Rural Community Gateway

The Royal National Mod opened in Fort William on 12th October 2007. Culture Minister Linda Fabiani said the Mod was a chance for Gaelic performance to shine.

The Mod is a competition based festival which celebrates the Gaelic language and culture through music dance, drama, arts and literature.

The event is held in a different town or city every October. In 2007, it's Lochaber’s turn, with the Mod as the main Gaelic culture event of Highland 2007, the year Scotland celebrates Highland culture.

At the opening, Culture Minister Linda Fabiani said, "The Scottish Government promotes a vibrant, diverse and confident cultural life in Scotland. We are proud of all the good things that Scotland has to offer and show show these off to the rest of the world.

"Gaelic is part of our nation’s landscape and we should be glad to celebrate it.

"The Mod gives our singers, dancers and musicians the opportunity to shine. It strengthens the distinctive cultural life in Scotland, and is a reminder of our country’s rich linguistic and musical heritage. Its continued success benefits us all, ensuring Gaelic is promoted and passed on to new speakers."

The Mod is managed and organised by An Comunn Gaidhealach, a charity set up in Oban in 1891 for the preservation and development of the Gaelic language. The first Mod took place in Oban in 1892. The annual festival now attracts visitors from all over the world.

The Mod runs until 20th October 2007. Youn can find our more on the Royal National Mod website.

Salen community land interest approved

A Salen community project celebrated recently, as the Scottish Government approved their land interest for the jetty, house and shop site at Salen. This will give the community the chance to directly control the historic stone jetty and generate income from the house, shop, jetty fees and other possible services such as toilets, showers and laundry.

The possibility of community ownership was first raised two years ago at an open meeting in Arachle where local people raised concerns that if the jetty was sold, all access for launching and landing at the Salen end of Loch Sunart could be lost. After that meeting, a group was formed to work towards the goal of community ownership.

Stewart Ritchie, chair of Salen Community Company said, "This is the milestone that the community has been working to. Now we have got this far, we will have to work very hard over the next six months to raise the funds needed to complete the purchase."

Nearly half of the community have signed a support petition for the project and joined the company as members. The community will now work on a feasibility study and business plan that will support funding applications to the Big Lottery, Highlands & Islands Enterprise, the Crown Estates as well as other funders. The Salen Community Company has so far received support from HIE Lochaber and the Community Land Unit.

For more information on community ownership take a look at the Community Land Unit website, Andy Wightman's Ask an Expert for the Rural Gateway and his review of community right to buy available to download from the Gateway document library.

Photo of Salen Bay courtesy of Dan Maudsley at flickr.com

Link to original image on flickr.com.

BTCV guide aims to encourage grassroots action

Conservation charity, BTCV Scotland, have launched a free guide aimed at encouraging people to get involved with the conservation of the country’s green spaces and wildlife habitats.

Supporting Communities & Environmental Volunteering includes examples of community conservation projects from all around the country such as community woodlands, environmental arts and village enhancement schemes. The projects highlighted show how ‘ordinary’ people have improved their environment, along with improving their own skills, confidence and health.

The guide also gives information about how BTCV can support community conservation projects, including advice, training, networking opportunities, insurance cover and practical help.

You can find more information on the BTCV Scotland website, and download a copy of the guide from the Rural Gateway documents library. You can also request a free hard copy of the guide by sending three first class stamps to cover postage to BTCV Scotland, Balallan House, 24 Allan Park, Stirling, FK8 2QG.

Ardentinny website launched

A new community website for Ardentinny and the surrounding area was launched recently, providing residents and visitors with an online resource covering local news, resources, history and cultural events.

So far, the site’s live local weather service has proved popular, with yachtsmen out of the Inverkip and Largs marinas accessing the weather information and related webcams to check conditions on Loch Long.

The website includes discussion forums, coverage of local events and a historical online archive of Ardentinny village. The website aims to cover larger events in the area, but is encouraging clubs and groups to promote smaller events by emailing details to info@ardentinny.org. (Don’t forget you can also send event details to the Rural Gateway!)

The historical part of the website already includes features on the old Ardentinny School, Glenfinart Hall, forestry and a collection of old postcards, with corresponding 2007 views!

www.ardentinny.org/ is just one of the sites you will find in the Rural Gateway’s community website section. If your local community website is missing from our list, please let us know by emailing editor@ruralgateway.org.uk.

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