Around the Argyll newspapers

For Argyll sweeps Argyll at depth and covers the bigger picture beyond – but never forget that you only get the full local news from your local newspaper. So buy it.

A quick scan of some of this week’s editions reveals:

• The Helensburgh Advertiser: has the news that the town’s home grown architect, one of Scotland’s best – Gareth Hoskins, has won the highly competitive £35 million redevelopment contract for the A-listed Edinburgh Royal High School. This had always been considered to be the home for Scotland’s parliament, when it got one before the first First Minister, Donald Dewar decided to go for the controversial new building that today houses the devolved Scottish Parliament.
• The Campbeltown Courier: has the story of the first raft race in Campbeltown Loch in nearly eight years – organised by Campbeltown Lifeboat station in June. To read the story, subscribe online to receive the digital version of the paper or buy the print version.
• The Dunoon Observer: has a front page story of the Tuesday rescue from a hillside near Lochgoihead, by Arrochar Mountain Rescue team and an air ambulance helicopter, of a 21 year-old abseiling instructor.
• The Ileach: describes a significant collaboration between the three Argyll communities – Kintyre, Islay and Tiree – who are to see major offshore wind farm developments. Together as ARC (Argyll Renewable Communities) they are to carry out a Scoping Study for the full Socio-economic Impact Assessment they hope to carry out on the positive and negative consequences of these developments. The aim is to provide the basis for the potential positive outcomes to be achieved an the negative ones to be avoided.
• The Oban Times: reports that the Tayvallich-Jura passenger ferry has boosted the island’s economy by a figure put at £130,410. The ferry is in the last of a three year pilot operation which it is hoped will become a permanent service. The article describes the various groups of customers that have been identified and shows islanders saying that it has given them a reduced sense of isolation and increased the frequency with which holiday home owners have visited their properties on the island. The key point is that, with an annual subsidy of £40k-£55k to keep the service running, a return on investment of £3 on every £1 spent is achievable.