Sunday, 15 March 2015
Sunday 1 March
Our normal ferry ship, the Isle of Lewis, finally returned from refit this morning. She immediately went across to Ullapool. Weather remains changeable, with some snow showers.
Monday, 2 March 2015
Saturday 28 February
February closed on a cold and showery theme, and is good riddance. It is only now that I have gotten rid of the flu that I caught in the middle of January, and so many others were similarly affected. Roll on spring!
Wednesday 25 February
Weather only went downhill after this sunny start - rain for the rest of the day.
Saturday 21 February
Heavy snow showers, with flakes of up to 5 cm (2 inches) across, this morning. They nearly obscured two tugs and a barge which appeared from the south. The barge was delivered to the Fabrication Yard. The Union Sapphire went back to its Rotterdam base, whilst the President Hubert remained behind to tend to the barge.
President Hubert
Union Sapphire
barge and President Hubert in front of Arnish
President Hubert Union Sapphire barge and President Hubert in front of Arnish 
Monday, 23 February 2015
Arnish Fabrication Yard
In the days of yore, I wrote posts like this on my local blog "Arnish Lighthouse". As that became defunct in July last year, I'm moving my rants to Atlantic Lines. Enjoy.
The Arnish Fabrication Yard in Stornoway faces closure once more. Over the decade that I've followed events in our wee town, the AFY has gone from offering "3,500 jobs in the renewables industry" to being closed for months. In 2005, the proposed North Lewis Windfarm would see "the diaspora flocking back to the island", as it would bring "400 local jobs". Well, the NLW never came to be. The Eishken and Pairc Windfarms are moribund, awaiting an interconnector that nobody is prepared to commit themselves to. It will require nearly £1bn and a large number of on-shore windfarms to be made economically viable. Windfarms only, as industries developing other sources of renewable energy, wave- and tidal power, have effectively been killed off by the Scottish Government. The same Scottish Government that wants to have 20% of the Scottish energy requirement coming out of renewable energy by 2020. The same Scottish Government that put all its eggs in the basket of the oil industry, which is now going into a slump as the oil price is nosediving. And it's that slump that's threatening to close the Fabrication Yard. The revolving door is closing again. Heaven knows when it will swing open again.
The Arnish Fabrication Yard in Stornoway faces closure once more. Over the decade that I've followed events in our wee town, the AFY has gone from offering "3,500 jobs in the renewables industry" to being closed for months. In 2005, the proposed North Lewis Windfarm would see "the diaspora flocking back to the island", as it would bring "400 local jobs". Well, the NLW never came to be. The Eishken and Pairc Windfarms are moribund, awaiting an interconnector that nobody is prepared to commit themselves to. It will require nearly £1bn and a large number of on-shore windfarms to be made economically viable. Windfarms only, as industries developing other sources of renewable energy, wave- and tidal power, have effectively been killed off by the Scottish Government. The same Scottish Government that wants to have 20% of the Scottish energy requirement coming out of renewable energy by 2020. The same Scottish Government that put all its eggs in the basket of the oil industry, which is now going into a slump as the oil price is nosediving. And it's that slump that's threatening to close the Fabrication Yard. The revolving door is closing again. Heaven knows when it will swing open again.
Saturday, 21 February 2015
Bliadhna nan Caorach
The Chinese New Year occurred this week, heralding the Year of the Sheep. It's the sheep that features heavily in the history of the Highlands and Islands of the last two hundred years. It was the humble sheep that took the place of people and communities the length and breadth of northern Scotland. Not the fault of the sheep. But the fault of those who used its low cost to justify removal of people from land they had inhabited since time immemorial. The fault of a government who committed the ultimate folly in getting rid of its most precious asset - people - by permitting these clearances. Sheep still litter the Highlands and Islands, not to great financial benefit to their owners.
In history, there was another Year of the Sheep, the one referred to in the Gaelic title to this piece. The year was 1792. More information here.
In history, there was another Year of the Sheep, the one referred to in the Gaelic title to this piece. The year was 1792. More information here.
Friday, 20 February 2015
MV Loch Seaforth leaving at 7 am
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