Hot on the heels of the General Election for the UK parliament, we hosted a Scottish Ministerial visit on Wednesday 17th July. Tom Arthur MSP, who is Minister for Employment and Investment was on a summer tour, and meeting with businesses in the Skye and Lochaber areas who operate either as social enterprises or with wider community benefit. We were able to share with him our plans for development, as well as some of the facts and figures from our Economic Impact Assessment.
Over the last few months I have been mentioning how we have been busier than in recent years with visiting fishing vessels. I mentioned previously that the Fishermen’s Mission were not renewing their lease on the space that they occupied in the Mission Building, and this month we received information to circulate on how to contact them now that the office is closed. If you need support from the Fishermen’s Mission, the information gives a freephone number – 0800 634 1020 (press option 2) or email enquiries@fishermensmission.org.uk.
As well as the Inner Harbour being busy with fishing vessels, it has also been busy in the Outer Harbour. Our first draft of the funding application for the overnight ferry berth has been submitted to Transport Scotland, and we’ve had lots of data on usage of the berths to back it up! As well as the Ronja vessels discharging to the Harvest Station, the Aqua Vikness and Aqua Harvester have been bringing in salmon for onward processing, and Inverlussa’s new well boat, the Isaac McKinnon has been in and out throughout July. The Isaac McKinnon, which was formerly the Ronja Viking, was bought by Inverlussa in June 2024, and is contracted to MOWI Scotland to move fish to and from their recently established post smolt facility in Loch Etive.
The disruption to ferry services continues, with the MV Loch Fyne having to be removed from service on the Largs-Cumbrae route because of an issue with the propulsion unit. This will require approximately four weeks to resolve, contingent on the arrival of spare parts, at the earliest w/c 5th August. It had been hoped that the MV Loch Fyne would return to Mallaig from around 13th August, but it is more likely now that this will be early September. The MV Lochnevis is due to go for her annual refit from Monday 2nd September, which means that the MV Loch Bhrsuda will have to cover the Small Isles route, and that the MV Coruisk will likely have to operate as a single vessel on the Mallaig-Armadale route for a period in September.
July has continued to be busy over at the Marina, and we have welcomed a few larger vessels this year, including the 21m catamaran ‘Sea Tilt’, which, with its black hulls, mast and sails, stood out against the rest of our visiting vessels at the start of the month. The ‘Blue Clipper’ has been and gone for the season, but not before Audrey and I were invited down to meet the crew and have a tour aboard. The ‘Provident’ was also alongside that night, so it was nice to spend time with crew of both boats, that we normally only see briefly as they nip in and out of the office collecting mail etc.! The Provident has one more trip into Mallaig, before leaving for Oban on 9th August. The ‘Eda Frandsen’ is with us for the month of August, so Summer is not quite over yet! This summer we’ve also had a couple of visits from the ‘Lady of Avanel’, and we are expecting the ’Grayhound’ later in August for a couple of trips, so look out for her! She was launched in 2021, and is a 5/6 scale replica of a three masted Customs Lugger from 1776. She carries a licence for worldwide travel and is armed with two working cannon!!
The 200th Anniversary RNLI celebrations continue, and we are looking forward to hosting the Music Shed Community Choir on Sunday 11th August. The Community Choir have been practising some sea-themed songs and are having a mini-tour, starting at Corpach in the morning, then on to Arisiag, before three performances in Mallaig.
We are looking forward to welcoming back the Screen Machine later in the month, on 28th and 29th August.
Finally this month, congratulations to Mallaig FC, who won the Ross Cup on Saturday 3rd August, beating Fort William 3-1 at Kyleakin.
Jacqueline McDonell
