From our Files: June 08, 2023

TEN YEARS AGO

 

Thursday June 13, 2013

 

£16 million expansion to meet booming salmon demand

 

First Minister Alex Salmond has officially opened a new £16 million smolt hatchery in Lochaber which will grow 11 million fish each year to supply salmon farms across

 

the West Highlands and Islands.

 

The new Marine Harvest Scotland facility at Lochailort is part of an £8 million expansion of salmon farming to meet growing international demand for the product.

 

Speaking at the official opening ceremony on Friday Mr Salmond said: "The Scottish

 

Government fully supports the successful, sustainable, and growing fish farm industry

 

in Scotland and with farmed salmon now worth over £600 million a year, and also

 

being Scotland’s top food export, it is crucial that this industry continues to compete

 

and lead the way internationally.

 

"I am therefore delighted to officially open this recirculation hatchery in Lochailort which is the largest and most technically advanced hatchery in the world."

 

The site of the new building is steeped in history.

 

As well as being the location for the first trials of commercial-scale salmon farming in

 

the country, it was the first site of the Commando Training Station during the Second

 

World War.

 

Managing director of Marine Harvest Scotland, Alan Sutherland, said: "This is a site

 

with a great deal of history and we are thrilled to be able to add our own chapter.

 

"Demand for Scottish farmed salmon continues to grow and our expansion plans allow us to secure and create jobs in some of the most rural remote and fragile economies."

 

The staff at the unit grows the salmon from eyed eggs until the small stage when they

 

will be transferred to the company is 36 seawater fish farms.

 

TWENTY FIVE YEARS AGO

 

Saturday June 13, 1998

 

Call centre jobs for Kinlochleven

 

Efforts to breathe life into a Highland village facing the closure of its key employer have taken a step forward this week with the announcement that a call centre is being established there.

 

Database Direct, one of Scotland’s major direct marketing firms, will create at least 16 jobs later this year when they expand their operations to establish a new form of call centre in Kinlochleven.

 

Kinlochleven will provide a location for a distributive call centre where high capacities of calls will be handled by having a number of small interconnected operating centres.

 

The company, which has bases in Dunoon on the north of England, has signed a lease for one of the high-tech business pavilions being built by Kinlochleven Land Development Trust on the former carbon plant site.

 

Lochaber Ltd chief executive Douglas MacDiarmid said the move was made possible by the ongoing telecoms upgrading project being carried out with joint investment from BT and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

 

He said: "This development could have gone to any part of Britain but the new digital telecom upgrade and office facilities helped win the project for Kinlochleven and will

 

certainly help our case in bidding to attract further inward investment. Lochaber Ltd has invested £250,000 towards the overall redevelopment works at Kinlochleven.

 

Additional funding has also come from Highlands and Islands Objective One Programme.

 

"attachment_951568" "" "300"] 1923: Just as in our report for 1998, in 1923 there was work being carried out to develop Kinlochleven.

 

SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO

 

Saturday June 9, 1948

 

"attachment_951619" "" "214"] 1948: Mr Alexander Douglas, Barnhill, Glenelg.

 

The late Alexander Douglas, Glenelg

 

Much regret is felt at the death of Mr Alexander Douglas, Barnhill, Glenelg.

 

He was a native of Glenelg and retired 10 years ago after being a shepherd in Skye under the late Mr Nicol Martin of Husabost; the late Mr MacDonald of Ose, Dunvegan, also of Mr Robertson, South Corrybreck, now of Castlecraig, Nigg.

 

For 15 years prior to his retirement the deceased worked on the Lochiel Estate.

 

His extensive knowledge of sheep made him an authority in that line.

 

He had tended sheep since he was 11, and was first in the employment of the late Rev

 

Roderick Morison, Kintail, who in return for his services educated him.

 

Mr Douglas was of a generous nature, and was always ready to give practical help and

 

guidance.

 

The funeral at Lochcarron Cemetery was largely attended Sympathy is extended to Mrs Douglas and the family of two daughters and five sons.

 

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO

 

Saturday June 9, 1923

 

Knighthood for native of Fort William

 

The older generation of residents are much gratified to notice the name of James Macgregor Commissioner of Bechuanaland; among the Knight’s Bachelor in

 

the recent list of honours.

 

Sir James is the son of the late Mr Ronald Macgregor WS who acted with his father, the late Mr James McGregor, of the British Linen Company Bank in the management of the large factorial and law business that later devolved upon Mr NB MacKenzie, who is happily still with us.

 

James was the eldest son of the family. He received his early education at the Grammar School of Fort William under the late Mr Colin Livingston, assisted by the private tuition of the late Reverend William John Miller.

 

Passing to England, Mr Macgregor was adopted into the Diplomatic Service in South Africa, and for a generation he has been in charge of the Bechuanaland Protectorate, directly administered by the Crown.

 

During the troubled period covered by his administration it is significant that the

 

loyalty of that province has never been in question.

 

On the maternal side, Sir James is connected with the Cummings of Achdalieu, whose

 

burying place lies within the privileged precinct of the Chapel at Kilmallie.

 

Last year Sir James, with his wife and daughters, paid a visit to his native place, to

 

which he remains devotedly attached.

 

● The British Linen Bank became part of the Bank of Scotland in 1968

 

Rural Workers’ Approved Society

 

At the general meeting of members held on Wednesday last a report was submitted by the secretary on the work of the branch for the past year.

 

It was stated that the number of new members in role during that period was the largest enrolled by any branch of the society and the congratulations of the board of management were conveyed to the committee.

 

The sum of £621 5 shillings 7d (£621.32) was paid to branch members during the year; the number of claims for sickness, maternity, and disablement benefit were 120 and the number of new members enrolled was 92.

 

It was intimated that the donations to the Belford Hospital and District Nursing Association would be continued during the coming year and that additional benefits to

 

members by the provision of dental and optical treatment and appliances would be granted, in addition to increased cash payments.

 

It was reported that the society was in a flourishing condition.

 

● Until the formation of the National Health Service people joined societies to help

 

provide health cover and benefits.