WEATHER for Argyll and the Isles

22nd May: Mainly dry and bright with some sunshine. Cloud building in the afternoon with the odd shower. Cooler. Max tempe day: 14 C.

ROADS

All clear.

Advance notice 17th-21st June: A819 Inveraray to junction with A85 to close between 21.00 and 05.00 for each of the nights from 17th to 21st June – for repairs to road arch at Inveraray. Emergency vehicles and local access will be permitted.

Diversions either via A83 to Lochgilphead, then A816 to Oban and A85 to junction with A819 – and vice versa; or via A83 to Tarbet, then A82 to Crianlarich and Tyndrum, and A85 to junction with A819 – and vice versa.

Advance notice – to cover period from 10th June 2013 to January 2014: A82 closures for works at Pulpit Rock:

Proposed dates for night time closures

• 10th to 24th June 2013 (except 21st & 22nd) – 10pm to 6am
• 3 weeks in August 2013 & 3 weeks in September 2013 – pm to 6am
• 2 weeks in October 2013 & 1 week in November 2013 – 10pm to 6am
• Less than 1 week in March 2014 – 10pm to 6am
• 1 week in April 2014 & 1 week in May 2014 – 10pm to 6am
• A full closure of less than 1 week in January 2014

Trnsport Scotland say that there may be opportunities for ‘wave-throughs’ during the overnight closures in October/November to permit traffic to pass and this will be confirmed nearer the time.

FERRIES – 22nd May 2013

• Western Ferries, Hunter’s Quay (Dunoon) -McInroy’s Point (Gourock): Sailing as schedule.
• Argyll Ferries: Dunoon-Gourock (passenger only). Monday 13th May until Sunday 26th May, due to essential pre-planned ship refit for 2 weeks, this service will operate on a reduced timetable with hourly departures. Please note that the 01:00 from Gourock and the 01:25 from Dunoon late sailings on 17, 18, 24 and 25 May will not operate.
  
• SPT-Clydelink: Kilcreggan-Gourock (passenger only): Sailing as schedule.
  
• CalMac, (West coast ferry operator):  Sailing as chedule except for any specific route notifications below.

CalMac service notifications:

• Kennacraig /Islay – 23rd & 24th May: Due to the volume of traffic on these two days, the following additional sailings will operate over and above the normal timetable : 1230 dep Port Ellen (arrive Kennacraig 1450) 1515 dep Kennacraig (arrive Port Ellen 1735) These sailings have been added to the CalMac web site for on-line booking.

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
• Port Askaig [Islay] -Feolin[Jura] ferry – Timetable pdf and phone
• 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, Colonsay and Islay)
• 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)

We have been told – as yet unconfirmed - that Councillors James Robb, Roddy McCuish and John Semple were not invited to it – but that Councillors McCuish and Semple gatecrashed it anyway.

A few copies of the minutes distributed later to participants have come our way.

It seems churlish to keep them to ourselves.

There are two pages so keep scrolling. The information we have been providing should help to decode some of what is going on.

With readers talking about the number of boats that ground on the Corran Ledge – although, from what people are saying, Serenissima seems to be the biggest to date, perhpas the port of Oban should estabish an elite membership club which will give the grounders an additional reason to come back.

The Corran Ledgers?

Take your pick – the Campbeltown man with the Welsh wife, Sal, he stayed away from the ‘wee toon’ to marry and live with in South Wales; the awesome kilted, Jock-rock rugby supporter [he did say 'I have  no shame']; the runner finishing the Mull of Kintyre 10K run in 2011 – proving he regularly and literally sets foot on home soil.

All of these are aspects of Iain McCallum, former member of the Royal Marines and of the South Wales Police – and whose colleagues from the armed forces  – serving retired and wounded – are about to take Campbeltown by storm in a truly epic land, sea and air test of physical endurance, athleticism and courage.

This is the Heroes Challenge UK – undertaken to raise money for Help 4 Heroes – for those we ask to give and take life in the service of our common country.

We’ll give you some details below of the challenges’s assaults on Kintyre but first, more about Iain McCallum – who is a one man bridge between the guys undertaking this breathtaking test of endurance and his home town – Campbeltown.

Iain McCallum – before and since he’s been away

Iain was born in Campbeltown and lived in and near Peninver for ‘the first 18 – idyllic -  years of my life with my parents, Donald and Betty McCallum, my brothers Peter and Stuart and my wee sister Lindsay.’

He went to Peninver Primary before going to the Grammar School in Campbeltown.

In 1980, deciding that there was not much for him in the town, he joined the Royal Marines in 1980: ‘because they answered before the Argylls’.

When he’d completed his basic training and having been specially selected for a signals course, he served in the armed forces for 9 years.

He was first in Plymouth; followed by 18 months on HMS Intrepid; and for his final 4 years – in Arbroath, was with 45 Commando, Royal Marines – before signing out.

By then he’d met his now wife, Sal  – at the wedding in Swansea of her brother who was a mate of Iain’s.

He says: ‘I moved down to Welsh Wales to carry out missionary work with the Taffs and to perpetuate the Celtic rivalry’.

He joined the South Wales Constabulary, now South Wales Police, in October 1989 and finally retired from the police in January this year, 2013.

In terms of the Heroes Challenge UK, Iain served in the police with many of the guys who are taking part in this marvellous endurance event – …’particularly Richie [Morgan]; Huw [Beckett]; Tyrone [Rees], my Sergeant; Bob Hamilton [who is in Force Planning]; and more recently with Neil [Richards] before he went on to bigger and better things.’

Talking about Campbeltown, Iain says: ‘I return home to see my family and relatives – my dad sadly died in 1994, about once a year and enjoy the drive “doon the road” from Glasgow because I feel comfortable as I get closer and the road gets rougher (reference to previous articles) and know I am getting “hame”.

‘I am now the McCallum  that no-one knows because I have been away for twice as long as I lived there.’

Iain’s support for the Heroes Challenge UK team comes both from his friendship with so many of the team doing the hard yards but for his visceral understanding of how important is the cause for which it is raising money: Help for Heroes.

He says: ‘I am also a member of the Royal Marines Association and have become more aware of the efforts that are being made to raise as much money as possible for Help for Heroes and I do what I can to help with raising more money for the charity’.

Read about the challenge  – come out to greet them on Friday and see them off on Saturday – and, if you can, please donate to the Heroes Challenge UK’s fundraising effort online or by text – details are at the end of this article.

The Argyll and Kintyre legs of the Heroes Challenge UK

The 12-strong team will:

• cycle a total of 1,206 miles from John O’Groats
• row across the Irish Sea’s no-holds-barred North Channel – there and back
• climb a total of 13,787ft in summiting the UK’s, four highest peaks (Scotland’s Ben Nevis in Lochaber, at 4409 ft; Northern Ireland’s Slieve Donard in County Down, at 2789 ft; England’s Scafell Pike in the Lake District, at 3029 ft; and Wales’ Snowdon at 3560 ft)
• cycle on  to Lands End
• skydive from 13,787ft into Swansea Airport.

They’ll be arriving in Campbeltown on bikes, on Day Three – Friday 24th May, having cycled 107 miles from Oban after climbing Ben Nevis in the middle of cycling from Inverness to Oban the day before.

They’ll be leaving again in the morning of Saturday 25th May, with their  endurance team in Celtic Long Boats on the , led by coxes from Mumbles rowing club – and rowing from the Mull to Ballycastle on the Northern Irish Antrim coast. They’ll have Campbeltown’s own fast passenger ferry, Kintyre Express, in support all the way over, on a route Kintyre Express runs daily as its business.

On the other side they’ll then cycle 86 miles to Slieve Donard in County Down and climb it. The next day, Sunday 26th May, Kintyre Express will shepherd the rowers back 18 miles across the Irish Sea from Newcastle to Portpatrick, form where they’ll cycle 126 miles to Cockermouth in Cumbria.

That’s the end of their connection with Kintyre – but not of the challenge which carries on in the same gruelling style for five more days  – we’ll give you the details later – and ends with a sky dive on Swansea Airport.

Please DONATE, if you can

You can donate online here – and everything you give will really help.

You can also donate by Text: Text HCUK to 70900. You will be charged £5 plus your standard network rate and a minimum of £5.00 will go to Help for Heroes.

Maybe Iain should auction that photo taken before he went off to a rugby match?

Diversions

Northbound traffic should follow signs for the A83 signposted Campbeltown and continue on this route until Inverary. At Inverary, turn right onto the A819 until junction of A85 and follow normal signing. This diversion is a distance of 50 miles.

Southbound traffic should follow the A85 at Crianlarich, continue on the A82 to Tyndrum and at the junction of A85 and A82 turn left onto the A85. Continue on the A85 to the A85/A819 junction and turn left onto the A819. Continue on the A819 to Inveraray. At Inveraray junction of A83 and A819 turn left onto the A83 and continue to Tarbet, Junction of A82 and A83. Follow normal directions. This diversion is a distance of 50 miles.

Please note there is a height restriction at Crianlarich (4.4m / 13’9”).

The Peace Camp anti-Trident campaigners, based across the road from the UK Nuclear Submarine Base at Faslane, on the Clyde in Argyll, have organised a Peace Pilgrimage which got off on Sunday from Argyll’s  holy Isle of Iona.

At this moment – 13.00 on 21st May – the pilgrimage is passing through the Crinan Canal, from Crinan towards Lochgilphead, where participants will stay the night.

Some are on a boat – the Tanera Mor, carrying a green Peace Pilgrimage banner – and some are walking the tow path.

At the moment, the Tamera Mor is through the Locks at the balancing lakes, south east of Bellanoch Bridge and headed down the locks to the swing bridge at Cairnbaan.

Tomorrow morning the boat will complete the passage through the canal and is due to reach Faslane in time for an all-day Peace Picnic on Saturday.

The national transport agency has published its shortlist for the £5.5 million Crianlarich Bypass construction contract; and at the same time announced the intention to award a £2 million design contract for the 16 km Tarbet to Inverarnan scheme.

Two much needed A82 upgrades moved a step closer this week as Transport Scotland announced details of the latest contract developments.

The national transport agency has published its shortlist for the £5.5 million Crianlarich Bypass construction contract and at the same time announced the intention to award a £2 million design contract for the 16 km Tarbet to Inverarnan scheme.

The following shortlisted contractors are being invited to bid for the Crianlarich Bypass contract, with work expected to start this summer:

• Balfour Beatty
• John Paul Construction
• RJ McLeod
• I&H Brown and Graham Construction

In addition, a Halcrow Fairhurst Joint Venture are to start the Tarbet to Inverarnan design work later this month – on a contract clearly already awarded.

Transport Minister Keith Brown says: ‘This Government is firmly committed to upgrading the A82, as seen by our recent announcement on the Pulpit Rock works starting later this month.

‘Our recognition of the A82 as a vital economic and social lifeline, means, through local consultation, we have developed a programme of road closures that will have less impact on road users, local residents, businesses and visitors.

‘Connecting businesses and communities in the Highlands and Islands with the central belt is vital to the area’s future prosperity. That is why we are now taking forward our plans to build a bypass at Crianlarich with five companies invited to bid for this work.

‘This investment will benefit local residents with less noise and congestion in the village, whilst road users can avoid the current delays experienced at the junction where the A82 meets the A85.

‘We are also planning for the future upgrade of the 16 km section between Tarbet and Inverarnan. The design and survey work which is shortly to get underway will help identify a preferred alignment for the future upgrade of the route which contains some of the most striking scenery in Scotland, framed by the rugged hillsides and western shore of Loch Lomond.

‘The area presents many engineering challenges and the alignment will be designed to fit with the landscape and environment and help to maintain the renowned beauty of the National Park.

‘The work we are doing along this vital route will lead to improved road safety and journey time reliability and meet the needs of business, communities and visitors alike.’

The Crianlarich Bypass is expected to get underway this summer, 2013, with construction lasting approximately 12 months.

The Tarbet to Inverarnan design work is expected to take two years.

The first sailing of the controversial service, formally announced a month ago by Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, will leave Ardrossan at 18.40 on Thursday, arriving in Campbeltown at a useful 21.20.

It will leave Campbeltown at 07.35 the following morning, offering folk from the town and from Kintyre a day’s shopping in Glasgow, via a rail return fmr Ardrossan, in very little less time than they can currently do it by direct coach. The return sailing on Friday leaves Ardrossan at 18.40 and arrives back into Campbeltown at 21.20.

It then leaves Campbeltown on Saturday morning at 07.00 for a non-return sailing to Ardrossan via Brodick on the Isle of Arran.

Support from service for events this weekend

CalMac says: ‘The start of the pilot has been timed to tie in with the Mull of Kintyre Half Marathon and 10k race taking place on Sunday May 26th and with the Kintyre Songwriter’s Festival which will be held in Campbeltown from May 24th – 26th.’

This is nonsense. The service may start just before these events take place but its impact on them will be negligible.

The timetable facts demonstrate that it can have no impact on the Half Marathon and 10K run.

On Sunday – the day of the annual MOKRun – Mull of Kintyre Half Marathon and 10K Run – wiht no ferry into Campbeltown on the Saturday, it arrives in the town at 16.30 and leaves 25 minutes later at 16.55 for Ardrossan.

MOKRun will have been put to bed by 14.00.

As far as the Kintyre Songwriter’s Festival is concerned, it starts on Friday 24th with free events from 20.00 to late. The ferry arrives in Campbeltown at 21.20 – which is fine. The ferry also arrives in Campbeltown at the same time the night before – its inaugural run on Thursday night – which would allow for people coming and getting settled in the night before.

But on Saturday, there is no boat into Campbeltown to facilitate the two major ticketed days of the festival; and on Sunday the boat leaves at 16.55, before the music events have even begun – at 19.00.

Then there are no more boats out of or in to Campbeltown on the route until the following Thursday.

We understand that CalMac were thrown a curve ball by the Scottish Government in having to get this service into unplanned operation very fast and with no advance marketing – to facilitate something as trivial [but not to politicians on a selling mission] the publicity around the ministerial announcement of the pilot service, in the town, a month ago.

However, CalMac does itself no favours by peddling a sales pitch of support for the coming weekend’s event that could not be upheld by Advertising Standards.

Historically, this service is CalMac’s first new route for nearly 20 years and the company’s first ferry service between Campbeltown and Ardrossan since the Glen Sannox operated on the route in 1939 with one of CalMac’s predecessor companies, the Caledonian Steam Packet Company Ltd.

CalMac says that the introduction of a pilot ferry service to Campbeltown was ‘a key short term measure’ identified in the Ferries Plan published in December last year. The ‘short term measure’ refers to the fact that this is a three year pilot project.

The thrust of the service is outwards not inwards

The ferry will be moving in one direction or another from Thursday to Sunday throughout the summer season, with an additional stop at Brodick in Arran on a Saturday on the non0return outward journey from Campbeltown.

As we have said, its principal offer is to Kintyre folk wishing to spend their money out of the peninsula on a Friday – the only possible day return from Campbeltown.

There is no day return from Ardrossan to Campbeltown at all and, worse, it is not possible to use the route without spending two nights in Campbeltown. This is fine once you’ve got to know Campbeltown – but not for a first punt to get a sense of the place.

CalMac has been working with Argyll & Bute Council to prepare the council-owned terminal in Campbeltown for use, with CalMac signage now prominently displayed on the building and in the terminal area.

To save their blushes later, we will not record the autopilot gushes of groundless optimism by assorted political figures for the anticipated economic impact of this serviec on Campbeltown and Kintyre. Everyone can read the timetable.

The Oban RNLI lifeboat team have sent us photographs taken on board the Mora Edith Macdonald as she prepares to take up the slack and pull, after establishing the stern tow on the grounded cruise ship MS Serenissima.

The lifeboat eventually had to pull her move the line and tow her off by the bow.

Photo credit: Oban RNLI

Nothing seems to have changed.

Factionalism now appears to be widespread in the proposed mega-coalition, with all group leaders scrapping away for position and preferment for their favoured members at Council HQ in preparation for unveiling the deals for their own approval at the council meeting on Thursday.

Councillor Duncan MacIntyre from Oban is now a contender to lead the Alliance and probably the coalition, rather than Councillor Dick Walsh.

The Vicar of Bray

Thinking generally about the contortions witnessed in some councillors since the SNP-led administration came into power in May 2012, it’s impossible not to think fondly of the fabulous satire in the 18th century popular song, The Vicar of Bray. Down the years it has become the touchstone for the justification of continual expedient changes of affiliation by the self-interested.

It tells the story of a clergyman who, in order to keep his position, happily changed his views with every shift in the political and religious climate around him.

The Vicar of Bray

In good King Charles’ golden time, when loyalty no harm meant,
A zealous high churchman was I, and so I gained preferment.
To teach my flock, I never missed: Kings are by God appointed
And damned are those who dare resist or touch the Lord’s annointed.

Chorus:
And this be law, that I’ll maintain until my dying day, sir
That whatsoever king may reign, Still I’ll be the Vicar of Bray, sir.

When royal James possessed the crown, and popery came in fashion,
The penal laws I hooted down, and read the Declaration.
The Church of Rome, I found, did fit full well my constitution
And I had been a Jesuit, but for the Revolution.

Chorus

When William was our King declared, to ease the nation’s grievance,
With this new wind about I steered, and swore to him allegiance.
Old principles I did revoke; Set conscience at a distance,
Passive obedience was a joke, a jest was non-resistance.

Chorus

When Royal Anne became our queen, the Church of England’s glory,
Another face of things was seen, and I became a Tory.
Occasional conformists base; I blamed their moderation;
And thought the Church in danger was from such prevarication.

Chorus

When George in pudding time came o’er, and moderate men looked big, sir
My principles I changed once more, and I became a Whig, sir.
And thus preferment I procured From our new Faith’s Defender,
And almost every day abjured the Pope and the Pretender.

Chorus

The illustrious house of Hanover and Protestant succession
To these I do allegiance swear -while they can hold possession.
For in my faith and loyalty I never more will falter,
And George my lawful king shall be – until the times do alter.

Chorus

Breach of the Peace
At 9pm on Thursday 16th May a 31 year old male approached a group of females in Lochnell Street, Lochgilphead and proceeded to shout, swear and threaten them.
The 31 year old male has been reported to the Procurator Fiscal.

Lost in Woods
At 3.10pm on Monday 20th May, police received a call from an adult male and female stating that they were disorientated and subsequently had become lost in woods near to Auchindrain. Police attended and were able to secure the assistance of the police helicopter, which located them safe and well. Both adults were able to be directed out of the woods with help from the helicopter, and thereafter made their own way home.

Motorcycle Awareness Event
As part of the ongoing commitment of Police Scotland to Keeping People Safe on our roads, during the weekend of 17th to 20th May, Officers from Mid Argyll took part in a national initiative aimed at improving motorcycle safety and awareness. Motorcyclists account for only 1% of road traffic yet they account for 19% of the fatal accidents on Scotland’s road, so one of the key elements of this year’s campaign was to encourage motorcyclists to take their safety into their own hands.

Officers patrolled the roads of Mid Argyll and spent time engaging with motorcyclists to advise them of the campaign. The weekend saw the roads in Mid Argyll being extremely busy, with no issues being detected and all motorcyclists being very cooperative.

To reinforce the safety message, just after 1pm on Monday 20th May, a male motorcyclist was involved in a collision with a car on the A83 Dunoon road end, which resulted in the male suffering leg injuries and being detained in hospital overnight.

Possible Stolen Items
Enquiries by Police in Campbeltown have resulted in numerous pieces of gardening equipment and household tools being recovered and believed to be stolen. The individuals who had possession of the various items are known to have travelled throughout the Kintyre and Mid Argyll area and Police are keen to speak to anybody who has had any such items stolen and not reported to Police.
For any enquiries into this appeal, please contact Campbeltown Police Office on 01586 862200 or 101.

[Updated below to 01.29 21st May] Cameron Campbell  – our music and motor sport editor, has just sent us this shot of the Serenissima from the Corran Halls side, showing how close inshore she is on the current state of the tide.

Iain Fulton, Press Officer of Oban Lifeboat, tells us that high tide is at 0312 tomorrow morning and says: ‘Let’s hope it doesn’t take that long!’.

They’re planning to try to refloat her when the tide is higher but not necessarily at high water.

The Serenissima is a 1960 ship, working the mouthwatering Hurtigruten working ship cruises up the Norwegian coast between 1960 and 2001 – as the MS Harald Jarl – 41 years in coastal service.

She was extensively renovated in 2003, rechristened the Andrea and served with Elegant Cruises and Blue Danube Holidays, her classic comforts providing the same sort of counterpoint to the large modern cruise ships  as does our own Hebridean Princess [coincidentally in Oban Bay tonight] – although Andrea would not have been at that particular pitch of luxury.

AS the Andrea, she hosted cruises to Britain, Greenland, Norway, the Baltic, the Mediterranean and to Antarctica.

Few ships of her age are still cruising but Serenissima has been able to do so because her various owners have invested in her to keep her in good shape and compliant with today’s health and safety requirements.

In the spring of 2012, her then joint owner Serenissima Cruises, put her into another major refit which included new crew cabins, zodiac fleet, life tenders, fin stabilizers, jacuzzi, Lido bar and fitness center. She had new suites added, with balconies on upper deck and now takes 100–112 passengers in 59 cabins. She’s registered in Kingstown, Jamaica.

And sometime over the next few hours, we will hear the outcome of the effort to refloat her when the state of the tide is judged appropriate. Campbell is seeing her on AIS, still given as aground and with Oban Lifeboat staying with her.

Update 01.05 21st May: Serenissima has just been refloated off the Corran Ledge., with the Oban Lifeboat accompanying her an an anchorage.

Update 01.15: Oban Lifeboat heading back to her berth at Port Mor 0 and is showing 0 knots there at 01.18.

Update 01.25: Serenissima is not an anchor but it tootling about at low speed – 0.2-0.4 knots -  in the centre of the bay, changing direction almost restively – possibly testing her steerage after the grounding and aiming to find an anchorage, on the Kerrera side of the deep channel buoys, out of the seaway of the CalMac ferries to the islands.

Update 01.29: At anchor.

Note: Photograph Campbell Cameron

This will mean, as Marine Harvest will be well aware, that the company will have to publish weekly sea lice data on its salmon farms.

This is a major breakthrough for what has been an unenlightened industry, with Marine Harvest the first to understand the imperative for transparent and improved practices for the long term health of the industry and for the important wild salmon and trout fisheries.

Responding to the Marine Harvest initiative, the body representing the sporting wild fish sector, the Salmon and Trout Association Scotland [S&TAS] has given the move a qualified welcome.

Guy Linley-Adams, solicitor to S&TAS’s Aquaculture Campaign says:  ‘In order to receive  this certification, Marine Harvest  will have to publish weekly, farm-specific sea lice data, individually for each of their farms.

This is what the S&TAS has called for for many years and ensures producers stand by their environmental obligations.

For this reason we do welcome Marine Harvest’s decision and hope all other fish farms will follow its lead.

Loch Ewe is perhaps the most infamous case of a fish-farm in the wrong place. The S&TAS wants to see that farm closed.’

However, this isn’t the end of the story.

Marine Harvest still have fish-farms in the wrong places – as do all fish-farmers.

They are too near to wild salmonid rivers, threatening wild fish conservation. Such farms need to be relocated.

Hughie Campbell Adamson, Chairman of S&TAS says: ‘Marine Harvest should be congratulated for recognising their responsibilities and finally accepting the importance of public scrutiny.

‘You now have to ask why both the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation and the Scottish Government fought so doggedly to stop this very provision being included in the Aquaculture and Fisheries Bill in the debate in Parliament last week.

‘Both claimed that to disclose this information would be detrimental to the commercial interests of the farms.

‘Clearly Marine Harvest see no such problem, and would expect the rest of the industry to follow.

‘This though is just a start. The environment and wild fish will continue to suffer until all production in Scotland is moved to closed containment’.

However, it has to be a very good signal to an entire industry when a major participant understands the need to move forwards towards a more sustainable and transparent aquaculture process.

This is also effectively a recognition of the strength of the case for farm-specific sea lice data that has been made so persistently and with such carefully researched information as that presented by the Salmon & Trout Association Scotland.]

This just might be the beginning of a breakthrough in the stalemate between the two farmed and wild fish sectors for which the Scottish Parliament’s RACCE committee has been calling.

The complaint was addressed to both the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and Trading Standards as it relates both to the packaging of Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Scottish farmed salmon products (the remit of Trading Standards); and the claims made about those products on the Sainsbury’s website (the remit of the ASA).

Packaging of Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference salmon bought in January and April 2013 states that the fish:

‘are reared in sheltered, fast-flowing seawater locations around the Isles of Skye, Lewis and Uist’.

In fact, the individual farms specified on the packaging are all located in rather less ‘fast-flowing’ locations in Loch Fyne in Argyll, on the Scottish mainland.

Sainsbury’s website also says that its supplier of salmon is Marine Harvest. In fact, the farms listed are owned and operated by The Scottish Salmon Company, one of Marine Harvest’s main competitors.

The Sainsbury’s packaging states that the salmon is ‘responsibly sourced’ although there is no explanation as to what ‘responsibly sourced’ means.

Sea-lice numbers on farmed fish in excess of industry thresholds, benthic pollution with sea-lice treatment chemicals in excess of Environmental Quality Standards, escapes of farmed fish, unsatisfactory organic pollution of the sea-bed with uneaten food and faeces and farmed salmonid diseases have all been recorded in Loch Fyne.

Claims are made on the Sainsbury’s website about ‘responsible sourcing’ that are ill-defined, but seek to afford the product credibility regarding environmental performance which cannot be verified by the customer, contrary to UK Government guidance on such claims.

Guy Linley-Adams, Solicitor to the S&TA Aquaculture Campaign, says: ‘The S&TAS complaint shows that it is time for the supermarkets to take responsibility for what they are selling and how they market it. This complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority and Trading Standards is about Sainsbury’s and the claims made on its packaging and on its website.

‘Quite apart from issues of identifying exactly where its farmed salmon comes from, the S&TAS believes Sainsbury’s must substantiate its ‘responsible sourcing’ assertions with hard facts about named farms and not just general assurances. Without this, discerning consumers may not have confidence in what they are being asked to buy.

‘Sainsbury’s are not alone in failing to come clean about their Scottish farmed salmon products. Claims by other supermarkets of salmon being ‘responsibly farmed’ or ‘responsibly sourced’ are vague and inadequate. The supermarkets clearly know there is an issue here – after all, we don’t see ‘responsibly farmed’ sweetcorn or tinned tomatoes on the supermarket shelves, do we?’

Hughie Campbell Adamson, Chairman of S&TA Scotland, says: ‘Supermarkets have a duty to be honest and transparent about the food they sell. Farmed salmon, grown in open-net marine cages, can come at a heavy environmental cost, not least in its impact on wild salmon and sea trout. We do not need ‘greenwash’ or vagueness here. We need hard data against which to judge these farms.

‘For example, we believe that Sainsbury’s should now require all the farms from which it sources its farmed salmon – as a condition of supplying salmon to Sainsbury’s – to publish weekly farm-specific sea-lice parasite counts against which claims made by the fish-farmers can be properly assessed.’

Sainsbury’s was quick to throw in the towel, saying that an error had been made in the packaging:

‘”Unfortunately, there has been an error in the information on the packaging of some our Taste the Difference salmon products in recent months. We are now resolving this and sincerely apologise to customers, who can be reassured that there has been no impact on our industry-leading sourcing standards.’

Below are the S&TAS official complaint against Sainsbury’s in this matter and annexed material:

• S&TA complaint re Sainsburys FINAL v2
• Annex A
• Annex B

The requirement for SNP councilors to submit their intentions in advance to the local MSP and the Constituency Association Convener for signing off  allows an either/ or between Mr Russell or a National Executive Committee member,

There is likely to be a vote for council leader between the SNP’s novice councillor Sandy Taylor and Councillor Dick Walsh of the Alliance of Independent Councillors.

In a ‘heroes for heroes’ challenge of awesome proportions – taking on earth, water and air – this afternoon a team of serving, former and wounded servicemen and policemen flew into Inverness airport from Bristol. They are a team of 12 with a logistics unit in support, en route for the start line – at John O’Groats on Wednesday 22nd May 2013 – of a unique physical challenge.

The team is committed to a unique and physically demanding challenge covering 1,283 miles of the UK by land, sea and Air, a challenge that has not been achieved to date.

The 12-strong frontline team will:

• cycle a total of 1,206 miles from John O’Groats
• row across the Irish Sea’s no-holds-barred North Channel – there and back
• climb a total of 13,787ft in summiting the UK’s, four highest peaks (Scotland’s Ben Nevis in Lochaber, at 4409 ft; Northern Ireland’s Slieve Donard in County Down, at 2789 ft; England’s Scafell Pike in the Lake District, at 3029 ft; and Wales’ Snowdon at 3560 ft)
• cycle on  to Lands End
• skydive from 13,787ft into Swansea Airport – there must be other ways of getting home.

Take a deep breath

It starts with cycling and three of the stages involve Argyll.

• On Day 1, 22nd May, they cycle 119 miles from John O’Groats back to Inverness.
• On Day Two, 23rd May, they cycle 64 miles to Ben Nevis, climb the 1344m/4409ft peak and cycle another 45 miles to Oban.
• On Day Three, 24th May, they cycle 107 miles to Campbeltown.
• On Day Four, 25th May, they row 17 miles from Campbeltown – possibly from Southend – across the North Channel to Ballycastle in Northern Ireland. Then they cycle 86 miles to Slieve Donard – and climb its 850m/2789ft.
• On Day Five, 26th May – and even writing this we’re out of puff already – they row 18 miles back across the Irish Sea from Newcastle at the foot of the mountain across to Portpatrick in Galloway – and then cycle 126 miles to Cockermouth in Cumbria.
• On Day Six, 27th May, they cycle 26 miles to Scafell Pike in the Lakes, climb its 978m/3209ft and cycle another 88 miles to Preston in Lancashire.
• On Day Seven, 28th May, they cycle 122 miles to Mount Snowden and then scale its 1085m/3560ft.
• On Day Eight, 29th May, they cycle 133 miles to Hereford in the Welsh Marches.
• On Day Nine, 30th May, they cycle 130 miles to Tiverton in Devon.
• ON Day 10, the last, 31st May, they cycle another 130 miles to Lands End, rendezvous with their aircraft and skydive into Swansea Airport.

OK. Who’s not going to support an effort this scale by a team of serving retired and wounded servicemen, supported by colleagues from South Wales Police and doing it all in the cause of raising badly needed money to assist wounded heroes.

Kintyre Express acting as support boat

The first stage of the rowing element is the route from Campbeltown to Ballycastle. This is the run Campbeltown’s Kintyre Express fast passenger ferry does, probably offering the nearest thing to the view from the team’s rowing boat – only a lot quicker.

So it’s a natural for Kintyre Express to act as support boat for the team’s row across the channel – and the KE team will stay with them for their onward row the following day from Newcastle to Portpatrick.

You can help

You can donate online here – and everything you give will really help. You can also donate by Text: Text HCUK to 70900. You will be charged £5 plus your standard network rate and a minimum of £5.00 will go to Help for Heroes.

Who thought this one up?

The challenge is the brainchild of Richie Morgan, ex-Royal Marine and currently a serving police constable in the South Wales Police (SWP) – ably supported by his wingman, Huw Beckett, Police Constable in SWP.

They have been joined by a crew of serving and ex-military (including wounded personnel) and serving and ex-policemen from SWP, as well as police support staff and staff from G4S who run the custody units in SWP.

Some of the team whose identities we now know are:

• Richie Morgan
• Huw Beckett
• Colin Charvis – ex Wales and Lions rugby player
• Neil Richards – serving police officer
• Bob Hamilton – ex Royal Navy and serving SWP
• Tyrone Rees – ex Army and retired SWP (supporting role)

Heading the Logistics support unit is Grant Elgar, born in Hamphire and joining the army as a 17 year old. He spent the first 11 years of army life in the infantry, then moved into the Army Air Corps, qualified as a pilot and flew Gazelle Helicopters for 12 years. He is now working out of Swansea Airport as a pilot for the Welsh Air Ambulance – and has won many awards for his life saving missions in this service.

Peter Bowker is from North Wales and joined the army after leaving school at 16. Peter served in the Welsh Cavalry as a trooper  and driver or armoured vehicles. Posted to Afghanistan, he was there for 2 months when his vehicle hit an IED. He suffered a  a traumatic amputation of his right leg and was discharged from the army in August 2012. Looking to the future, Peter has already qualified as a dive master, teaching people how to dive – and when he’s not diving, he is working for the Prince’s Trust.

Note 1: The online Donations page for Help for Heroes is here.

Note 2: The photograph at the top is of one of the summit cairns on Slieve Donard, the second peak the Heroes Challenge UK will climb. It is by Dean Molyneux and is reproduced here under the Creative Commons licence.

Even better, its status as a finalist is in the Numeracy Across Learning – as aspect of competence Scotland as a whole needs to get seriously cranked up.

The Cottage Kindergarten has been shortlisted for the Numeracy Across Learning Award thanks to the opportunities it presents for children to develop skills in numeracy.

It provides its early learners with rich, cross-curricular experiences with numeracy firmly imbedded in play. The staff believe that lifelong attitudes towards learning start at an early age and usually remain accessible throughout life.

So here, at this school,  very young children are being encouraged to explore and develop, while learning and building mathematical skills.

The Cottage Kindergarten will join the finalists at an awards ceremony at the Hilton Hotel in Glasgow on Monday 10th June 2013 where judges will unveil the winners of each award category.

People in Argyll and Bute are being thanked for nominating their local schools, nurseries or individuals for these awards, so that their exceptional achievements can be recognised.

The awards, which celebrate the achievements of schools and teachers across Scotland, are open to all publicly funded schools, including secondary, primary, nursery and special schools. There are also categories to recognise and reward the dedication of teachers, head-teachers and support staff across the country.

The success of The Cottage Kindergarten in so crucial a skills development area is a major marker for the future for the fortunate children involved.

Now we really need to see our primary and, importantly, our secondary schools in Argyll and Bute being recognised for the sort of substantial achievements that really will underpin the competencies and the future directions of our young people.

Congratulations to The Cottage Kindergarten – and we’ll be rooting for them on 10th June.

SNP party group leader, Councillor Roddy McCuish intends to stand down as party group leader today and will resign from the SNP. This would be a typically clean-cut, no-nonsense decision from a man who is universally respected for his honesty.

New leader, novice councillor Sandy Taylor appears to have lost or ceded control already. All group decisions – of elected councillors – apparently now have to be signed off in advance by local MSP Michael Russell Russell and by the SNP Constituency Convenor.

Some SNP councillors may leave the group over this – a stance which would be welcomed by the public.

We understand that Councillor Mary Jean Devon is under pressure from her local constituency to leave the SNP and return to being an independent councillor.

Councillors Breslin and Hall are back in the SNP group.

Local MSP Michael Russell has had disciplinary action against Councillor Blair dropped.

After leaving the SNP-led administration on party instructions, Councillor Glen-Lee is said already to be to be back working for local MSP Michael Russell at £15k pa – taking her political earnings to £31k pa.

As a novice councillor given a senior responsibility, she would have been earning something around £24k pa from her formal council work.

The current alleged situation would support the validity of our earlier information that she had been offered just such financial shelter in exchange for walking out of her party’s lead administration at Argyll and Bute.

She refused to accept a new job in the administration and refused to take a pay cut in a senior responsibility top up and walked out on former Council Leader James Robb, who is said to be likely to absent himself from today’s meeting.

The major concern here is the tightening, not the slackening, of he party’s grip on elected local councillors. This certainly accords with the local MSP’s public statement on looking foward to ‘working with the new administration’.

Deals in the proposed coalition

More information on the deals being done between on the allocation of senior responsibilities is coming to us from several sources. The situation is not without its own troubles.

Councillor Breslin is slated to return to Education but we are being told that the Council’s Head of Service will leave in this eventuality.

As we have already published, Councillor Glen-Lee is down to return to  Tourism. This will also be regarded as unhelpful by council officers in a section which has been working particularly well with the industry.

Unlike salmon farming – which employs far fewer people and sees profits exported to corporate owners abroad – leaving not only Argyll but Scotland – the tourism sector is a major employer and its earnings largely stay right here in Argyll.

It would seem foolish to disrupt relations in the single area of success bringing genuine economic development to Argyll – and the potential for a great deal more.

There will be other senior responsibilities that could equally well occupy the wide ranging Councillor Glen-Lee and which would carry a lesser risk for the focused operations in a key industry sector.