Staffin Community Trust’s 2018: A Year in Pictures

A pictorial look back at the work and progress made in Staffin Community Trust’s projects in the last 12 months…

The board of directors and staff would like to thank everyone in the community and elsewhere who have supported – directly or indirectly – SCT’s projects. Without the goodwill and time provided by Staffin people it would be very difficult for the projects to be delivered. SCT looks forward to an equally productive 2019 working for the community.

JANUARY: Test pits dug were dug at Lealt gorge by Ian MacDonald, of Staffin Groundworks, for the new viewing platform, which was a key part of the Skye Ecomuseum capitalworks.
FEBRUARY: SCT’s Angus Murray, Highland Council’s Donald Kennedy and staff from Rabbie’s Tours spent two days repairing the Brogaig path to the shore.
FEBRUARY: A Garafad man’s contribution to shinty was illustrated by Norman MacDonald and Hugh Dan MacLennan at a talk in Staffin Hall.
MARCH: Sartle contractor John Gillies and SCT director Dugald Ross worked for several days preparing the site at Lealt for the start of the platform construction.
MARCH: Trotternish pupils participated in SCT and Lateral North’s ‘Mappin’ Staffin’ event, as part of the Crofters Memorial project.
MARCH: Donnie Nicolson, of JansVans, delivered a storage container for SCT. It was purchased through a grant from Rabbie’s and keeps tools and equipment.
APRIL: The West Highland Free Press on the news that SCT’s affordable housing, health and business development had finally secured planning permission from Highland Council with a picture of chairman Sandy Ogilvie.
APRIL: Planning permission was also granted to Organic Sea Harvest for two organic salmon farms at Culnacnoc and Invertote. SCT is looking to secure community benefit and investment in Slipway through the development.
MAY: A crane carefully lowered in sections of the viewing platform, which was built by MacDonald Contracting Ltd, of Culduthel, Inverness.
JUNE: Robert MacDonald, of Staffin Groundworks, making a neat job of the bunding for the new car park at Lealt so it is well hidden from view.
JUNE: Platform car park project manager Eric Faulds inspecting a concrete floor discovered which dated back to the Lealt diatomite works. It was retained and will form part of new interpretation signage documenting the area’s industrial heritage.
JULY: Teenagers from Skye and Costa Rica play shinty at Columba 1400 during a cultural exchange visit led by St Andrew’s University and SCT. The South Americans explored the ecomuseum after pupils from Staffin and the rest of the island travelled to Costa Rica in 2017.
AUGUST: The Scottish Land Fund awarded a grant to SCT to purchase the Staffin Surgery, known as the Nurses’ Cottage, and a site from the Stenscholl Township for the housing, health and business development.
AUGUST: Roddy Maclean’s award-winning ‘Àrainneachd, Cànan is Dualchas’ course in 2018, hosted by SCT, had excellent weather. It interprets the environment through the eyes of the Gael and is delivered entirely in Gaelic.
SEPTEMBER: Flodigarry calves heading to the sale, with Archie Nicolson, featured in a seven-part BBC Alba series on Trotternish by Corcadal Productions. The crew followed local people going about their lives for more than a year.
SEPTEMBER: SCT invited footpath contractors to bid for two major contracts at Flodigarry and Grealin as part of the Skye Ecomuseum capitalworks. The scale of the erosion by heavy footfall and lack of maintenance near Loch Langaig is illustrated.
OCTOBER: Donation boxes were installed at Lealt after the formal opening by Janet Lamont, Valtos, and Councillor John Gordon, to help pay for running costs.
OCTOBER: Skye Ecomuseum community consultation event at Columba 1400 saw local people provide SCT with feedback about the new interpretation signage and find out about the re-branding.
NOVEMBER: A successful first ‘Instameet’ was hosted by SCT’s Angus Murray when photographers and travel influencers stayed in Flodigarry Youth Hostel and spent two days exploring Staffin in an effort to promote ‘slow tourism’ so visitors take their time to enjoy the district instead of converging on the same busy sites on day trips.
DECEMBER: Architect’s impression of the housing, health and business development close to Bun Sgoil Stafainn as an update was issued. SCT was hopeful it will own the land early in 2019 and construction work would start later in the year.