Monthly Archives: April 2008

Lawsuit over death of twenty one year-old Argyll’s Lance Corporal to test Ministry of Defence liability under Human Rights Act

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The parents of 21 year-old Argyll and Sutherland HIghlanders’ Lance Corporal Andrew Craw are to sue the Ministry of Defence (MOD) over his death on 7th January, 2004. The MOD has recently been legally declared liable under human rights legislation for men under its care, regardless of where in the world they serve.

Lance Corporal Craw was part of an advance party posted to southern Iraq much earlier than expected. They were equipped with new Belgian-made Minimi machine guns on which they had received no training. Within hours of landing after two consecutive nights of sleepless travel, the party was driven to a desert firing range for training. Exhaustion was such that several soldiers reportedly fell asleep during the journey.

Lance Corporal Craw’s gun jammed. He then allegedly kicked it to clear it. A bullet was discharged, fatally injuring ghim as it travelled through his hand to his heart. His parents dispute that he would have kicked the gun and the evidence remains unclear.
The party had no proper field communications and no medical or ambulance unit had been assigned to the exercise. It took 90 minutes for medical assistance to be summoned.

Last night a spokesman for the MOD said that they were considering the writ from Mr and Mrs Craw, indicating that their lawyers claim Lance Corporal Craw’s death was not covered by the Human Right Act. The case is expected to make legal history in testing the MOD’s liability under the Act.

Argyll islands continue to lobby for inclusion in the Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) scheme

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In earlier news pieces, we reported on the introduction of the innovative RET pilot scheme, on the concerns of Argyll’s islands at the pilot’s broad limitation to The Western Isles, on the response to these concerns we asked for from the Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism, Jim Mather MSP and on Argyll islanders’ plans to contest their exclusion.

Now, representatives of Argyll’s offshore islands, including Islay, Jura, Colonsay have had a special meeting with councillors and with Alan Reid MP and Jamie McGrigor MSP. Jim Mather, constituency MSP for Argyll and Bute and Minister fr Enterprise, Energy and Tourism, was unable to be present but sent a letter to the meeting.

Those present agreed to back a proposal from Argyll and Bute Council to extend the RET pilot scheme, giving the excluded islands a 40% reduction in ferry fares, including the Isle of Colonsay in the pilot scheme for the Western Isles and instituting a review of the pilot after twelve months of the thirty month scheme.

Concerns have centred on the long term damage to the economic viability of excluded islands, with those in the pilot scheme (The Western Isles, Coll and Tiree) having a considerable time to establish new patterns of tourism and business development supported by the ferry subsidy the scheme is testing. The small Isle of Colonsay, always keeping a weather eye on its fragility, is the most vulnerable of Argyll’s Hebridean islands in this respect. From the outset, it has made its case for inclusion in the RET pilot scheme strongly and with a blend of reason and passion. The general acceptance of its needs in this issue testify to its success.

The islands also agreed to take their case directly to the Scottish and European parliaments.

Argyll’s planned air services still stalled by conflict pantomime

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The Civil Aviation Authority remains unable to grant a licence to the Council for scheduled flights from Oban to the isles of Coll, Colonsay and Tiree. All the physical issues are resolved but the legal stand-off between the Council and Total Logistics Concepts (TLC), the fuel supplier based at the airstrip, continues.

This situation has seen admitted forced entry and damage to the site periphery; an act of potentially lethal sabotage by persons unknown to the fuel supply of the strip’s fire engine, refusals to comply with the legally necessary checking in of all personnel going airside at the strip and threats of legal action on both sides.

The fire engine sabotage led to a scene worthy of Dad’s Army. With a private plane coming in for an emergency landing with its undercarriage auto-release seized, the fire crew, unable to start the engine of the appliance, had no option but to attend the scene in a pick up truck and a minibus, wielding domestic fire extinguishers. Luckily the pilot managed to lower the gear manually – or farce could have become a tragedy caused by a criminally irresponsible act of mischief

Among the wider damage to the reputation of all concerned, to economic development and, potentially to lives, the licensing delays have produced a bill for the taxpayer of £300,00 for flights that have not taken off. The Council had planned to have the service operational by Easter.

Council and Housing Association to work together to try to save sheltered housing wardenships

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There has been a development since our recent news item on the social housing situation in Argyll. Representatives of Argyll and Bute Council and of Argyll Community Housing Assciation (ACHA) have met to discuss the crisis caused by the withdrawal of ACHA’a annual grant of £274,000 from the Council’s Supporting People budget which had been cut by Government. The grant had paid for the salaries of, among others, the sheltered housing wardens. The two bodies have now committed themselves to trying to retain the sheltered housing service and to work together to raise funds to make this possible. Councillor Donald McIntosh said: ‘We need to help ACHA look for funding and Argyll and Bute Council has already been in discussion with the Scottish Government. The Council does not have the money but we are willing to work with ACHA and do what we can to help.’

Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust and Fyne Homes win Royal Town Planning Institute Award

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The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) has made an award to the Isle of Gigha in recognition of quality of thinking and planning in the Isle of Gigha Physical Masterplan and Design Guides commissioned by the Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust and Fyne Homes after the community buy out of most of the island in 2002. The judges cited the vision of the masterplan and the commitment of the islanders, noting that the 90 residents in 2002 – and today’s 150 – are actively involved in making decisions for the island’s future. Anyone puzzled by our reference to the community buy out of ‘most’ of the island should be aware that it is our understanding that the landowner who sold to the community was allowed to retain some of the most profitable enterprises on the island, such as the Fish Farm.

Compete to try the new seaplane service to Tobermory free

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Loch Lomond Seaplanes, the carriers for the new Glasgow to Tobermory service, are currently running a competition for two free tickets on the new route. The competition is being run in conjunction with The Oban Times. You’ll find the entry form with the question to be answered on Page 9 of this week’s edition. See also our news item on the introduction of the service, published here on 17th April.

Furnace members of National Boys Choir

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Alan Baird, a member of the Furnace Team in the Out There For Argyll project, is just back from his annual session with the National Boys Choir (NBC). This included a series of concerts – detailed below – with the main one from St Mary’s Cathedral in Edinburgh being broadcast on Radio Scotland’s Classics Unwrapped programme, Sundays 8th and 15th June between 8 and 10 pm.

Furnace woman, Margaret Campbell’s grandson Kyle Renton, from Inveraray is now in the Junior Corps (the youngest boys) of the NBC.

The National Boys Choir was formed in April 2002 by the National Youth Choir of Scotland and gives a unique opportunity for boys with changed and unchanged voices to sing together to the highest standards. The choir meets annually around Easter time for a residential course. Any boy in Scotland between the ages of 10 and 15 can apply to join and all applicants are given an audition. Choir members come from all over Scotland.

Concerts have been given in Belfast, Dumfries, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Kendal, Linlithgow, Londonderry, Perth and Stirling. In 2004 NBC performed live on BBC1 as part of the BBC Proms in the Park in Glasgow.

The NBC have now had 2 cantatas composed especially for them by Scottish composer Tom Cunningham, lyrics by Derek Roberts. The first, first performed in 2006, was entitled “The Saga of the Seven Days”, and the second, which premiered this year, was entitled “Seven Planets and a Cosmic Rock”.

The boys sing a mixture of classical, folk and contemporary pieces conducted by Christopher Bell. They sing in many languages and all music is learned in a 5 day period during their residential course. They are taught using the Kodaly method.

Ardkinglas House Tours, Policy Walks and Landrover Trips

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During 2008 there will be a guided house tour every Friday at 2:30pm from March through to October. On some Saturdays there will be house tours which will concentrate on the films that have been shot here (see dates below). The cost of the tour is £6pp. Alistair MacCallum will also be resuming his walks round the policies and Landrover trips up the glen. If you would like further information or to make a booking, please contact the Estate Office, contact details as below or use the contact page.

Dates for 2008 for Saturday film tours: 19th April, 24th May, 28th June, 26th July, 23th August and 20th September. These tours are at 11.00 am.

Jolomo’s 2008 art cruise features Colonsay

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This year’s art cruise, with an onboard exhibition of new paintings by celebrated Argyll artist, John Lowrie Morrison Jolomo) is to the Isle of Colonsay and features 28 new paintings of scenes on the island. Some of the work presents images of powerful storms around the island’s bays, adding a new dark potency to the colorist’s work. The cruise is on 9th May, with the familiar gourmet dining experience. Presented in assciation with CalMac Ferries Limited and Kranenburg Fine Arts in Oban, the essential bookings can be made by phone to 01475 650308. Prices are £18 per person for the viewing cruise; or £45 per person for the viewing cruise plus dinner. Places are limited and will be filled on a first come, first served basis.