutional amendments, and voting rights.
- We are looking for contributions for a digital photo gallery on the website to both celebrate and record the social and natural heritage of our area, both old and new. If you have historic pictures or postcards for the gallery, please email these to mail@netherlochaber.org.uk or contact myself with any hard copies that can be scanned.
There are several exciting bits of news regarding the Inchree Barn Project.
Following our three-day drop in event at RoamWest in November 2024, to showcase and consult on Stage 2 Proposals for the design, NLCA have submitted a planning application as of the beginning of this month. Highland Council are yet to advertise this, but we expect this to happen soon.
Meantime, Lucy Cooke, our Project Officer is continuing to apply for funding to support the development as well as finance the continuance of her invaluable role beyond September of this year. NLCA were recently awarded £8000 by Creative Scotland to employ an artist for researching local heritage, and to design sculpture for the barn site as a living archive that celebrates this, similar to the mosaic at Creag Mhor graveyard.
At our Open Afternoon, prior to the AGM, we hosted a collaborative project that has begun with UHI to create audio-trails and virtual reality tours that raise the profile of Nether Lochaber’s social and natural heritage as a tourism destination.
This is targeting hospitality businesses in the area, by creating digital facilities that can be linked to for free on their business websites. ‘On the Map’ drop-in sessions are scheduled for Tuesday 25th and Thursday 27th March at RoamWest, Inchree, 12-2pm both days. Contact kendra.turnball@uhi.ac.uk to find out more.
A few additional things to take a note of.
1. Lisa Glaze is looking for local businesses to sponsor tubs and planters throughout Nether Lochaber, of which association members and supporters maintain nearly 30 at various locations between Ballachulish Bridge and Corran Ferry
Many of these are in need of replacement, and sponsorship will assist with this providing new tubs, compost and the costs of annual bedding plants and bulbs. Each tub will be fitted with a small plaque to promote the sponsor, and the cost NLCA are looking to cover is £50 per tub per annum.
Our thanks to those businesses who have already stepped up to sponsor one or two planters- keep an eye out for their names if you’re passing. Contact Lisa at cuildorag@googlemail.com for more details.
2. NLCA recently took ownership of the disused Scottish Water tank and reservoir on common grazings above Old Town, and is looking for ideas on how these can be used for the benefit of residents.
One proposal is to create a small nature reserve and interpretation site overlooking the old crofting township and beyond to Loch Linnhe. This could include some wildlife cameras with a digital feed to St. Brides Primary School, however we’re still at the brainstorming stage of this.
Input from residents is very important in taking this forward, so please send in any ideas or comments to mail@netherlochaber.org.uk.
3. Forestry and Land Scotland have provided us with some timber to repair the Red Squirrel viewing wall at the Inchree waterfalls carpark. NLCA took over responsibility for this from the community council in 2024, and have raised some money to cover the cost of filling the feeders. However, we are looking to find more sponsorship towards this ongoing need, as only one small business in the community is supporting this currently.
Anyone wanting to help the Trustees repair the viewing wall, please get in touch.
4. The 500 Club results for March 2025 are: WINNER, 34, Chris Boles; SECOND, 76, John MacIntyre; THIRD, 26, Sallie Jack. Congratulations to you all – please spread the word about joining the 500 Club which is our major source of revenue for general funds towards community garden spaces and social events.
5. On Saturday 29th March (next weekend!), NLCA is hosting a community beach clean from 10am-3pm, congregating at the Camus a Chois Picnic Site by Gleaner filling-station. This was postponed from late February due to poor weather, so fingers crossed it stays settled.
We have been provided with reuseable gloves and collection sacks by Surfers Against Sewage as part of their ‘million mile beach clean’ campaign, and Highland Council will be uplifting anything collected. This includes the large volume of material an Old Town resident has already spent time gathering over the winter along the North Ballachulish shore, if we have the bodies available to transport this up to the picnic site.
It’s been several years since we ran this event and if numbers allow, we might try to cover other local beaches at Onich and Cuilcheanna as well. NLCA are providing refreshments, so come along if you can, tell everyone you know, and help spruce the place up.
That’s all, folks. Keep safe and enjoy the Spring sunshine.
Regards,
Iain Jenner
Chair
Nether Lochaber Community Association (SCIO