Excerpts from issue 52/12 22 March 2025
Promising future for Islay rugby
Though suffering defeat at the hands of an RSPB team, Islay's rugby team, with a new complement of younger players, showed great promise for the future.
Photo: Rae McKenzie
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Rural Growth Deal signed
The Scottish and UK governments have signed a £70m growth deal for Argyll and Bute, a ten-year rural plan that was put on hold last year. However each government has now committed £25m, with the local council and others contributing a further £20m.
Ministers say the funding package will help boost tourism, support jobs and secure the area's economic future.
Scottish Secretary Ian Murray and Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes took part in a signing ceremony in Rothesay, on the Isle of Bute, along with council leader Jim Lynch.
The deal will invest up to £3 million, with £1.5 million from both the Scottish Government and UK Government, to fund the delivery of low carbon infrastructure to support Islay's pathway to net zero. The RGD presents an opportunity for public sector investment that will create an impactful change for the community.
Housing developments on the Islands of Mull and Islay will also receive funding.
Ms. Forbes said, "We are providing £25m through this deal to create jobs, attract investment and secure the region's economic future.
"The deal will support projects to drive innovation in marine science, support training that enables local people to access jobs and boost tourism to deliver sustainable economic growth."
Mr. Murray said the growth deal, the last of twelve to be confirmed in Scotland, would be "transformational".
He added, "This means a package of more than £3bn UK Government and partner investment is driving local growth and improving living standards for communities the length and breadth of Scotland.”
Kintyre and the Islands Councillor, Dougie McFadzean told the Ileach, "I was delighted to see the Rural Growth Deal finally being agreed for Argyll and Bute. This has been a long time coming, with the late Councillor Robin Currie advocating for the additional investment for a very long time before his untimely passing.
"It was great to see both UK and Scottish Governments getting behind Argyll and Bute, recognising the amazing potential our area has. The planned investments are wide and varied, but importantly include money for additional housing for Islay, some of which will be targeted to provide key worker accommodation. The lack of this type of housing has severely impacted on the ability to recruit staff for our care home, schools, hospital and care at home provision.
"It is also great to see that greenhouse gas reduction and capture projects will also be supported here on Islay, so that we are doing our bit to make our planet a safer and healthier place. Since my election in 2022 I have been very strongly supporting both of these areas and it's great to see we have been listened to."
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In this week's issue:
Islay rugby, Rural Growth Deal signed, Council budget, Orsay Lighthouse Festival, Fèis Ìle 2025, Allt Dearg Fund, Hebridean Isles bell, Islay Karate Club, Port Ellen flooding, Kilmeny Church, Explore Islay & Jura, Spring gardening, Portnahaven pump track, Gaelic in the community, Brought to Book, Craig Walker's Walk on the Wild Side, Port Ellen Juniors Football, Visitor Levy, IHS Gaelic Week, Peter Farrington, First Aid classes.
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Pumped up
After an impressive fundraising effort by the Rhinns Playing Field Association, work is finally underway to construct a highly anticipated pump track—the first of its kind on Islay.
Established in 2019, the Association's dedicated team of volunteers has now brought this project to fruition. Initially, they conducted a community consultation to gather input on how best to utilise the playing field, which had sat unused for a number of years. Crucially, they also engaged with pupils of all ages at Port Charlotte Primary School to ensure their voices were heard.
The consultation revealed overwhelming support for the development of a pump track, a versatile facility suitable for a wide range of riders, including cyclists, scooter riders, skateboarders, and skaters. The chosen track, the Tristar model from Dirt Factory Ltd., is a modular system that allows for future expansion, ensuring the facility can adapt to the community’s evolving needs.
The volunteers have raised in the region of £40,000 for the pump track project. Phase one involved laying the groundwork for the track itself. Phase two, the installation of the track, is scheduled to commence during the next period of dry weather. Once completed, the facility will be free to use.
Local resident and Rhinns Playing Field Association volunteer, Emma Crawford, expressed her gratitude, "The community's interest and support for this project has been phenomenal. We are incredibly grateful for the funding received from the Ardbeg All Islay Fund, Islay Energy Trust, Co-op Community Fund, CMAL, CEMRE Shipyard, George Leslie, and the National Lottery Fund, as well as the support from several local Islay businesses. We also organised a number of fundraising initiatives, including football cards, raffles, and sponsored walks.
She added, "We extend our sincere thanks to the local community for all its support. However, our fundraising efforts are far from over! Once the track is built, the association will be responsible for its ongoing maintenance and running costs. We are therefore continuing to seek support to ensure this wonderful facility can provide exercise and entertainment for years to come. If you'd like to support please contact us through our Facebook page, or you can Paypal to paypal.me/rhinnsplayingfield.
The Rhinns Pump Track is scheduled to open in the coming months, so stay tuned for updates
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Fèis Ìle 2025
The Fèis Ìle Committee is buzzing with excitement as we gear up for another fantastic festival! It's our 39th year of the festival, and we can't wait to celebrate with you all.
This year's parade theme is Club-Tropic Islay, so expect to see a bit of tropical flair weaving its way through Port Ellen - we're always looking for more entries, and with cash prizes available for 1st, 2nd and 3rd placed floats - we're hoping to see some tropical flavour!
Whether you're planning to go all out with your own float, or just fancy waving from the sidelines, we're looking forward to seeing the community come together once again for one of the festival's best-loved traditions.
On the ticket front, Committee Events are now on sale via Skiddle, (www.skiddle.com/g/the-islay-festival/) with many events already sold out, make sure you check the page out as soon as possible! As for the distillery events, those will start going on sale throughout March, so keep an eye out for announcements both on social media, or sign up to our mailing list for the latest information. You can do this by simply heading to feisile.co.uk and the sign up link is on the home page.
Fèis Ìle has always been about celebrating Islay's spirit - not just in a whisky glass, but in the way the whole community comes together. Whether you're taking part, working, volunteering, or just soaking up the atmosphere, we can't wait to see you all there. Here's to another brilliant Fèis!
Slàinte mhath!
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This is Islay
A monthly podcast featuring individuals, personalities and features of Islay and Jura. Listen now at https://anchor.fm/thisisislay
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