It was launched just 2 years ago – in 2010 – by VisitScotland Chair, Dr Mike Cantlay.

New kid in the block it may be but an award just announced from Creative Scotland shows it is already punching above its weight.

It has received the first tranche of £77.5k from Creative Scotland – of a £150k two year project granted under the Tourism and Culture funding scheme.

Argyll and The Isles Strategic Tourism Partnership (AISTP)  is delighted that one of its partners has received such an award.

Mike Story, Vice Chair and Director of Communications for Argyll and the Isles Tourism says:  ‘I am bowled over by the recognition that tourism is not just about marketing a place but about celebrating its individual heritage, culture and creativity.

‘This grant award is a fantastic achievement for Heart of Argyll and one that should put this unique corner of Scotland, the cradle of the Scottish Nation, firmly on the must see tourism and culture map of the UK’.

‘That the award was in conjunction with Artmap Argyll and Kilmartin House Museum is a fantastic demonstration of partnership working and proves that Argyll and The Isles Tourism really is Stronger Together.’

WEATHER for Argyll and the Isles

17th May: Mainly cloudy with occasional heavy  rain. Light mainly S winds. Max temp day: 9 C.

ROADS

• A83 operating with usual traffic lights at landslip danger area. Hazard warning of 13th May removed.

Transport Scotland’s webpage specifically for the A83 at Rest and Be Thankful. is reviewed weekly and will be updated in the event of any new landslip.

Deer Warning: A83 between Dunderave and Strone Point – deer have being seen on this section of road, in numbers, nightly, for the past fortnight.

FERRIES

• Western Ferries, Hunter’s Quay (Dunoon) -McInroy’s Point (Gourock): Sailing as schedule.
• Argyll Ferries unoon-Gourock (passenger only) : Sailing as schedule.
• SPT-Clydelink: Kilcreggan-Gourock (passenger only): Sailing as schedule.
• CalMac, (West coast ferry operator): Sailing as schedule, except for notifications below.

CalMac route notifications

• Oban-Craignure: 16th May – Due to major roadworks on the Tobermory-Craignure road, passengers are advised to allow extra time for their journey.
• Claonaig-Lochranza: 16th-18th May – The main carriageway in Lochranza is being repaired by the local authority between the 16th and 18th May 2012. This work will be carried under a road closure between 0900hrs and 1530hrs. Traffic will be allowed through intermittently as and when the works allow although we have been advised that there may be long delays. Customers are advised of an alternative route to Lochranza which is via the West coast from Blackwaterfoot via Pirnmill.
• Kennacraig-Port Askaig: Due to major reconstruction works, Port Ellen Pier, Islay, is currently closed to ferry traffic. All sailings on the Islay service are therefore operating to and from Port Askaig for the foreseeable future. This is outwith CalMac’s control,  A revised Summer timetable will be published which reflects this and will operate until June 30, 2012.

TRAVEL INFORMATION SOURCES

Online Information

• BBC Travel News (best up to date)
• Traffic Scotland – Current incidents  (not reliably up to date)
• Argyll Ferries – Service status
• CalMac Ferries – Service Status
• Clydelink – Kilcreggan-Gourock – Timetable and Service Status
• Western Ferries – Service Status note on home page
• West Coast Motors – Service Updates
• Scottish Citylink Coaches
• ScotRail
• Glasgow Airport – Flight Information

Phone information only

• Hebridean Air Services: 0845 805 7465 (Flights between Oban and Tiree, Coll and Colonsay)
• Clydelink/SPT: (Kilcreggan-Gourock passenger ferry) 0871 705 0888
• Isle of Kerrera-Gallanach ferry: 01631 563665
• Isle of Easdale-Ellenabeich ferry: 01852 300559 (ferry shed) or 01631 562125 (Argyll and Bute Council)
• Isle of Lismore-Port Appin ferry: (passenger ferry) 01631 562125 (Argyll and Bute Council)
• Isle of Luing (Cuan)-Seil ferry: 01631 569160 or 01631 562125 (Argyll and Bute Council)
• Port Askaig (Islay)-Feolin (Jura) ferry: 01496 840681 (ASP Ship Management)
• Corran Ferry: (Ardgour and the Ardnamurchan Peninsula) 01855 841243 (Highland Council)

Not long ago, as we reported at the time, economic commentator Andrew Alexander came out and said that he did not believe that the euro would exist in a years time.

A a few weeks ago a financial sector expert gave us a benchmark rate for the euro against the US dollar which, if it fell to that point, would signal serious and possibly irrecoverable trouble for that currency.

It reached that figure on 14th May and has since progressively fallen below it. There have been fleeting and minor recoveries but not to within reach of the benchmark level.

We read as frank warnings the unusually unequivocal statements issued in the last 24 hours by the Governor of the Bank of England who talked of a financial storm coming towards the UK from a eurozone which ‘is tearing itself apart with no sign of a solution’; and from the Prime Minister, who talked openly in the House of Commons of the need for the eurozone now to make up its mind to ‘make up or break up’.

There is widespread acceptance of the fact that Greece will default and leave the euro, sometime after it goes to to the polls again on 17th June, having been unable to reach any agreed position after its recent election.

Such an event is broadly agreed as likely to signal pressure upon the Spanish and Italian economies which there is no secure belief they will  be able to withstand.

The phrase ‘eurogeddon’ is gaining currency,

Greek money is currently moving out of Greek banks and being lodged in sterling deposits in London. This is a protection against the possible return of the Drachma, following an exit from the euro.

The BBC has reported that a town on the border of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, Clones, has single-handedly reintroduced the Irish Punt in preference to the euro. The Punt has no formal value but can be exchanged in Dublin.

The overall picture is one in which we have to acccept that we are likely to be on the brink of a financially chaotic period where the pressures will be enormous and no one really know how the scenario will play out.

At this very moment there’s a natural film set waiting for a survivalist movie – just off the A83 at Crarae Garden on the shores of Loch Fyne in Mid Argyll.

Existing cheek by howl with the teasing, dramatic yet tranquil beauty that has made this garden’s name as a Himalayan gorge delight right here in Argyll, is a very different world, full of powerful forces, destruction and an unexpected beauty of its own.

Crarae, reopened recently for the 2012 visitor season, is still dealing with the scale of the consequences of the gales on the 3rd January.

Following the loss of some 30 trees in the lesser December gales, Head Gardener Nigel Price found a scene of unimaginable and chaotic devastation near the northeastern boundary of the garden after the January gales.

The winds were the cause of the power outage that saw that saw much of Argyll cold and dark at the turn of the year for around 60 hours – with Islay even worse off than that.

Crarae has another direct link with that stormy time.

Access to the cable that had dropped the power was uphill through the garden – on the path across which lay many of the 200 trees Mr Price discovered downed in the winds.

The Scottish Hydro engineers, unable to take a van or even a quad bike up the path, had to physically carry every single thing they needed up the hill to the damage site – and not only that, they had to get it all up and over or around an endless array of fallen trees. Nigel Price speaks of the work they did with an awed respect.

That path is now cleared, of course, with the chopped-off end of trunks hard on each side of the path and massive root plates creating the barriers, chasms and defiles of a world of secrecy and potential menace.

You can’t take your eyes off it – although Nigel Price would be very glad to be able to do so. We were free to catch our breath and reach for the camera. He has to get it sorted.

There is money in much of the fallen timber – but getting it out will be so difficult and cause so much physical disruption that it will probably take all it has earned to see to the restitution afterwards.

But much of this is part of the business of looking after any major garden. Nature does not run on set tracks but can take off in unexpected directions. It’s a case of looking at the positives. They are always there.

The 200-odd trees taken down in the January gales are to be replaced by a fabulous redwood forest – which none of us will see in its maturity but will be quite splendid.

Some individual tress that blew over elsewhere in the garden have let a blaze of light into dark areas, with new glimpses for visitors and growth potential for new plants.

Walking through the garden now, you run the gamut of experience, all of it unforgettable. As always, you need to look for the detail, the moments where there is a fusion of the two beauties, one born from care, the other from destruction. By the stump of a fallen eucalyptus are some bluebells and a curl of new bracken softening the cut.

You take in the drama of the momentous energies that reshaped where they struck; and you exhale with the brilliance of the flowering shrubs, the sound of the burn, the birdsong – and the secret paths vanishing out of sight and promising whatever you imagine…

Any great garden has a skyscape and here your eyes follow the endless vertical trunk of a Japanese Umbrella Pine or are intrigued by a twisting trunk that has been created by wind torsion.

Every so often you get glimpses of the loch below and some expansive calming scenes of rolling fields and grazing sheep.

You may see a splendid rhododendron with some of its foliage looking on the droopy side. This is another of the challenges Crarae is currently confronting – the transmission of Sudden Oak Death disease (Phytophthora Ramorum) – which does not affect British oaks but absolutely does for the rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias and magnolias that abound in Crarae.

This is a notifiable plant disease and those diagnosed to be afflicted by it must be felled and burned where they lie  -  along with the gathering up of any fallen leaves in the vicinity.

There are two types of Phytophthora ramorum. They differ in the degree of speed they travel. Fortunately Crarae has the slowmo – but they’re on guard for the first trace of the more virulent sibling.

Who’d be a gardener? There’s another little plague sculling around. This is the nasty little ‘Scale Insect’ disease which sees the tiny blighters consume leaves leaving a sticky honey excretion on the stems and branches. This attracts a sooty black fungus making plants suffering from it look for all the world as if they’ve got charring damage.

The plants will probably survive this attack but Nigel Price takes proprietorial offence at the dusty blackness that mars their vitality.

There is development as well, to lift the spirits of the gardening team. A group of volunteers have recently cleared an old drovers’ road running through Crarae, probably from the southern parts of Loch Aweside through to link up with the drovers’ road through Brenchoille near Auchindrain.

Clearing the area around this brought another discovery – a secret pond protected by a wrought iron gate, fed by an uphill well channelled into it. This pond prison once housed a single trout. The fish seems to have had a ritual totemic status, with the flourishing of the area thought to depend upon it.

Climate change will bring associated changes to Crarae – as it will to other west coast and Scotland-wide gardens.

Part of the far forest garden here is likely to host reserve collections for gardens in the south of England facing persistent drought and unable to perpetuate their signature plants.

It’s all change – adaptation, improvisation, opportunism, recovery, redirection – gardens have always been a metaphor for life.

They may look confident, fixed. But it’s all go – evolution by the day.

Crarae garden is open daily, even when, in early and late parts of the season, its visitor centre and shop are not. At the moment, all visitors are asked to step into a disinfectant tray on the garden side of the visitor centre, as they enter and leave it. This helps to limit the two-way transmission of the plant diseases that can wreck havoc in a place like this.

The SPR Argyll Array website (linked below) offers immediate access to the complete suite of SPR images, view location maps and background information.

You will find that there are two suites of images from each of four viewpoints – one for a 10MW installation and one for a 6MW installation.

The location and spectrum of vision of each viewpoint is also mapped; and there are maps giving a visual display of the territories in Tiree and its sister Isle of Coll from which various numbers of turbines will be visible.

It is worth noting that, even with the 6MW installation, there are place on the Isle3 of Coll from which the maximum number of turbines would be visible.

Each photo-montage comes in two parallel version – the photo-montage view with the turbine3s shown in white and the Photowire view where they are shown in red.

The suite of images reinforce how gross this plan actually is. Living on Tiree would be like living with the permanent presence of the biggest regatta the world has ever seen. There is no longer a horizon and these boats never move on.

We understand that Karl Hughes of the No Tiree Array campaign has at last had written acknowledgement from SPR  that they will now study the micro climate implications for Tiree.

They have not detailed what this study would entail but the fact that they are to undertake it is an admission that the campaigners were in charge of the facts in insisting that the creation of a micro-climate was a real issue.

When you look at the extent and depth of this installation, it defies logic to deny that it is likely to generate a micro-climate. This needs serious research.

There is widespread interest in whether even the the onshore Sites of Special Scientific Interest might be affected?

The  Skerryvore reef is on a Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) list as a ;highly possible’ Marine Protected Area (MPA) for a various reasons – this is in addition to the JNCC’s recommendation that Special Protection Area (SPA) status should also be placed on areas surrounding and within the proposed Argyll Array – or Tiree Array – area.

The Scottish Government – in defiance of evidence and in the absence of more – has been consistently minded to permit this development.

Now that anyone can see for themselves just how this installation will impact on Tiree, it will be interesting to see if there is any shift in this position.

Access to all of the displays and information are here, on the SPR Argyll Array Windfarm website.

Let’s hear from those who would defend this scheme and ask how far away from Tiree each lives?

The letter follows the scathing criticism of the Crown Estate in the recent Scottish Affairs Committee report on their Scottish operations.

These findings were mentioned in For Argyll’s recent article on the Crown Estate Commission’s response to them – to initiate two trials, testing local management schemes – implying that they would retain approval and control rather than devolve responsibility as the Committee wished to see.

David Cameron, Chair of Community Land Scotland says: ‘We need to make sure there is action taken on the back of the highly critical report of the Scottish Affairs Committee. It catalogued a series of major criticisms and called for radical change at the Crown Estate, change we have been arguing is necessary for some time.

‘That is why we are calling on the Secretary of State for Scotland to make clear to the Crown Estate that he expects them to change significantly and to meet the criticisms made of them.

‘We are clear that devolving meaningful, significant responsibilities to local communities for management of the marine assets the Crown Estate currently control would bring real opportunities for further local economic development, turning the Crown’s marine assets into a local asset, not a drain on local resources. We want to see significant, not token, change.

‘Community owners already manage complex and major business enterprises, they provide commercial land based leases, they are developing housing and land based renewables, tourism and business infrastructure, they run ports and jetties, and there is no reason why they could not take over control of what the absentee Crown Estate hold now, and do it better.’

Commenting on some new pilot arrangements proposed by the Crown Estate last week, to involve local communities more in local management, David Cameron adds: ‘These announcements for further work with two local groups with which the Crown Estate has an established relationship begin to signal some change is being explored, and to that extent is welcome.

‘Our ambition, however, is for significant control of the total asset the Crown Estate currently manage.’

In For Argyll’s view, the Crown Estate Commission is an unaccountable body whose control of Scottish rights and assets is a political anachronism that has no place in a 21st century democracy.

The political agenda is the driver of a largely unthought push for short term headlines in development of  wind energy without the research base to support its ongoing widescale implementation.

It seems too as if inward investment at all costs is to be seized upon without question as convenient proof that we can go it alone.

The Scottish Government has just issued the following statement, with the First Minister welcoming in extravagant terms Marine Harvest’s coming investment in major developments in its Scottish farmed salmon business.

The statement says:

‘FM welcomes company’s plans for capital investment of £80m up to 2016

‘First Minister Alex Salmond today welcomed Marine Harvest’s plan to invest around £80 million to grow its business and support jobs in rural communities, as he met the chair of the Norwegian-based company in Oslo to discuss its new ‘five-year’ plan for Scotland.

‘Marine Harvest, which operates 38 fish farms in Scotland supporting around 460 jobs, is the world’s largest producer of farmed salmon, operating in 22 countries. Its Scottish business unit was highlighted as the company’s best-performing in 2011, with high production, good price achievement and good operational performance.

‘Scotland is currently the largest producer of farmed Atlantic salmon in the European Union and third largest globally, accounting for more than one-third, by value, of Scotland’s food exports.

‘Ole-Eirik Leroy, Chairman of the Marine Harvest Board, today revealed that the company has plans for an £80 million capital investment in Scotland between 2012 to 2016.

‘Following the meeting, the First Minister said: “The Scottish Government is determined to support a vibrant, sustainable salmon farming industry, which already employs more than 2,100 people in Scotland directly, with many more indirect jobs supported, particularly in rural communities in the West Highlands, Western and Northern Isles.

‘ “Scottish salmon now accounts for more than a third of the value of our national food exports – reflecting the premium that discerning consumers place on Scottish salmon, including in expanding markets such as China, where we were able to secure agreement with the Government in Beijing to enable direct exports to the country last year.

‘ “Fresh farmed salmon sales in the Far East soared nearly 900 per cent last year to a record 6,779 tonnes – demonstrating the growing demand for Scottish seafood from new marketplaces.

‘ “I was pleased to hear first hand about Marine Harvest’s plans for their operations in Scotland and delighted by their latest investment commitment that will benefit local communities. Clearly they are set to play a key role in our ambitions for growth in the industry, including our aim of increasing production by 50 per cent on 2009 levels to 210,000 tonnes by 2020.”

‘ Mr Leroy added: “We are committed to farming in Scotland, where the results show that top quality salmon is in demand increasingly around the world. With people eating more salmon and the need to sustainably increase our production, we believe that further investment in Scotland is good for our business and the Scottish economy, the communities where we operate and our consumers. Because of this we are looking at investment plans for Scotland in the region of £80 million between 2012 and 2016 that could create around 100 jobs.

‘ “By 2050 there will be 9 billion people on the planet and that farming the sea is the best way to provide additional protein. Scotland is uniquely well placed to be the salmon farming leader in the EU as its salmon farming industry is truly world class.”

‘ Anne MacColl, chief executive, Scottish Development International, said: “The decision by Marine Harvest to commit to a five-year investment plan in Scottish rural communities is testament to the international reputation Scotland currently has in the sustainable salmon farming industry. We look forward to continuing to work with the company both in Scotland and in Norway in the future, helping to increase our overall production of salmon and in doing so, drive growth back into the Scottish economy.”

Concerns

What is of serious concern is that such development is going ahead when many, if not the majority of salmon farms in Scotland have been shown largely to fail to observe regulatory requirements surrounding their operations and that SEPA does not trouble to monitor and intervene as it should in this pattern of behaviour.

In a recent article we published on the damaging prevalence of sea lice in farmed salmon and the environmental damage of the chemical dousing used to try to control it, the Salmon and Trout Association had shown – in a report fed by documents obtained under Freedom of Information, that:

• ‘Fish farming companies regularly fail to report to the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), as they are obliged to do under the Controlled Activities Regulations, the data resulting from required  self-monitoring of the volumes of sea-lice prevention chemical residues in the sea beds of Scottish sea lochs.
• ‘These residues of sea lice prevention chemicals exceed Environmental Quality Standards (EQS).
• ‘SEPA, charged with responsibilities for regulating the environmental, has reduced its auditing of sea bed residues of these chemicals.’

Today’s announcement is accompanied by no information on increased funding for the monitoring agency, SEPA or of any improvement in the rigour with which it observes its environmental protection responsibilities in its inspection and monitoring regimes.

This is unintelligent and irresponsible government at the very least. It is so to a degree that leaves the Scottish Government open to the suspicion that it is engineering the context in which the Independence Referendum will take place, regardless of the consequences that will have to be paid for either by that independent Scotland or by the UK.

We have all seen the consequences in the economic and financial environments of ‘regulation with a light touch’ – and from the look of what is happening to the euro, those consequences are far from finished with us.

Regulating impacts on the natural environment with this same ‘light touch’  – as we are manifestly doing – may bring even longer lasting consequences.

The Salmon and Trout Association press release

The Salmon and Trout Association have been quick to respond to the government announcement on the Marine Harvest plans – which do not seem to be predicated on any uncertainty as to their approval by planning authorities.

It should be noted that the Salmon and Trout Association’s stance is notably level headed. It is not against salmon farms but calls for due observance of the governing environmental regulations by salmon farmers and government agencies alike.

It also calls for the use of the most environmentally protective methods of farming – such as the closed containment systems it refers to below and which were described in our earlier article linked above.

The association’s statement says:

‘Hugh Campbell Adamson, chairman of Salmon and Trout Association Scotland, commented: “Whilst any investment in Scotland should be welcomed, it should not come at a heavy environmental cost.

‘One has to ask just why Marine Harvest’s Scottish operations are the company’s most profitable. Surely it is because of the lack of effective environmental regulation here which has severe implications for the marine environment and stocks of wild salmon and sea trout in the west Highlands and Islands.

‘Part of Marine Harvest’s investment should be in closed containment salmon farming systems, which place an impermeable barrier between farmed fish and the wider natural environment. Other countries are already investing in closed containment. It is high time that Scotland followed suit as this is the only solution to making the industry sustainable.’

‘The revelation that some children in Argyll & Bute are being fed inadequate meals at school is of huge concern to ARSN.  Equally appalling is the Council’s response which was to use national radio to blame a 9 year old and her parents.  This is symptomatic of a council unable to treat, and respond to, criticism in a constructive manner.  Rather than look into the problem they simply shoot the messenger.  We are aware that some of our schools deliver first class lunches for all their pupils and see no reason why this child should settle for less.

‘The new administration will be voted into place on 22nd May and, until that time, we are reliant on the Council’s senior officers to run the Council effectively and professionally.  This latest episode raises grave concerns about their ability to do so and is indicative of a corporate culture requiring extensive rehabilitation.

‘ARSN contacted Councillor Mary-Jean Devon, proposed as the Children’s Champion in the new coalition and are delighted that she shared our concerns and applauded the initiative shown by Martha stating that it provides evidence that the Curriculum for Excellence was being delivered and creating confident, responsible individuals.  She has made a commitment to ARSN that her first action on 22nd May will be to ensure Martha’s concerns are addressed, to review the Council’s response and to ensure that the rights of all children are known throughout the Council.

‘We would like to congratulate Martha on her initiative.  ARSN looks forward to hearing the conclusion of Councillor Devon’s enquiries.’

Its website – here – provides information and support  to small firms interested in bidding for and securing public sector work.

According to the PCS annual report, in the last year over 6,200 companies across Scotland secured such contracts.

Public sector bodies who register to use the site may post details of contracts, which companies can then bid to fulfil.

Speaking in Edinburgh yesterday (15th may 2012) where he met two key bodies charged with driving forward the reform of public procurement – Public Procurement Reform Board and Public Procurement Advisory Group – Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment, Alex Neil, said:

‘I want to make it easier for Scottish firms to find and bid for public sector work in Scotland, so I am delighted to see the success stories outlined in this PCS report.

‘Over £9 billion-worth of work is awarded by the public sector in Scotland each year and the website offers a single source of information that gives businesses access to public contract opportunities throughout the country.

‘It is heartening that over 60% of suppliers awarded contracts are Scottish based small to medium sized companies. Evidence suggests that is an increasing trend which is helping deliver the Scottish Government’s priority of sustainable local economic growth.

‘Over the coming year there will be more work designed to make the procurement process even simpler, as with the introduction of a Sustainable Procurement Bill.’

William O Braisby, Director of Braisby Roofing, a Dunfermline-based business employing 90 staff, says: ‘We are fortunate to be located within a local authority region which advertises extensively with PCS. Although we work throughout the country, the ability to pick up local work has a real cost benefit to the business.

‘Undoubtedly, signing up to PCS has delivered some great results for the business. I would recommend any company looking to benefit from public sector contract to sign up to the portal.’

Proper respect must be given to the dedication and courage of the veterans who were involved in a form of extreme transport in an time of do-0r-die necessity.

Recognising this, Keith Brown  – also Veterans Minister, hosted a reception yesterday at which he met the veterans and their families. At the event, the Minister presented the cheque for the donation to the museum, saying:

‘It is such an honour and a pleasure to meet this group of men who made an immeasurable contribution to the Allied forces’ efforts during World War II.

‘Scotland owes these men a considerable debt of gratitude and I thank them on behalf of the whole country for their bravery, determination and skill in navigating some of the world’s worst seas in the most hostile of conditions.

‘I am delighted to see that efforts are continuing to be made to create an Arctic Convoy museum at Loch Ewe, from where so many of the convoys set off on their missions. I am pleased to announce that the Scottish Government is able to contribute £5,000 to the museum fund, which I hope, alongside other generous donations will help this project make real progress.

‘I have written to MoD Ministers asking that the valour of Arctic Convoy veterans is recognised and acknowledged. I hope they listen and see fit to recommend to Her Majesty the Queen that a campaign medal is struck.

‘Each year there are less and less of these veterans, I hope that the UK Government now listens and these brave men urgently get the recognition they deserve.’

Mr Brown is himself a f0rmer member of the armed forces and it is to be hoped that the Scottish Government’s view can bring some change at Whitehall.

The Ministry of Defence has long set its face against the striking of an Arctic Convoy Medal – largely on classist grounds because merchant seamen would qualify for it as well as those of the Royal Navy. Whatever determines the possession of courage and fortitude and whatever causes suffering and death does not first ask to see such credentials.

The contact made with the MoD also signals a move on the part of the Scottish Government – but is it determined or tokenist?

When Jim Mather was MSP for Argyll and Bute and a respected government minister, we asked him to pursue at government level, the award of a Scottish medal for the Arctic Convoy veterans. This seemed something that could be done if the will was there.

The response he got was that this was matter for Westminster and there was no evidence then of any will to put pressure on the issue.

It seemed odd  – and it still does – for a nationalist government to be so respectful of a protocol that cripples the repayment of a moral debt of this order; and to offer such respect to a code that dishonours veterans whose experiences are utterly beyond our knowing.

So many of these convoys left from Loch Ewe. It is that place that the surviving veterans from around the world have been returning to year after year until now there are only a handful of them capable of making the journey.

This is a Scottish matter as much as it is anything else.

£5,000 is a modest contribution to a valuable museum project – but everyone needs to see the men who are left benefit from formal recognition of what they they did for Britain and Russia, its major ally, at a tine when the momentum of World War II could have taken a very different direction.

Argyll has a stake in this. The naval escorts for the convoys were trained in Tobermoty on Mull. This is our story too. Let’s see something actually done.

An innovative and culturally fascinating new project is on the move on the Isle of Islay. This summer, 2012, Comunn na Gàidhlig are coordinating a project involving five high schools in the Highlands and Islands where, for the first time ever, pupils can gain a John Muir Award in Gaelic.

The John Muir Trust has been offering these Awards since 1997. They’re designed to involve fun and adventure, using creative ways of exploring, understanding and conserving our environment, encouraging teamwork and sharing. They draw folk into the outdoors, challenge them to be creative and demand teamwork. Im doing this they build confidence in the self and in the team.

Four Islay High School pupils – Lauren MacGregor, Caitlin Marrion, Heather Hope and Mairi McGillivray – have been working on this since the beginning of the year, with staff at the RSPB reserve at Gruinart and with Morvern McPhee of Islay High School as mentor and providing language support

In line with the John Muir Trust’s long standing interest in wild places, the four adventurers are focusing on Loch Gruinart as their ‘wild place’ – an area known both for its abundant wildlife and its fascinating history.

Each of the four pupils is working towards preparing and giving a guided tour  of Loch Gruinart for Gaelic medium families on Islay. After that, they will meet up in June with students from high schools in Portree, Inverness, Mallaig and Ardnamurchan at a 3-day residential at Tulloch near Roy Bridge.

The focus of the conservation project is the corncrake. The school team has been looking at the best conditions for nesting and the ecosystem as a whole: fields, trees, plants, animals, farming – and bats. (You can imagine how popular that investigation is.)

They are also underlining the importance of reporting any hearing the distinctive call of the corncrake for monitoring numbers in different areas.

As well as being a beautiful nature reserve with abundant bird and wildlife, Gruinart’s history is significant for Islay as it’s the site of the famous clan battle fought between the MacDonalds and the MacLeans. The story of the battle is the stuff of local myth and legend, inspiring the admired William Livingstone poem. It’s an opportunity for young people to develop their use of Gaelic at a site that’s significant both in Islay’s history and vital in developing today’s environment.

The Battle of Traigh Ghruinneart

This was a pretty bloody affair – and began with a family feud over land.

Sir Lachlan Mor Maclean of Duart on Mull laid claim to the Isle of Islay which was Clan Donald territory, held by his nephew Sir James MacDonald.

Lachlan Mor landed at Loch Gruinart with a force of around 1,000 men. The more reasonable James offered his uncle a deal – that he could have half of the island for his own lifetime.

This wasn’t enough.

The battle lines were drawn up, Allies of Clan Donald came from the Clan MacAlister in Arran under Angus Mhic Mhuirich and from Kintyre.

MacDonald had fewer men than Lachlan Mor but they are said to have been better trained and took the day.

A twist to the story has a dwarf hidden up a tree who, when Lachlan Mor took his helmet off, took the opportunity to shoot him fatally in the eye. A cair marks today the spot where the Duart Maclean fell.

Lachlan Mor and around a third of his men were dead. The rest were mostly chased off Islay, escaping by boat, with some hiding in Kilnave Chapel. They were burned within it, with all but one dying there.

James MacDonald was badly wounded in the battle and seems also to have died in it.

The battle was fought on 5th August 1598 and while the death in it of both principals brought an end to the feud since both had paid the ultimate price, it was a short 14 years later when Clan Donald’s hold on Islay came to an end.

With the Scottish King having already given Clan Donald lands to Clan Campbell, in 1612 Angus MacDonald sold his ancestral inheritance to Sir John Campbell of Cawdor.

The Gaelic tours

As well as its role as a nature reserve, Loch Gruinart’s history will contribute to a rich source of material for the Gaelic language guided tour the four Islay High School girls are developing.

They will produce a single tour with each of them leading part of it in different places.

The John Muir Gaelic Award is for a one-off achievement but the Islay team vare hoping to find a way to use the skills and the work the girls will develop.

There are ongoing discussions on how Gaelic might continue to be used in Islay’s RSPB reserves. They certainly want to see this as the start of a longer term opportunity for young people to Gaelic around the Islay community.

They are grateful for all the help they have had so far, from Argyll and Bute Council, Comann nam Pàrant, Ionad Chaluim Chille Ìle and the team at RSPB.

The scheme is part of Iomairt Ghàidhlig Ìle ‘s Dhiùra (Islay and Jura Gaelic Initiative). It is managed by Comunn na Gàidhlig (CnaG); and is one of eight such schemes around Scotland bringing together Gaelic organisations in each area, developing Gaelic usage and the number of speakers of the language in the community.

Note: For more information on the John Muir Award in Gaelic and other activities supported by Iomairt Ghàidhlig Ìle `s Dhiùra contact local development officer Lynn MacDonald:

• by phone: on 810297
• by email: lynn@ile-diura.org

The photographs of Lauren MacGregor, Caitlin Marrion, Heather Hope and Mairi McGillivray at Loch Gruinart were supplied by Lynn Macdonald, with permission to use them; the corn crake is © Rachel Davies, reproduced here under the Creative Commons licence; and the photograph of the Cairn for Sir Lachlan Mor Maclean is © Mary and Angus Hogg, reproduced here under the Creative Commons licence.

The aim of this is to improve fish spawning opportunities and juvenile fish numbers.

Previously the compensation flows and release of freshets from the Awe Barrage dam, agreed between the operator Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) and the river owners, were high in summer (for the benefit of angling) and low in winter – the exact reverse of the natural situation.

In 2010, when concerns were raised on whether the existing flow regime was ideally suited for juvenile salmon, SEPA convened a working group including representatives from SSE, wild fish interests and local proprietors to examine existing arrangements and how they might be improved.

The Argyll Fisheries Trust collected evidence of spawning patterns in the Awe and correlated them with flow data.

This was the basis for extensive negotiations between the interested parties, culminating in an agreement on a new flow regime to operate from late spring 2012; this involves reducing the summer flow in order to cater for extra water in the winter.

Alan Kettle-White, Senior Biologist for the Argyll Fisheries Trust, explains: ‘Our study concluded that the old flow regime, with reduced flows in the autumn, was likely to limit access for adult salmon and trout to the available spawning beds.

‘Conversely if it is wet and there is considerable extra water in the river, salmon will spawn in all available areas but the resulting eggs are left high and dry once the flows revert to the low winter compensation regime.

‘At this time of poor marine survival – which limits the number of adult salmon returning each year – it is vitally important to maximise spawning opportunities, juvenile recruitment and the number of smolts migrating to sea.

‘We believe that the new flow regime will assist in this regard and provide a basis for restoring degraded spawning sites in the future.’

Tony Huntington, Chairman of the Awe District River Improvement Association, says: ‘Whilst high summer flows are advantageous for angling, it would be wrong of us to continue with such water conditions if in effect we are taking water which is needed in the autumn and winter for spawning and juvenile fish.

‘in the end, without good juvenile populations migrating to sea, the numbers of returning adult salmon, on which angling depends, will not be at optimal levels.’

Mr Huntington warns: ‘This initiative will only be successful if in the future SSE modify their spillage policy – by not holding back water and then letting down extreme floods which wash out the redds.’

Richard Fyfe, Specialist in Water Resources at SEPA, says: ‘Following the introduction of the Water Framework Directive, SEPA now has the role of regulating how water is used by hydro-schemes; and determining what flows are required to deliver ‘good ecological status or potential’.

‘We are pleased that this new flow regime has been agreed on the basis of the best available evidence and a very positive collaborative approach by all the parties concerned.’

Dr Alastair Stephen, Senior Ecological Advisor at SSE,says: ‘There has been a level of recognition, indeed a consensus, that the primary consideration must be the ecology of the river rather than the angling.

‘We hope that this initiative will be a forerunner of other co-operative approaches to similar issues on other rivers, and that this adaptive management concept will be taken on board by the regulatory arm of SEPA in the wider context of helping to deliver further improvements as required under the terms of the Water Framework Directive.’

Jamie McGrigor, Highlands and Islands MSP, who has a share in a fishing syndicate on the River Awe, said: ‘For ages it has crossed the mind of many of us here that it must be bad for the ecology of the River Awe if it is reduced to a trickle from October to April.

‘At the time when the original spillage regime was agreed, in about 1960, salmon, grilse and sea trout were so abundant that the main concern was over how to maximise fishing effort during the open season rather than attempting to ensure the sustainability of the stocks for the future.

‘Now things are very different and I am glad and grateful that our tenant fishermen are willingly sacrificing some of their fishing benefits and comfort zones in an effort to secure a sustainable future for the River Awe which, as those of us who fish it will know, has such an exciting history, especially of big fish which Calderwood referred to as ‘lusty fellows’.

‘It will take several years to know if this experiment will work but it is marvellous to have achieved the cooperation and good will of SSE, SEPA, scientists and fishermen as well. It may be a blueprint for the future.’

A monitoring programme will evaluate the effectiveness of the new flow regime and allow further evidence-based changes in subsequent years.

Andrew Graham-Stewart

SEPA’s document detailing the flow management agreed for the River Awe for 2012 is here, as a downloadable pdf: SEPA- River Awe Flows for 2012

Councillor Ewan Smith has been appointed Vice Convener of Education at Angus Council.

He is working with ‘a fantastic Convener in Sheena Welsh, a former teacher and excellent councillor (in her tenth term of council)’ and seems to be hugely looking forward to what they can do together in bringing a rational and well executed school estate to Arbroath,

As Mr Thompson says with house prices often beyond the reach of first time buyers, static caravans are in many case the only way for many to achieve a first home.

He points out that the VAT hike to 20% affecting the sale of new and second hand static caravans,. people buying these as a first home are having to pay an extra 20% on them where there is no VAT charged on a new build.

Noting that this will also have a substantial impact on a section of the tourism industry, with Mr Alexander’s constituency of Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey dependent on tourism, Mr Thompson, in writing to the Treasury Secretary, works to leverage this aspect.

His letter says:

‘I have been contacted by a constituent who has raised concerns about the implementation of 20% VAT on the sale of static caravans.

‘Firstly, this will have a major impact on the tourist industry in the Highlands.  I know that this will be an issue that is very close to your heart, given that it is the largest industry within your own constituency.

‘However, one point that you may have missed is that static caravans, either sold on from caravan parks or purchased new, are often used as the only option (for clear financial reasons) for first time Highlands and Islands buyers to get their first home.

‘The levying of 20% VAT means that, often, young couples will be paying VAT on their first home, when a new-build house does not carry VAT; and a principal private residence carries no tax levy.  Therefore, first time Highlands and Islands buyers who purchase a static caravan as their starter home, will be discriminated against by the taxation system

‘The taxation system is supposed to be designed to treat everyone equally.  I wonder if there is anything that can be done to stop this discrimination against first time buyers, who are clearly financially challenged?

‘I would welcome your comments on this and look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.’

Scotland’s track record in building affordable homes is less than energetic. In a situation where many local authority areas are concerned about a loss of people of working age  from rural areas and ageing populations, Mr Thompson’s point on this issue is important and well taken.

An Oban boat, she had lost steering control and had asked for assistance.

The lifeboat crew established a tow with the fishing boat and took her in to the Railway Pier in Oban where she was secured alongside.

The Mora Edith Macdonald then returned to her berth and was ready for service again at 5.38am.

The Argyll First group of councillors – invited to address today’s hearing by the Scottish Parliament’s Petitions Committee of their Sign for the A83 petition,  are ‘extremely delighted’ at how things went.

Councillor Dougie Philand, who gave the main address, said that found ‘the strong  level of support by members of the committee’ very reassuring.

The petition will now move to the next stave where the committee will call upon Transport Secretary, Keith Brown, to answer the questions raised at the meeting.

Political support: Michael Russell MSP

Michael Russell, MSP for Argyll and Bute, attended the meeting in support and afterwards said: ‘This is a very important petition and I was very pleased to be able to attend the committee and speak in its support.

‘The three Argyll First councillors presented a strong  case on behalf of the entire Argyll community and they got  a sympathetic hearing.

‘There was clear cross party support for continued and increased  investment in the route and for learning the outcomes of the present study being undertaken by Transport Scotland.

‘I will continue to argue for the major work that is required , support the local campaign for that work and I hope today has marked a major step forward in that regard. ‘

Political support: Jamie McGrigor MSP

Jamie McGrigor, Highlands and Islands MSP, who was present at the hearing in support of Argyll First and spoke in defence of the petition, praised the Councillors who have co-ordinated the petition, noting that Public Petitions Committee members agreed to ask the Transport Minister to come before them and respond to the petition at a future meeting.

Speaking at the Committee in support of the petitioners, Jamie McGrigor MSP said in his address:

‘The A83 is as important to the people of Argyll & Bute as the M8 is to the people of Glasgow and Edinburgh.

‘Since the first major landslide closed the road at the Rest & Be Thankful in October 2007 I have been lobbying Ministers to recognise the damage that closures of this trunk road route could cause the economy  of Argyll & Bute due to Dunoon, Cowal and Campbeltown and Kintyre becoming cut off by road except via a lengthy and unacceptable detour. Everything possible must be done by government and its agencies to prevent landslides at the landslide-prone Rest & Be Thankful section of the road- this may well involve significant capital investment.

‘Further, the condition of the road, particularly on the de-trunked section of the A83 south of Kennacraig, is incredibly poor and this acts as a barrier to the investment the government and its agencies are trying to attract to Campbeltown and Kintyre.

‘I congratulate the petitioners today on bringing forward their petition and for securing so much popular and business support for it. I now look to the Committee members to take the petition forward and help maintain pressure on Ministers on this critically important subject.’

Back home…

When the group got back to Argyll, Councillor Donald Kelly said of the occasion:

‘We felt that our petition was very well received by the committee and that the cross party support displayed by Mike Russell, Jamie Mc Grigor  and Rhoda Grant helped to re-enforce our message.

‘The government are currently recognising three component parts of the petition namely:

• the Rest and Be Thankful
• the pinch points at Inverary and between Ardrishaig and Tarbert
• and the provision of safe crossing points at the villages of Ardrishaig and Tarbert.

‘The Fourth point we have raised as part of the petition is trunking of the road between  Kennacraig and Campbeltown.

‘At present no action has been taken regarding this issue.

‘This is  key to the future economic development of the Kintyre peninsula given that the First Minister has already stated that the Windtowers factory at Machrihanish will be a key player in the development of renewable energy.

‘It must also be considered that the current condition of the road is impacting on Tourism local business Hauliers and the emergency services.

‘It is our intention to continue with this campaign until there is a firm plan of action in place to address all four issues raised in the petition.’

The persistence of the Argyll First group on this matter has been both admirable and effective. The challenge now is to maintain attention and pressure to keep the addressing of this issue moving in to action.

With the incoming coalition administration proposing to appoint Councillor Donald Kelly of Argyll First, to the Roads brief, the situation of the A83 is unlikely to drop from view by default.

The photograph above shows Councillor Donald Kelly (left), with Councillor John McAlpine, outside the Scottish Parliament earlier today.

Mr Russell says: ‘When legislation was introduced (and passed unanimously by the Scottish Parliament)  to give  local authorities the power to ensure that  major, free public events were licensed this was designed only to prevent  large scale raves or other gatherings which were a disturbance , a safety risk and often a nuisance.

‘Councils in other parts of Scotland  have sensibly  and explicitly decided not to charge small free events such as charity concerts or local arts events.    However the previous Argyll & Bute Administration lacked flexibility and a sense of proportion and the decision of the last Planning , Protective Services and Licensing Committee which has seen a  blanket policy of paid licences applied  from the beginning of last month  was utterly wrong.

‘It has already lead to cancellations of cultural performances  , most recently that organised by the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities who decided not to go ahead with a performance by a Klezmer band in Sandbank Hall because of the possibility they would performing illegally without the requisite bit of paper from Kilmory.

‘Many other events  are now going to be under threat and the end  result would be the collapse of local cultural  groups , the frightening off of incoming groups and a  growing impoverishment of our local cultural scene.

‘I have already  written to the Council Chief Executive about the matter and I am now going to ask the new  Council administration, when it is formed next week, to reverse the daft and destructive policy of the Walsh regime and remove the threat hanging over Argyll & Bute’s artists and performers.’

Background

The current policy was agreed by the Planning, Protective Services and Licensing committee of the council in December 2010,  for implementation in April this year.

In Argyll and Bute planned public performances must apply for a license with 28 days notice; and pay the Council a fee.

Many Councils have exempted community events, charitable events and those with audiences under 200 from performance licensing fees. This is entirely a matter for each council to decide how to implement in its own territory.

The legislation was introduced to give councils the power to licence events. Argyll and Bute Council has been accused of being over zealous in their interpretation and implementation.

Campaigners are concerned that many organisations have events planned and are unaware of the requirement for a licence.

The implementation of this policy will have a far reaching and devastating effect on our culture and will impact on the ability of community groups to raise funds for local good causes.

It is rumoured that the Cowal Music Group is facing closing down, unable to continue after 68 years due to this policy.

In this we have chosen to work with the actual numerical votes in 2007 and 2012 since share of the vote loses sight of the fact that more or fewer people have chosen to vote for a specific group.

A key indicator of the popular view is the performance of the Alliance of Independent Councillors, which has led a series of administrations and is now out of power.

Since the Alliance has no formal electoral presence, its performance can only be  distilled from the combined votes in the 2007 and 2012 council elections of those councillors standing as Independents but who have been members of the Alliance and showed no sign of moving away from it.

Similarly, the Argyll First group is electorally invisible yet, as with the Alliance, Argyll is interested to read just how voters responded to this group, formed between the 2007 local election and the current one so, to show this we have aggregated and disaggregated individual performance as appropriate.

There are quite a few significant electoral anomalies in Argyll and Bute in relation to shifting and complex allegiances. We came to specific decisions in each case as to how to treat these in our calculations, in order to end up with as accurate a picture as possible of where the Argyll electorate stands today. At the end of this article is an account of exactly what we did in thee cases – and why.

Seats – at the vote

• SNP: 13  – GAIN 3
• Alliance of Independents: 9 – LOSS 4
• Liberal Democrat: 4 – LOSS 2
• Conservatives: 4 – GAIN 1
• Argyll First: 3 – Stable. Stood no other candidates.

Seats – the political reality

• SNP: 13  – GAIN 3
• Alliance of Independents: 8 – LOSS 5. Councillor Elaine Robertson left the Alliance and joined the new coalition for progress. (See below under Anomalies.)
• Liberal Democrats: 4 – LOSS 4. The Lib Dems won 7 seats at the 2007 election and quickly took an additional seat at the by-election following the death of Independent, Ronnie Kinloch in Helensburgh and Lomond South. This was a total of 8 wins. But between the election and the by-election , they had lost 2 to the Alliance in its leadership of the then coalition with the SNP, hence the headline loss of 2 from 6 in the first set of figures.
• Conservatives: 3 – No change. The Conservatives lost Councillor Donald Kelly to his c0-founding of the Argyll First group between the 2007 and 2012 elections; and won a seat in Lomond North with Maurice Corry in 2012.
• Argyll First: 3 – No change. Stood no other candidates.

Group performance in 2012 in relation to their 2007 vote

• Liberal Democrats: LOST 36.77% *includes the 2012 defection of Councillors Mary Jean Devon and Neil Mackay; and the death of Councillor Al Reay of Helensburgh Central, who was not replaced. However, the single Liberal Democrat candidate remaining in Helensburgh Central in 2012, Aileen Morton, who had stood in 2007 alongside Al Reay (and won 6 more votes although he was elected), did not inherit any of the Reay vote in 2012 and lost some of her own 2007 vote.
• Alliance of Independents: LOST 34.18% *includes the loss in protest of Councillor Dougie Philand who went on to become a co-founder of the respected Argyll First group; the retirement of Provost William Petrie; the loss by expulsion of Councillor George Freeman – who topped the poll in Lomond North; and includes the vote of Councillor Elaine Robertson in Oban North and Lorn – because thus is where voters (for and against) imagined her political alignment would continue.
• Conservatives: LOST 16.7% * includes the 2012 defection Councillor Donald Kelly and his substantial vote in 2012. In both the 2007 and 2012 elections, Councillor Kelly’s was the highest personal vote of any candidate. Those who voted for him in 2012 were clear about his continuing allegiance to the non-political Argyll First group. For all of these reasons, aggregating Councillor Kelly’s vote with that of the Conservative group cannot be relied upon to show an accurate picture of the general party political voting preferences of the Argyll electorate at this time.
• Labour: LOST 5.62%, standing 5 candidates in 2012 against 6 in 2007.
• Argyll First: GAINED 9.05% in a series of resoundingly successful personal votes.
• SNP: GAINED 23.29% *includes acquiring Councillor Devon and her substantial personal vote from the Alliance. This group also lost to death three sitting councillors in the last year – Councillors Donald Macdonald and Donald ‘Skye’ MacIntosh in Oban and the Isles; and Councillor Alister McAlister in Dunoon. The first two were replaced by alternative candidates, the former in a successful by-election with Louise Glen-Lee; the second left dormant until the latest election when Fred Hall took the seat. The SNP was standing two candidates in Dunoon in 2012 but  chose not to replace Mr McAlister.

The ‘nearly’ seat gains

• The Conservative’s Alastair Redman in Kintyre and the Isles came very close indeed to taking a seat from an incumbent – Councillor Robin Currie of the Liberal Democrats – who had taken the first seat in 2007 on the first count but in 2012 had to wait until the 7th count to be elected to the third seat.
• Labour’s Adam Bellshaw in Isle of Bute took the SNP’s Councillor Isobel Strong to the 6th Count before losing the third seat to her.
• The SNP’s Kenneth Smith in Lomond North took both Maurice Corry and Robert Graham MacIntyre to the  fifth count before seeing both go on to take a seat at the sixth count.

2012 Group performance in vote share in the four administrative areas

Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands

• Argyll First took 35.5% of the vote. GAIN 9.05% on 2007 vote of its 3 candidates.
• SNP took 24.35% of the vote. GAIN 6.14% on 2007.
• Alliance of Independents took 5.13% of the vote. LOSS 2.06% on 2007.
• Liberal Democrats took 15.10% of the vote. LOSS 10.44% on 2007
• Conservatives took 9.12% of the vote. LOSS 12.38% on 2007. *Includes the loss of Councillor Donald Kelly to Argyll First.
• Labour took 5.0% of the vote. LOSS of 2.06% on 2007. *In 2012 Labour did not stand a candidate in South Kintyre.

Oban and the Isles

• SNP took 43.78% of the vote. GAIN 15.11% on 2007. *includes the pre-election switch from Alliance of Independents of incumbent Councillor Mary Jean Devon who has a strong personal vote.
• Alliance of Independents took 17.55% of the vote. LOSS 10.76% on 2007. *Includes the vote of Councillor Elaine Robertson, an Independent who, post-election, joined the new coalition for progress.
• Liberal Democrats took 5.31% of the vote. LOSS 13.53% on 2007. *Includes the defection of two 2007 candidates who stood again in different colours – Councillors Mary Jean Devon and Neil MacKay.
• Conservatives took 7.47% of the vote. LOSS 1.47% on 2007.

Bute and Cowal

• SNP took 33,75% of the vote. GAIN 1.47% on 2007.
• Alliance of independents took 37.45% of the vote. LOSS 2.22% on 2007.
• Liberal Democrats took 1.38% of the vote. LOSS 6.56% on 2007.
• Conservatives took 8.63% of the vote. GAIN 0.19% on 2007.
• Labour took 8.55% of the vote. GAIN 2.929% on 2007.

Helensburgh and Lomond

• SNP took 19.68% of the vote. GAIN 0.67% on 2007.
• Alliance of Independents took 8.79% of the vote.  LOSS 19.14% on 2007. *Includes retirement of Provost William Petrie and expulsion of Councillor George Freeman who went on to top the poll in Lomond North.
• Liberal Democrats took 21.83% of the vote. LOSS 6.24% on 2007.
• Conservatives took 20.83% of the vote. LOSS 4.04% on 2007.
• Labour took 4.41% of the vote. *Labour did not stand a candidate in this area in 2007.

The greatest loss was the 19.14% drop of the Alliance in Helensburgh and Lomond. The second biggest loss was the 13.23% drop of the Liberal Democrats in Oban and the Isles.

The greatest gain was the 15.11% SNP rise in Oban and the Isles. The second biggest gain was the 9.05% rise of Argyll First in Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands.

Other pictures

There are four sets of election results whose voting patterns throw up both conundrums and insights into the way the electorate here sees its options.

There is the recent (2012) council election; its predecessor in 2007;  the 2010 Westminster election for the Argyll and Bute seat – which is a match for the geographical territory of Argyll and Bute Council; and the 2011 Scottish Parliamentary election, which is a much smaller constituency, losing Helensburgh and Lomond to Dumbarton in this context.

• The overall Conservative vote in the 2012 local election was 3678 – or 4811 if the vote of Councillor Donald Kelly  – inflated by both personal respect and Argyll First’s attractions – is added. Yet in the 2010 General Election, Conservative candidate Gary Mulvaney polled 10,861 votes across the same overall constituency.
• In the Scottish Parliamentary Election of 2011, Conservative candidate Jamie McGrigor polled 4847, 18.3% of the vote, on a constituency which excludes Helensburgh and Lomond, a Conservative leaning area.
• The overall Labour vote in the 2012 local election was 1,422. Yet in the 2010 General Election, Labour candidate David Graham polled 10,274 votes.
• In the Scottish Parliamentary Election of 2011, Labour candidate Mick Rice polled 4041, 15,3% of the vote, in a constituency which excludes Helensburgh and Lomond where there is a Labour vote.
• In the Scottish Parliamentary Election of 2011, SNP candidate Michael Russell polled 13,390, 50.6% of the vote in a constituency which excludes Helensburgh and Lomond where there is an SNP vote.
• The overall Liberal Democrat vote in the 2012 local election was 3540. Yet in the General Election of 2010, Liberal Democrat candidate, the incumbent Alan Reid, took the seat with 14.292 votes in the same effective constituency. This was a drop of 4.9% on his 2005 performance and before the coalition which his party went on to form with the Conservatives – which was the correct political decision but proved unpopular – saw a disastrous nationwide drop in the Liberal Democrat vote.
• In the Scottish Parliamentary Election of 2011, Liberal Democrat candidate, Alison Hay, polled 3220. Compare this with the party’s total of 3540 in the current local election in the bigger constituency where 1860 votes within this total came from two wards in the Helensburgh and Lomond stronghold of the Liberal Democrats, which is excluded from the Argyll and Bute Scottish Parliamentary constituency.

Electoral anomalies and how we dealt with them

Oban and the Isles: In this administrative area we had the problem of deciding how to deal with the fact that two councillors elected as Liberal Democrats in 2007 had switched their loyalties between then and the 2012 election.

Councillor Neil Mackay left the Liberal Democrats, became a member of the Alliance of Independents and stood this time as an Independent wit8h  no indication of any further change to come.

His colleague on the shifting sands of political allegiances, Councillor Mary Jean Devon, left the Liberal Democrats around four months after the 2007 election and also joined the Alliance of Independents. In July 2011, nine months before this election, she changed affiliation again – to the SNP and went on to top the poll in this ward.

What we did in our calculations of the relative performance of each of the main groups across the 2007 and 2012 local elections was this:

• We counted both Councillor Devon’s and Councillor Mackay’s 2007 votes as Liberal Democrat votes – which they were. The obvious loss to that party of two candidates on its 2012 slate in this ward and of the votes they would have attracted, is a fair element in the measurement of that party’s fall.
• We also counted Councillor Mackay’s 2007 vote as an Alliance vote, since he had joined them post-2007, become a senior member of that group and clearly intended to stay in its membership post-2012, had he been elected. His vote in the 2012 election can legitimately then be read as an indication of the popular credibility of the Alliance in its most recent administration.
• We counted Councillor Devon’s 2012 vote as the SNP vote it formally was.

Councillor Elaine Robertson stood as an Independent in both the 2007 and 2012 elections and was a loyal member of the Alliance who gave no indication during the 2012 campaign that she had any intention of leaving it.

We have therefore set her vote in both council elections to the credit of the Alliance. Councillor Robertson, in an election where she held her seat with a reduced but still poll topping vote, despite being seen as a member of the discredited Alliance, can be said to have earned the right in honour to move away from it. She has since done this in becoming, as an Independent,  a member of the  new coalition for progress – but those who voted for her on 3rd May saw her as a continuing member of the Alliance, so, fairly, that is where her vote lies in these calculations

South Kintyre: Another statistical anomaly, this time in the South Kintyre ward, is the position of Councillor Donald Kelly who stood as a Conservative in 2007 and during that term left the that group and co-founded the non=political Argyll First group. In 2012, while making it clear that, if elected, he would be continuing as a member of Argyll First, he chose to stand not as an Independent but as a Conservative, This was open about his personal political voting preferences and also enables the strength of the Conservative vote to be established.

We set Councillor Kelly’s 2007 vote to the credit of the Conservatives and to that of Argyll First, in establishing the performance of each over the period to 2012. Then we set his 2012 also to the credit of each, while additionally subtracting ot form the Conservatives vote in 2012.

This then allowed the impact upon that party of losing Donald Kelly’s participation to be shown; while, in also showing his vote added to the Conservatives; enabling the possible potential vote for that party to be demonstrated.

Is there no Scottish University with the capability to produce such modelling?

They are there by invitation as part of the committee’s consideration of the well supported Sign for the A83 petition the group organised and presented. This petition was part of a continuing effort to see a permanent solution to the viability of this vital arterial road.

• It is regularly prone to landslips at the Rest and Be Thankful pass above Loch Long.
• Its trunk road status hits an abrupt downgrading at Kennacraig, the ferry port to Islay, leaving the long and scenically lovely haul south to the important town of Campbeltown inappropriately less capable of taking heavy traffic in both directions.
• It has known pinch points – like Tarbert – which clog fluent and safe movement.

This issue could not be more important for Argyll and Bute – for Argyll and the Isles.

Tomorrow, Councillor Dougie Philand will have 5 minutes to present the case – not to repeat evidence already given but to elaborate and prioritise.

He will be accompanied by his colleagues, Councillor Donald Kelly and Councillor John McAlpine, who, while they will not be invited to make any opening comments, will sit at the table with him and may speak – on the record – in response to any questions from the Committee.

The session on the petition will last for around half an hour, will be held in public and will be broadcast and recorded in the Official Report – a largely verbatim transcript.

The case for the A83 is in good hands.