Monday 15 March

Bright and fairly sunny today, with the mercury at 9C. No complaints.

The General Election is due in the next two months, and political parties have been fielding candidates in the Western Isles. One of them went flying on a banana skin of her own peeling over the weekend. Upon being asked what the top priorities were for the Western Isles, the Conservative Party candidate displayed a disconcerting lack of local knowledge. Ms Norquay (sic) stated that the fisheries industry was very important, and that the construction of the harbour wall at Achmore was top priority. That in itself is an innocuous statement, except there are a few practical problems in the way.

The village of Achmore (marked on above map) is the only village in the Western Isles not in the immediate proximity of the sea. It is about 5 miles from the sea, and at an altitude of 350 feet above sealevel. The radio and television transmitter masts stand on the hill Eitsal, at 800 feet above the sea. The state of the pier at Achmore is a standing joke in Lewis, and it is unfortunate that a young (age 22) candidate came out with that clanger - without even being prompted for it. (story courtesy Hebrides News). The water you see in the above picture is a freshwater loch, situated along the main road through Achmore. 

Tropical cyclone Tomas is currently roaring through Fiji, with forecast winds of 115 knots (130 mph) around its centre. The storm will continue to batter the archipelago for the next 24 hours.