View across the Outer Harbour of Stornoway

Tuesday 31 July 2012

Tuesday 31 July


The day started like this, with a few showers. The cruiseliner is the Kristina Katarina, which is visiting Stornoway today. Another liner will call tomorrow. The passengers trouped ashore, and the town was buzzing to the sound of foreign tongues.

In the afternoon, the showers faded away and the sunshine became quite warm (by our standards), with the mercury reaching a pleasant 17C. I went for a walk to the newly finished Nicolson Institute (see previous post) to take a few pics. I carried on down Francis Street to the Town Hall, where an exhibition had been opened just a few hours before about the history of the school. It was first established in 1875.

An alert was put out this morning that a girl aged 3 had made a 999 call from her home in Leeds to the effect that her mother had fallen and was unresponsive. This had happened yesterday, so police were very concerned. However, it turned out this evening that two girls aged 10, calling from Bridlington (on the east coast of England) had perpetrated the prank. They have been spoken to. Bored during the holidays? Well, I hope they will be taught a lesson.

Nicolson Institute

The island's secondary school has a new building, a prominent edifice along Sandwick Road next to the Council offices. The builders handed it over yesterday, 30 July, and pupils will be entering it on August 16th. Stornoway Historical Society have an exhibition on the history of the school was opened in Stornoway Town Hall, which is well worth a visit. Of the old buildings making up the 'Nic', only the Pentland Building and the Matheson Hall will be retained. The other premises are to be demolished before the end of the year.

Clocktower Main entrance Service entrance Matheson Hall