AFTER three months in post as the Skye Ecomuseum’s full-time programme manager, Angus Murray provides a short update about some of the events held as part of the project’s activity plan. There is a lot more in the pipeline – keep up to speed via the Staffin Community Trust website, contact Angus on 562 464/skyeecomuseum@gmail.com or call in to see him at the office, Monday to Friday.
COMUNN EACHDRAIDH AN TAOBH SEAR
One significant part of the Ceumannan project got underway in October. A big target is to get people in the Staffin community more involved with local history. There are many good examples of active groups up and down the west coast of Scotland and we hope that this will grow significantly over time. To start the ball rolling, we held the first two meetings looking for people who are interested in being involved. A really good mix of people attended with a good mix of those who brought up in the area and some newer residents with an interest in history on both days. What followed was an interesting discussion around the abandoned villages of the east side of Trotternish and included archaeology and placenames of the area.
The next date will be advertised shortly and will follow the same format of an afternoon and an evening event at the Columba 1400 in November. Everybody is welcome.
HEALTH WALKS – STEP IT UP HIGHLANDS
There are now four trained walk leaders in Staffin ready and willing to deliver Health Walks as part of Step It Up Highlands. These walks will be aimed at those who are not very active just now and will start as low-level walks for about 30 minutes. These health walks will be short, sociable and free. All you need is a comfortable pair of shoes, a waterproof jacket and some change for a cup of tea! The first of these walks will be held on the 29th of November and will be further advertised locally and on Facebook.
MAPPIN STAFFIN
The first public events to gather stories about the Staffin Crofters’ Uprisings were also held over two half-days at the Columba 1400 earlier this month. A group of pupils from Staffin Primary School came along and got to try some fun new technology and learn more about the project. Some very interested locals came to see some of the plans and contributed excellent stories and ideas. This event was held by Lateral North and in partnership with local arts group Atlas. BBC Alba came to film the event and it was shown on Gaelic news program An Là that evening and featured on Radio nan Gàidheal. The next part of this project will involve a sculptor visiting the area to come up with a proposal in November.
CÒIG SGIATHAN | FIVE WINGS
There have been several walks in Staffin over the last few months that have been attended by ranger of people, locals and tourists alike as part of Còig Sgiathan/Five Wings. These have included Loch Sheunta and the nearby shore with Dugald Ross, Rubha Hunish with Katie Tunn, A circular walk round Staffin with Caroline Dear and Brothers Point with Rody Gorman. These were all very different and interesting walks where we looked at some aspects of the area that inspired each contributors work.
There was also a fun and interesting walk aimed at children in the October holiday. For this half day we stopped at Staffin Museum to learn about the fossils and dinosaur finds in the area with Dugald Ross. The group of youngsters then visited An Corran, Staffin Slipway and Loch Sheunta, looking for fossils and dinosaur bones along the shore as they went. The kids were really well informed and hopefully left with some new knowledge to take away with them. ATLAS Arts has collaborated with local walking groups and artists to curate a series of walks around the Isle of Skye and Lochalsh. This was part of Tha Seo Math Dhuibh | Good For You, in collaboration with Aros & Staffin Community Trust.