Scourie News

February 2017 Edition 128

Dates for February

Sat 4th Village hall Burns Supper 6pm

Tues 7th/21st Refuse bins

Tues 14th/ 28th Recycling bins

Mon 20th/Tues 21st School long weekend;

Scourie Feis

Wed 22nd In-set day; schools closed to pupils

Notice

Annual General Meeting North West Highlands

Geopark Ltd Coigach Community Hall on Saturday, 18 February from 11am

(Return transport from Rhiconich/Durness available)

You are invited to hear of progress planned for 2017

and beyond. If you wish to express an interest in becoming a Director, please apply beforehand and by

10 Feb 2018 in writing to our Registered Office in Unapool. Full and Final Programme soon.

There will be stalls and chat; information and coffee; plans and friends; sandwiches and members; presentations and soup; consultations and teas; coffee and voting; video and hopefully you! There are pebble routes; interpretation panels; oldest rocks on earth; rocks not yet formed; beautiful beaches and stunning mountains.

North West Highlands Geopark Limited

Company limited by guarantee, registered number: SC422407 Registered office: The Rock Stop, Unapool, Kylesku, By Lairg, Sutherland,

IV27 4HW

A few statistics

about the Scourie Web Site

There have been 933 visits to the web site, with a total of 2758 page views in the month from Christmas. 60% of these were using desktop computers, and 20% each from tablets and mobile phones. The most viewed pages were the Homepage (949 views), Self Catering (155), B & B’s (139), the Accommodation homepage (98), Scourie News (93), Information (84), Scourie Shop (79), Hotels (72), Guest Houses (65), and Bars & Restaurants (64). 75% of the visits came to the website using search engines (Google, Bing, and Yahoo), the remainder as links from other web sites or a direct contact. Of the 933 visits, the top ten countries were the UK (670 visits including only 32 known visits from Scotland), USA (64 visits including 32 from California), Germany (35), Netherlands (26), Australia (21), France (19), Italy (18), Belgium (12), Canada (11) and Switzerland (9). From these statistics it is clear that nearly all the visitors to the village web site are searching for places to stay and eat/shop. 97% of the users came from outside Scotland (excluding unknown users). So if you want to tell your clients about your B&B, Self Catering, Guest House or Hotel, the Scourie web site is a good place to start. I can add links, a brief description, and picture to the Scourie site. Contact Pete Tuck, via the web-site contact mail, or phone 502430.

A Talk on Assynt Landscapes by Eco-Adventurer Julien Moreau

Assynt landscapes provide a key to understanding ice-sheet extension in western Europe during ice ages. We will look to the iconic morphologies of Suilven and its neighbouring steep hills as well as the way the rocks have been scoured on land and under the sea. From simple drawings and observations, we can understand how dynamic were glaciers flowing over northern Scotland.

At the Rock Stop on Thursday 22 February at 7pm

All welcome

Only three weeks left before our annual Fèis.

We have booked a new drummer - Dave Martin from Forres who is also one of the YMI tutors and look

forward to him coming here for the first time.

If you wish to choose accordion as an instrument and do not have your own, please let Sheilah know as we

may have to borrow from elsewhere.

Any donations of raffle prizes can be handed in the shop for collection.

Fèis Bheag - ages 4 to 7 is nearly full.

Please get all application forms to Sheilah as soon as

possible. Looking forward to seeing you all at the ceilidh.

Calling all residents aged 60+

The pensioners lunch club committee and Laura

Tebay are in the process of arranging a high tea

event for all Scourie & district residents aged 60

and over for a date in March to be held in The

Anchorage Restaurant, Scourie.

If you are 60 or over, live in the Scourie & district

area and would be interested in meeting up with

others for a high tea, please contact Gina (502410),

Lynn (502201) or Donna (502078) to register your

interest.

Further details, including the date, will be published

in the March edition of the Scourie News.

Village Hall Bookings

Just a reminder that Village Hall bookings are now made to Pete Tuck (502430, e-mail pj.tuck@btinternet.com, or from the Scourie web site contact page).

Please can anyone who uses the hall ensure that I am informed when you use it. If your booking is not in the Hall diary, you could be double booked.

We are open again!

Our Feb hours are 12 to 8pm.

Booking preferred for evenings

At The Old School Restaurant and Rooms.

How clean is our village?

Now that the days are longer, lots of people are out

& about enjoying walks around our village, including

the primary school children who go out for their

daily mile to improve fitness and concentration.

However the amount of dog dirt that is left on the

pavements & verge is quite a

health & safety hazard. This

was a problem in the village

before, but became much

less for a while. But sadly

dog owners have become lax

again about cleaning up after

man’s best friend! Let’s get back into good habits of

cleaning up after our pooches so that visitors to our

village have a pleasant experience not a smelly one!

Route 891 Runs: 4th Thursday of every month Kinlochbervie to Dingwall Outbound Departure Ceilidh House 8.15 Rhiconich 8.25 Laxford Bridge 8.30 Scourie Bus Stop 8.40 Scourie Handa Terrace 8.43 Kylesku Picnic Area 8.55 Inchnadamph 9.10 Ledmore Junction 9.18 Elphin 9.22 Strath Canard 9.38 Ardmair 9.43 Ullapool Arrive 9.50 Ullapool Depart 10.05 Leckmelm 10.10 Inverleal 10.15 Braemore Junction 10.29 Aultguish Inn 10.32 Inchbae Lodge 10.38 Garve 10.43 Contin 10.50 Strathpeffer 10.56 Fodderty 11.00 Dingwall 11.05

Dingwall to Kinlochbervie

Inbound Departure Dingwall 14.45 Fodderty 15.00 Strathpeffer 15.04 Contin 15.10 Garve 15.17 Inchbae Lodge 15.22 Aultguish Inn 15.28 Braemore Junction 15.40 Inverleal 15.45 Leckmelm 15.50 Ullapool Arrive 15.55 Ullapool Depart 15.57 Ardmair 16.04 Strath Canard 16.09 Elphin 16.25 Ledmore Junction 16.29 Inchnadamph 16.37 Kylesku Picnic Area 16.52 Scourie Handa Terrace 17.04 Scourie Bus Stop 17.07 Laxford Bridge 17.17 Rhiconich 17.22

Ceilidh House 17.32

North West Community

Bus Association

Route 890 Operates first & third Thursdays of each month Kinlochbervie to Ullapool

Ceilidh House KLB 09.00 Rhiconich Hotel 09.10 Laxford Bridge 09.15 Scourie Bus Stop 09.22 Scourie Handa Terrace 09.27 Kylesku Picnic Area 09.40 Inchnadamph 09.55 Ledmore Junction 10.05

Elphin 10.10 Knockan Crag arr 10.15 Knockan Crag dep 10.20

Ardmair 10.35 Ullapool – Tesco 10.45 Ullapool to Kinlochbervie

Ullapool – Tesco 14.00

Ardmair 14.10 Knockan Crag arr 14.25

Knockan Crag dep 14.30 Elphin 14.35 Ledmore Junction 14.42 Inchnadamph 14.51 Kylesku Picnic Area 15.05 Scourie Handa Terrace 15.18 Scourie Bus Stop 15.23 Laxford Bridge 15.32 Rhiconich 15.37 Ceilidh House KLB 15.45

To ensure a seat book through our

office tel:01971 521054 (10-12 Mon-Fri)

January’s weather

On the 28th January, the day length increased to 8 hours. This is over an hour and a half longer than on the shortest day in December. The days are increasing by nearly 5 minutes now, and will be 9 hours on 10th Feb, and 10 hours on 22nd, and at the end of February it will be 10 and a half hours.

On 18th Jan, I posted a picture on Facebook of the first Daffodils and crocus. We now have snowdrops too.

January was drier than the average with only ¾ of the average rain. Thankfully we haven’t suffered any major storms (although the plastic on the old poly tunnel ripped beyond repair, I was expecting this and have a replacement cover).

Temperatures have been slightly warmer than average, and for 4 or 5 days hardly fluctuated from 7-8 deg C.

Rainfall 2017 2016 20 Year Average

Total 108.3 mm 129.0 144.1

Highest 14.5 mm 22.5

Days without 9 days 12

Temperature

Ave Max 7.0 deg C 5.6 5.9

Highest 11.0 deg C 13.0

Ave Min 3.4 deg C 2.0 1.8

Lowest -1.0 deg C -2.0

Sunshine

Total 25.65 kW 23.81

Daily average 0.83 kW 0.77 0.5

Highest 3.13 kW 2.58

Pressure

Highest 1028 mb 1021

Average 1010 mb 992 991

Lowest 984 mb 965

Pete Tuck

Lochinver Friday 17th

The Eagle Huntress Certificate: U 17:30

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Certificate: 12A 20:30

Saturday 18th

Moana Certificate: PG 14:00

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find

Them Certificate: 12A 17:30

La La Land Certificate: 12A 20:30

Kinlochbervie Monday 20th

Moana Certificate: PG 17:30

La La Land Certificate: 12A 20:30

Durness Tuesday 21st

Moana Certificate: PG

Duration: 113 mins 17:30

La La Land Certificate: 12A

Duration: 128 mins 20:30

Connect Assynt Ltd

FOR BOOKINGS Tel: 01571 844590 Or email: info@connectassynt.co.uk

February 2017 - Assynt Community Bus –

Scourie to Lochinver

Scottish Charity SC045852 Company No 402621

Scourie News

Complied & edited by Aileen MacDonald on behalf of Scourie & District Community Council

The contents do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editor or SDCC.

Paper & ink supplied by Reay Forest Estate

To include an item please contact Aileen on 502371 or scourienews@btinternet.com

Tues 7th and 21st February - £1-£5 return Lochinver Harbour 8.45am Scourie Shop 9.45am arrive Scourie Shop 10.00am depart Lochinver Harbour 11.00am arrive We will return to Scourie after lunch at a time to suit all passengers. All times are approximate. We will pick up/drop off along route as long as safe to do so. Please telephone/email to book your seat. Concession cards not valid as this is a trial route.

Connect Assynt is here to help any resident with transport issues whether permanent or temporary. We give priority to the following groups whether they have their own transport or not, but we will transport you if space permits:

Over 60s and wheelchair users

Those with a disability (attendant travels free of charge)

Residents with no personal transport

Residents with other entitlement card

PLEASE JOIN TWO REGULAR SCOURIE PASSENGERS IN SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY BUS SO WE CAN REGISTER THIS ROUTE AS A REGULAR BUS SERVICE FOR ALL!