Excerpts from issue 52/25 20 September 2025
The former Islay Hotel, re-fitted, re-opened and re-named as 'Ardbeg House' is now open for business, following a community open day on Saturday 6 September. Opinions are divided on the new decor, as seen in the image above.
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We, the undersigned...
Community Councils from Mull, Iona, Coll, Tiree and Islay, along with the Mull and Iona Ferry Committee and Explore Islay and Jura, have signed a letter sent to Cabinet Minister, Mairi Gougeon regarding the perceived iniquity of the Ferry Resilience Fund, offering money to only three Scottish west coast islands in mitigation for recent ferry disruptions.
The letter states, "You assert throughout, that the scheme is focused on those islands 'most disproportionately affected'. [...] The islands chosen to benefit from the scheme are undoubtedly deserving of help. But the assertion that less harm has been done to others, in particular the Argyll islands, is simply not correct. No one with knowledge of the past four years of ferry disruption could agree with such an arbitrary division. It is in equal parts disheartening and shocking that such ignorance of the situation in our islands should be displayed by the Islands Department itself."
The letter continues, "Hurriedly-published new timetables have fewer sailings than were originally planned, but the missing sailings are not counted as 'cancelled' if CalMac delete them from the timetable before they were due to sail."
There have also been substitutions of smaller ferries, with a resulting reduction in carrying capacity, but ostensibly providing the appropriate number of timetabled sailings. These, and other situations, such as reduced passenger numbers following ongoing disruptions, a collapse in confidence in the services, and difficulty in having engineers and tradespeople visit the islands, have conspired to undermine the viability of island life.
"This is the nub of our complaint regarding the Island Business Resilience Fund. If we been asked, islanders would have explained the problems and suggested how the money could be used to best effect. But we weren't asked, and now we find ourselves fighting for fairness after the event."
According to a section of the Island Communities Impact Assessment, the importance of consultation and robust community engagement were recommended to ensure "that islanders are given a platform to voice their opinions, concerns and suggestions."
The letter forcefully points out that this seems to have been ignored, and contends that, as far as the Island Business Resilience Fund (IBRF) is concerned, the department is purposely not supporting all island communities, providing the islands with no opportunity to participate in its design or delivery.
The desired outcome of the letter is an early meeting with the minister and officials to discuss how the failings of the IBRF can be rectified. This can be in person, online, or hybrid.
While awaiting confirmation of such a meeting, the signatories intend to carry out the tasks they claim officials have failed to do: gathering data to demonstrate that the ferry crisis is about more than just cancellations, and the effects run far wider than the three islands chosen to benefit.
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In this week's issue:
Kilchoman Distillery 20th Anniversary, Islay Hotel re-opens as Ardbeg House, Islay Marathon, Disquiet over the Ferry Resilience Fund, Charlène becomes a UK Citizen, Islay Scenes book signing, Barista lessons at IHS, Glioblastoma Event, Ella's Highland Dancers at Cowal, Islay Dogs, Ladies' Golf Championship, Peggy MacEachern publishes 'Gartacharra', Islay Sims event report, John Miller on gardening, Amy Want's foraging, Charlènew Busalli reviews 'The Mirror or Great Britain', IHS Class of '85 re-union, Islay Book Festival Creative Writing competition winners, Music reviews: New albums from Karen Marshalsay and Paul Harrison, Book review: Mackinnon, by John Robertson, The last word on escorts for patient transport.
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Book review
Mackinnon by John Robertson. 142pp Amazon paperback. £6.99
It appears that many published and self-published books featuring Islay as the location of their narratives, tend to revolve around murders. So it was a pleasant change to read John Robertson's book, 'Mackinnon', reputedly based on the fictional island of 'Scoray' (apparently pronounced 'Scurry'), but, according to the author, "If you were to assume that Islay has been the inspiration for Scoray and the characters who live there, then I couldn't say that you were wrong."
The book could be favourably be compared to the 'Tales of Para Handy', with faint traces of 'Whisky Galore'. And though all the names have been changed to protect the innocent, it's possible that many will recognise traits in those they know, or even in themselves. As the author states in the preface, "Hard to find on maps, Scoray can be reached by ferry, plane and a wee leap of imagination."
Donald Mackinnon is the easy-going, yet always in trouble, mainstay of the village of Kilcalum, a man who has managed to survive financially, but without ever having troubled HMRC, a fact that is unfortunately discovered by former Scoray resident, Colin Cruickshank, now working for His Majesty's Revenue and Customs.
Armed with this knowledge, he decides to pay Mackinnon a visit. However, islands being as they are, the latter is forewarned of the visit and contrives to depart for the mainland for a day or two.
Colin Cruickshank, you will be unsurprised to hear, does not fare too well during his island ministrations.
However, while on the mainland, Mackinnon has been asked by an island friend to collect some packages from a scrapyard, and has adopted a pseudonym, to hide his identity from the taxman.
Unfortunately, his new identity has him mistaken for someone else by the chap at the scrapyard, entailing receipt of packages which are definitely not those he was asked to collect.
It's when the owners of the packages discover the mistake and when Mackinnon does likewise, the real fun begins.
This relatively short, well-paced farce is easy to read, made all the better by the author's sense of humour. It would ruin the joy of reading, were I to reveal how this case of mistaken identity is finally resolved, but you won't be disappointed.
As a self-published book via Amazon, the editing and punctuation are not state-of-the-art, but neither seriously detracts from the thrill of the chase.
Well worth a read, and hopefully there will be more tales from Scoray in the future.
bp
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Music review
Encontros. Paul Harrison. The Music of Egberto Gismonti.
Pianist, Paul Harrison, appearing at this year's Caol Ila Islay Jazz Festival, is a musician with wide-ranging musical tastes and abilities, making him one of the most versatile pianists in Scotland.
On 'Encontros', his latest album, he is joined by the inestimable Mario Caribe on bass, and Stu Brown on drums; 'Trio Magico', formed specifically to play the music of Brazilian composer, Egberto Gismonti featured on this recording.
Also joining the party, is Brazilian percussionist, Edmundo Carneiro, Glasgow-based saxophonist, Laura MacDonald, vocalist Rachel Lightbody, who provides wordless vocals on three of the included compositions, cellist, Sua-Le and Fraser Fifield, whose low D whistle features on 'Bianca'.
Paul says that he was particularly taken with the music of Gismonti, a Brazilian guitarist and pianist, and the fact that he offered alternatives to the more common sambas and bossa novas.
The eleven tracks included on 'Encontros' display not only the skill of the musicians in interpreting Gismonti's music, but the sensitivity of Harrison's arrangements. Of particular note is the playing of bassist Mario Caribe, whose contributions often reminded of American jazz virtuoso, Charlie Haden.
Paul and Mario have been musical partners many times over the last few decades; their sympathy for each other's playing has rarely been better defined than on 'Encontros'.
On 'Meninas', Laura MacDonald's lyrical sax matches beautifully with the cello of Sua-Le, not a combination many would have explored. It strikes me that there might be greater mileage derived from such a partnership.
Stu Brown features sparingly, but effectively, while the Brazilian influence is often gloriously underlined by the percussive sounds of Carneiro, providing the perfect foil to Harrison's exemplary piano.
Yet, despite my own high regard for this release, there can surely be no higher commendation than that of Gismonti himself, who has noted, "it has humour, has grace, has freedom to play".
Though Paul Harrison has an enviable reputation as a jazz musician of note, the music featured on 'Encontros' need not be considered as restricted to that particular genre. There is much here to be enjoyed by all, particularly the rhythmic percussion on 'Lôro' and 'Karatê', from Edmundo Carneiro.
However, the crowning glory arrives with the final track, 'A Fala Da Paixao', essentially a solo piano outing on which Harrison demonstrates the subtlety and grace of both his playing and Gismonti's composition.
bp
Encontros is available on Bandcamp
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