Oban Times Letters to the Editor - 4.7.24

We need to improve our landscape together

Since retiring after 40 years in the international oil industry and being able to concentrate on my lifelong interest in highland farming and crofting, I have had more time to look at and consider our future. 

Our family have bred Highland ponies and Highland Cattle for 150 years here in Badenoch.

We are being more and more guided by government Net Zero aspirations to be delivered by 2030 and beyond. Rather than digging our heels in and fighting this in agriculture we should be educating ourselves and following guidance for how they want us to go. 

We are still waiting for detailed guidance in Scotland, but evidence of this "direction" has been seen in Irish, Welsh and European future agricultural policy. Most of it aimed at increased carbon sequestration and reduction in emissions.

We should be grasping this as an "opportunity" for our sector and we all know we can seriously deliver for "nature" and the "climate", although I am not saying we can save the world alone. There is a lot of people that are not "hands on" in the rural sector like we are, and it is important that we all join together and try and influence their direction in a practical way that includes us all.

I know some people get concerned about me using words like "indigenous", "native" and "local" but that is who we are.  

Currently we are seeing some really big mistakes made by corporate rewilders. In their haste to get investor onboard and to cash in on "natural assets / capital" by being seen to be saving the climate – mostly by "greenwashing" means – the people and the place and our livlihoods are being ignored.

Any serious investor will only commit if they can see a "gold standard of ethical practice" and that includes protecting the indigenous people – the same thing would be the first thing asked before investment  in the Amazon or Alaska, so why not the Highlands of Scotland.

I look forward to hearing other’s thoughts on this subject. What we all need to do is get round a big table and find outcomes that work for all sides on this debate. We can achieve a lot for nature and our fine country TOGETHER.

Ruaridh Ormiston, Kingussie.

Change the route of the South Uist ferry

As a long-term ferry traveller from South Uist, we need to get our ferry back on the Oban route.

For years the Mallaig route has not in any way proved to be reliable, with people not knowing from day to day if and when the ferry would be running, causing stress and bad feeling along the way.

Not only that, but if the sailing was rerouted to Oban rather than Mallaig, it would mean 1.5 hours less in travel time for people who had an onward journey to Glasgow.
Angus Campbell, by email.

Nothing to boast about...

I am wondering when it became the norm for prospective political candidates to boast that their main virtue was that only a vote for them would cause the defeat of another party.

When did voting become a negative action to keep someone out of government?

Surely the point of voting for a MP is because you see them as recognising the needs of their constituency and being willing to fight for these needs to be met at a UK level, and having confidence that the party they belong to will overall work for the benefit of the country?
Sue Pagan, Barcaldine.