District news - Week 19, 2019

Islay

 

A messy play class will begin this month in Islay.

 

The class will take place every Monday in Port Ellen's Cyber Cafe.

 

It is run by Port Ellen Mothers and Toddlers and will cater to children aged six months to five years old.

 

The event poster reads: 'Come and unleash their creativity with gloop, foam, spaghetti, rice, paint and much more.' Classes cost £1.

 

Taynuilt

 

Friends of Taynuilt Primary School will be hosting a spring fair this weekend.

 

The event will take place on Saturday May 11 at the school from noon and will feature a variety of activities.

 

There will be a barbecue, a bungee run, treasure hunt, tombola, lucky dip and 'water or wine'.

 

Tobermory

 

It will be a busy month for Toberymory Library and its Bookbug sessions.

 

Extra events will take place throughout May to celebrate Bookbug's Big Picnic, which runs from May 13-19.

 

Bookbug consists of free story, song and rhyme sessions, and is typically aimed at babies, toddlers, pre-school children and their families.

 

There will be Bookbug classes for all ages on Saturday May 11 and 25 from 2.30pm at the library, which is based in Tobermory High School.

 

On Thursday May 16 in Tobermory fire station, there will be a Bookbug session with Annabel from 2.30pm.

 

And on Sunday May 19, there will be Bookbug events on at Tiroran Woollen Woods.

 

There will be four sessions, which will take place at 10.15am, 11am, 1.15pm and 2pm.

 

Craignure

 

The Mull Otter Group will be helping people spot signs of otters on a guided walk on Monday May 13.

 

The free event will start at 10.30am at Craignure Village Hall.

 

Dress for unpredictable weather and uneven terrain. All welcome.

 

Craignure

 

Mull Otter Group will be celebrating World Otter Day on Wednesday May 29 with an event at the Fishnish wildlife hide viewing point.

 

Eddie the Otter will be in attendance and the group, and anyone who attends, will watch out for live otters, sea eagles and other interesting wildlife.

 

The event will run from 10am until 3pm.

 

The group says to bring binoculars, if you have them. All welcome.

 

Western Isles

 

Western Isles Council will fund the Balivanich Regeneration Project with a capital grant of £223,000.

 

The Scottish Government announced in December 2018 that it would provide a £50 million Town Centre Fund for 2019-20, with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar receiving £223,000.

 

The council has promised it would prioritise Balivanich.

 

The capital grant aims to encourage town centres to 'diversify and flourish'.

 

Western Isles

 

A Western Isles MSP has urged all pensioners living on a low income with a partner of working age to check their eligibility for benefits.

 

Na h-Eileanan an Iar MSP Alasdair Allan warned them to check and claim Pension Credit and Housing Benefit before the UK Government changes the rules on May 15.

 

The change will see the right to receive those schemes withdrawn from future claimants who happen to have a partner who hasn’t yet reached their own pensionable age.

 

'It is vitally important that pensioners who find themselves in this situation make use of Age Scotland’s free benefit and entitlements check before the changes take place on May 15,' Dr Allan said.

 

North Connel

 

"attachment_183621" "" "840"] Adam Hill from North Connel accepting a cheque for £150 from Oban Rotary President, Iain MacIntyre. NO_T19_ObanRotary

 

Oban Rotary Club has donated £150 to a North Connel teenager who is volunteering in Kenya this summer.

 

Adam Hill, 18, who attended Oban High School, has been selected by Voluntary Service Overseas, a charitable organisation which supports communities in underdeveloped areas in Africa and Asia.

 

A similar award was made to Roanne Lilley from Taynuilt, who is currently studying at Edinburgh University.

 

Roanne is off to Peru in June as a volunteer research assistant in a team who will be studying the effects of climate change on the Amazon rainforest.

 

Rum

 

Kinloch Castle Friends' Association has submitted a business plan with the aim of acquiring Kinloch Castle on the Isle of Rum.

 

Scottish Natural Heritage, Historic Environment Scotland and Highlands and Islands Enterprise have all helped the KCFA team work to make the plan as comprehensive as possible.

 

The association is now waiting to hear back from the Scottish Government.