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A NEW television series kicks off next week with a programme dedicated to Staffin.
In the second series of “Eileanan Fraoich”, Islay-born Heather Dewar leaves the familiarity of her home to embark on her own personal “island odyssey”. She visits Colonsay, Mull, North Uist and Eriskay and also explores the communities South Lochs in Lewis.
The producers have shown remarkably good taste and decided to launch their second series, which visits island communities, in Staffin.  The production company Caledonia TV spent two days ...

A CONCERNED dog walker has hit out at irresponsible pet owners who are failing to clean up after their animals at a scenic Staffin location.
The woman, who has now reported the problem to Highland Council, has urged pet owners to stop leaving dog excrement around the Slip and Staffin Beach area after growing exasperated at the problem.
She warned the practice, which can see offenders fined if caught, was not helping the popular area’s appeal to locals or visitors and ...

A CLUTCH of attractive website addresses, related to Staffin, Portree and Skye, are being offered for sale.
Staffin website designer Nick Wakeham is offering 14 different domain names which might be of interest to accommodation providers or other businesses in the district, or elsewhere on the island.
Nick, who also runs Skye Light Candles, expects names like skyebandb.co.uk and staffinskye.co.uk to spark interest and sell quickly.
“They were purchased for clients who no longer use them,” he explained. “I kept them running just ...

A NATIONAL film awards has shortlisted a production involving Trotternish youngsters in TWO different categories.
Despite fierce competition, the prestigous FilmG contest has recognised the efforts of children from the Dannsairean an Eilein Sgitheanaich and the Totternish Folk Group who featured in the short film “Siuthad a’Sheonaid.” 
The north Skye entry has been nominated in the Best Community Film and Best Music categories.  
A spokeswoman for FilmG announced last night: “We are extremely happy to announce this year’s shortlists with ...

WITH Oscar season just around the corner, budding young Trotternish stars of the screen will find out on Wednesday (11.2) if their entry into a national film competition has made the final.
And there is still time to vote for their film, which was shot in Kilmuir last month, amidst a bumper year of entries and fierce competition. 
Votes are still needed (only one per day is permitted per device) for the People’s Choice Favourite Film so click on this link http://filmg.co.uk/en/films/1141/ and get ...

STAFFIN is preparing to mark the 70th anniversary of a plane crash which saw nine American airmen killed, only months before the end of the Second World War.
On March 3, 1945, a B-17 Flying Fortress crashed during fog at Beinn Edra in Staffin, on its way to a RAF base in Wales after departing from America.
At a joint meeting of the Staffin Community Council and Staffin Community Trust, both organisations agreed to arrange a commemoration event to mark ...

A TOP dance band – called Staffin Island – have opened the door to performing in Staffin.
The Staffin Island Ceilidh Band have admitted to never having set foot in the district or Skye, never mind the famous and well-photographed small island in Staffin Bay, which is only home to cattle, an old salmon bothy and birdlife.
The Taysiders said the inspiration for the band name came from a famous tune which beat off competition from Raasay.
Aidan Ferguson, a vocalist and guitarist in the band, which was only ...

A HIGHLY rated Elishadder eatery – which proved popular with a hit TV show –  and a Digg B&B have become the latest to join the new Staffin Business Directory. 
The Elishadder Art Cafe and Quiraing View in Digg are now live on the listings pages under the Food/Drink and Accommodation sections.
The cafe, which only opened three seasons ago, has become one of the most popular in the island and is currently rated number one out of more than 100 Skye cafes/restaurants.
It even proved ...

EYE-CATCHING photographs of Staffin crofing scenes are being sought in an island-wide competition.
Amateur photographers are urged to enter the Skye Agricultural Photo Competition 2015. It could be a picture of cattle eating their silage in a hailstorm, sheep scrabbling up a ledge or a summer image of shearing or the potatoes being planted.
The winner will see their photo featured on the cover of the official programme for the Skye Agricultural Show in August.
 The catalogue is printed by Strathprint. ...

A MUSICIAN is confident he has the bottle for an epic trip all the way from south England to Staffin – in a milk float.
Paul Thompson, whose unconventional form of transport boasts a top speed of 15mph, is eagerly anticipating his forthcoming 600-mile jaunt north to Staffin and insists it will not turn sour.
Paul, a singer-songwriter from Norfolk, intends to take the wheel of the milk float this summer and is eager to find some “inspiring settings” to play. The float also doubles up as ...

EXPERTS have confirmed that a new species of marina reptile, similar to a dolphin, swam in Trotternish waters, 170 million years ago. The creature measured up to 14-feet from snout to tail, and inhabited warm, shallow seas in Skye during the Jurassic Period. They were near the top of the food chain at the time and preyed on fish and other reptiles. The species was identified by fossils found several decades ago at Bearreraig Bay, near the Storr Lochs.
In what is understood to ...

EXPERIENCED runners are being invited to enter a hugely demanding 17-mile race in Staffin this summer. 
The Skye and Lochalsh Running Club is seeking entrants to enter the Trotternish Ridge Race which takes in some of Staffin’s most well-known landmarks, including the Quiraing, and sees competitors tackle an approximate 6000-ft ascent.
The annual ridge race, which is limited to 75 runners, starts at Flodigarry. The ridge skirts right round Staffin and separates it from the other side of Trotternish. All runners must be over 18-years-old ...

THE amount of money Staffin residents could access when building a new house on croft ground could increase – but only if they make their voices heard. 
The Scottish Government’s Croft House Grant Scheme (CHGS) currently offers a a maximum £17,000 grant to people looking to build a new home or repair a croft house in the community.
However, the grant has remained static for a decade despite inflation and increased construction prices.
The government has now launched a 12-week national consultation into the key ...

AS THE sun sets on 2014, everybody at the Staffin Trust would like to wish an early Bliadhna Mhath Ùr.
Happy New Year to everybody living in Staffin, our diaspora spread far and wide, our neighbouring communities in Skye and all the organisations which support our range of projects.
2014 was a year of good progress for the Trust, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in August, and our membership has now swollen to 50 people who live permanently in Staffin, ...

AS 2014 draws to a close, Staffin has again come out on top of the charts as the top rated visitor destination in Skye.
Four hugely popular and internationally renowned Staffin landmarks, which annually attract thousands of people, have all appeared in the top 15 of the world’s most popular travel website.
Right at the top of Trip Advisor’s most highly rated Skye visitor attractions is the majestic Quiraing, which has more than 400 glowing reviews, all of which are either “excellent” or “very good”, ...