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Op u s C ar p e n tr y a re a s p e c i a l i st c a r p e n t r y a nd joine r y c ompa ny. We o ffer a c om p let e p ro f e s si o n a l a n d p e r s o n a l kit c he n se r v ic e - from fre e su rve y an d d e ta ile d d e s i g n , t o s u p p l y a n d f i t t o e xc e pt iona l st a nda rds.

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12/10/20

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Pastoral Leer and Tides “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” – 1 Peter 1:3-5 Dear Friends, Just as 2020 witnessed many dashed hopes and disappointments, 2021 began in the same vein with further lockdown restrictions announced. As of yet, we have no idea what the remainder of this year will look like, nor what changes will remain in place in the years that follow. As you reflect on this past year, you may have been struck by its changeability – changing rules, changing plans, changing society. People have been reluctant to make any plans, for fear that they will once again be shattered by further outbreaks of the virus. Hopes for our family, friends and future have been raised only to meet with disappointment. In the above Bible verses, Peter reminds us of a hope that never fades and is never disappointed. The message at the very heart of the Christian faith is one of hope. The Good News is that God has brought hope into a hopeless world through the life, death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. His death on the cross was no accident and was no ordinary death. He took His peoples’ sins upon Himself and God laid upon Him the punishment that those sins deserved. This was God’s purpose in sending His Son into the world. He came to suffer and die in the place of His people, so that they could be forgiven and enjoy eternal life in Him, rather than suffering eternal punishment

LOW TIDE TIMES FOR STORNOWAY IN

APRIL

Walking on the beach should be possible 2 hours either side of these times. For all beaches to the south, timings are approx 27 mins earlier. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

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in Hell, which all of us deserve. If Jesus were still in the grave, we would have no hope. Peter reminds us that the hope Christians have is based specifically on Christ’s resurrection. The fact of His resurrection is verified and has been testified to by many eyewitnesses. His resurrection and ascension to heaven is the guarantee that the price for our sin has been paid, and that everlasting life is secured for all those who will trust in Him. The Saviour you are called to trust in is alive today. In the 2000 years since these historical events, He has been working to transform the lives of countless numbers of people. He continues this work today, bringing many from sin and darkness into light and life in Him. As people place their hopes in social distancing restrictions, face masks and vaccines, we must remember that these measures will only extend and improve the quality of our lives on this earth. These hopes, although good, only concern temporal things. The hope that Jesus Christ gives lasts beyond our earthly lives into eternity. Many of our ambitions have been put on hold this past year, and you may now be starting once again to make plans to fulfil them in the coming days. What are your hopes for beyond your lifetime, when you will stand before the judgement seat of your Creator to give an account of the life He gave you? Only Jesus Christ can give you hope for eternity, because only He can save you. Will you come to Him to receive forgiveness and eternal life? The hope He gives will be fully realised when He brings all His people to be with Him forever in His everlasting Kingdom. Those who trust in Him will never be disappointed.

Rev Jonathan Baxter, Stornoway and Harris APC

AM 00:24 01:03 01:37 02:10 02:42 03:12 03:42 04:12 04:45 05:22 06:08

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My old Latin school teacher used to berate me regularly for not understanding an Ablative Absolute (still don’t but I am told it is verb construct) and whilst recalling this a while ago it struck me that there are many very confusing things in life. I read some Voltaire at school and there was a character in one of his books who summarised his philosophy of life with the words “one must cultivate one’s own garden (my translation)” I’m not entirely sure that life is actually quite as simple as Voltaire would suggest but I maybe there is an argument for simplifying things. I do think that the human race has a tendancy to overcomplicate and to find problems where none exist. Some might say it is the wise thing to do to recognise when something is working and to be content with that.

The Editor’s Blog

25 North Beach Stornoway Isle of Lewis Scotland, UK HS1 2XQ

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Beach clean - North Harris Trust Globally, an estimated 8 million tonnes of plastic make their way into in our watercourses, coasts, and seas every year. This marine plastic then becomes degraded through constant exposure to salt, UV light and the mechanical processes of wave, tide and current, causing serious and wide-ranging problems for the marine ecosystem. For instance, it seems that many sea creatures cannot differentiate between plastic debris and their usual food. In winter 2019 a juvenile sperm whale washed up on Luskentyre, Isle of Harris with 100kg of marine plastics in its stomach. The whale

effectively starved to death as it could not pass the plastic from its system and neither could it eat anything else as its stomach was already full. Plastic first originated as a by-product of the waste from the fossil fuel industry and companies have been marketing it as an easily disposable product for decades. We have produced approximately 8.3 billion metric tonnes of plastic so far and although only a small proportion of that ends up in the water, we are already seeing the widespread impact of plastic pollution. This will likely be a long-term problem for generations to come as even simple disposable plastics can take over 500 years to decompose. This chronic issue is most worrying on the oceanic scale where huge areas with year-round high concentrations of plastic have formed due to the prevailing currents. For example, in the Pacific Ocean there is a 1.6 million square kilometre area with surface debris and microplastics referred to as the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch”. The west coast of Scotland is another area with high concentrations of ocean plastics as after storms roll in with the prevailing wind from the

North Harris Trust

Atlantic, plastic is washed up on shore. There are many bays and inlets throughout the Western Isles littered with trillions of pieces of plastic, ranging from microplastic size, all the way up to large floats from the fish farming industry. Although this can be seen as a blot on the landscape, it also provides a way to remove plastic from the oceans. March offers the perfect opportunity after the winter storms have collected marine plastic on the coasts. Last year North Harris Trust organised beach cleans that attracted up to 20 volunteers in a single afternoon, and the newly formed North Harris Trust Youth Group is keen to participate in cleaning our coasts as soon as Covid restrictions allow. Until then, as the North Harris Ranger (and with not much else doing at the moment!), I decided to go ahead on my own and take a couple of afternoons to clean up some of the worst sections of coast in North Harris. I took the Trust pickup and trailer along to Ceann an Ora, as this is an area where prevailing winds and tides converge to dump a large amount of North Atlantic debris on our shores. As can be seen from the images attached, in just a few hours the pickup and trailer where full to overflowing with marine plastic. It ranged from bags, bottle tops, and fishing paraphernalia all the way up to an old dingy and even an engine casing! If you are out for a walk at the beach or along the coast and see some plastic, why not take it home with you? It can be a rewarding activity during lockdown, and a challenge for the kids to see how many bags you can fill in half an hour! The more we can take out of the sea and dispose of responsibly, the better it is for the marine ecosystem, and of course, we all enjoy a nice clean beach!

Ranger : John MacLean The North Harris Trust Tigh an Urrais, Tarbert, Isle of Harris, HS3 3DB Tel: 01859 502222 [email protected] www.north-harris.org

More information about marine plastics can be found here: https://uk.whales.org/ou r-4-goals/create-healthy -seas/facts-aboutplastic-pollution/

Plan today to vote in May How will you vote at the Scottish Parliament election in May?

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To be able to vote at the Scottish Parliament election being held on 6 May 2021, you must be a registered elector. The quickest and easiest way to register to vote is to visit www.gov.uk/register-to-vote You may be thinking about how you will vote at this election. You may wish to vote in person at your polling station or apply to vote by post. Alternatively, you may wish to ask a friend or relative to vote on your behalf. This is known as proxy voting. Deadlines for the Scottish Parliament election are: Tuesday 6 April (5pm)

Deadline for receiving new postal vote and postal proxy applications, and for changes to existing postal or proxy votes

Monday 19 April (midnight)

Deadline for receiving applications for registration

Tuesday 20 April (5pm)

Deadline for cancelling existing postal or proxy votes

Tuesday 27 April (5pm)

Deadline for receiving new applications to vote by proxy

For further information on electoral registration or voting by post or proxy, please visit our website: www.saa.gov.uk/h-wi-vjb You can also contact us by post, phone or e-mail: The Highland & Western Isles, Electoral Registration Office, Moray House, 16-18 Bank Street, Inverness, IV1 1QY. Tel: 0800 393 783. E-mail: [email protected]

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Useful Information April Fool’s Day Maundy Thursday Good Friday Holiday Easter Sunday Easter Monday Holiday St George’s Day VE Day 2021 (all dates inclusive) Spring Holiday Starts Spring Holiday Ends Spring Term Starts May Holiday May Holiday Summer Term Ends Summer Holiday Starts

Local & Bank Holidays and Special Days Thurs 1st Apr 2021 Thurs 1st Apr 2021 Fri 2nd Apr 2021 Sun 4th Apr 2021 Mon 5th Apr 2021 Fri 23rd Apr 2021 Fri 8th May 2021

School Term Dates

Mon 29th Apr 2021 Fri 9th Apr 2021 Mon 12th April 2021 Fri 30th Apr 2021 Mon 3rd May 2021 Fri 25th Jun 2021 Mon 28th Jun 2021

Autumn Term Starts Autumn Term Ends Autumn Holiday Starts Autumn Holiday Ends In-Service Day Winter Term Starts Mid Term Local Holiday Mid Term Local Holiday

Useful Contacts

Abused Men in Scotland .............................. 0808 800 0024 Alcoholics Anonymous ................................ 0845 769 7555 Breathing Space .............................................. 0800 838587 Caledonian MacBrayne, Stornoway (Ferry) .. 01851 307470 Caledonian MacBrayne, Tarbert (Ferry)..........01859 570376 Citizens Advice Bureau (Harris) ......................01859 502431 Citizens Advice Bureau (Stornoway) ............ 01851 705727 Community Learning Hebrides...................... 01851 822716 Council Offices Sandwick Road, Stornoway 01851 600501 Drug and Alcohol Support Workers .............. 01851 709816 Harris Alcohol & Drugs Action Group............ 01859 502171 Hebrides Alpha .............................................. 01851 820380 Inverness Airport .............................................01667 464000 Learning Shop................................................ 01851 822718 Men in Recovery [email protected] Narcotics Anonymous .................................. 0300 999 1212 National Domestic Abuse & Forced Marriage Helpline ........................................................................0800 027 1234 National Rail Enquiries ....................................03457 484950 Police Station (Stornoway) ............................ 01851 702222 Rape Crisis Scotland National Helpline ...... 08088 01 03 02 Salvation Army (Stornoway) ..........................01851 703875 Samaritans .......................................... 116 123 (Freephone) ..............................................................jo@samaritans.org Scottish Domestic Abuse Helpline ................ 0800 0271234 Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Scottish SPCA Helpdesk) ............................03000 999 999 Shelter Scotland............................................ 0808 800 4444 Stornoway Airport ........................................ 01851 702 256

page 10 - April 2021

Spring Bank Holiday Father’s Day Longest Day Local Holiday August Bank Holiday Local Holiday British Summertime Ends

Mon 31st May 2021 Sun 20th Jun 2021 Mon 21st Jun 2021 Fri 30th July 2021 Mon 2nd Aug 2021 Mon 11th Oct 2021 Sun 31st Oct 2021 Thurs 12th Aug 2021 Fri 8th Oct 2021 Mon 11th Oct 2021 Wed 20th Oct 2021 Wed 20th Oct 2021 Thurs 21st Oct 2021 Fri 20th Nov 2021 Mon 23rd Nov 2020

Tourist Information Office (Stornoway) ........ 01851 703 088 Veterans 1 Point ..............................................01224 557695 ..............................................nhsg.v1pgrampian@nhs.net Victim Support Scotland....................................0800 160 1985 Western Isles Alcohol & Drug Partnership ....01851 762 017 Western Isles Community Care Forum ..........01859 502588 Western Isles Foyer........................................ 01851 705366 Western Isles Women’s Aid .......................... 01851 704750

DOCTORS Broadbay Medical Practice ............................ 01851 703588 Hospital Macaulay Road, Stornoway ............ 01851 704704 Langabhat Medical Practice (Lewis) .............. 01851 860222 (incl Carloway, Lochs, Borve, Pairc, Uig and Bernera) NHS Community Psychiatry Health Centre (Stornoway) ...... ..........................................................................01851703069 North Harris Medical Practice..........................01859 502421 South Harris (Leverburgh) Medical Practice ..01859 520278 Stornoway Health Centre .............................. 01851 763300 The Group Practice ........................................ 01851 703145 NHS 24 ............................................................................ 111 PHARMACIES Back Pharmacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01851 820333 MacDonald K J Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01851 703131 Boots Stornoway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01851 701769 If you would like to add a contact or if there are any amendments to be made to existing details, please email [email protected]

tel: 01309 690063

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Email: [email protected] Third Sector Hebrides 30 Francis Street, Stornoway

Glen Skeaudale Horseshoe, Isle of Harris Would you like some serious social distancing? Would you like views, views and more views? Then this is the mountain walk for you: The Glen Skeaudale horseshoe. Isle of Harris. Do it at any time of the year for it is not a major snow covered peak but a walk with variety, with challenge, with anticipation and with serious satisfaction. Two of us walked this route on a recent autumn day with a cool breeze blowing from the NE in a cloudless sky. Well wrapped up for the low temperature, we experienced a very pleasing variety of terrain from steep slopes, dry scramblable rock to high hill pasture and squelchy bog. It wasn’t long before the first layers were shed as the sun and the exertion of the ascent of Sron a’Sgaoth (Ridge End) warmed us up and we took in the stunning vistas to the north west. We looked onto the conical An Cliseam (The Clisham) the highest mountain in the Outer Hebrides at 799m and the mountains beyond stretching all the way to the Atlantic at Huisinis. Below us the ever- widening mouth of Loch a Siar (West Loch Tarbert) drew our eyes across

the exquisite pristine sand spit of Caolas Tharansaigh to St Kilda. Oh, what a joy it was to see the archipelago shimmering on the horizon for it brought back recollections of 2 memorable days spent there some years ago. Each island was identifiable with even a white boat heading into Village Bay. To the north lay the blanket peat lands of Lewis in contrast to the uplands of Harris and to the right we could see our whole proposed route on the plateau running round the Skeaudale valley. VIEWS The climb up was over mostly dry sloping rocks to Sgaoth Iosal, pausing to soak

LOCATION: Glen Skeaudale Horseshoe, Isle of Harris GRADE: Mountain Walk DISTANCE: approx 10km TIME: 5-6hrs ASCENTS: 850m MAP OS Landranger N0. 14, 1:50,000 DIRECTIONS: Park car (or get bus from Stornoway or Tarbert) at junction of B877 (Huisinis Rd) with A859 (Tarbert- Stornoway), ref 138034. Cross main road and begin to climb immediately in NE direction up Sron a’Sgaoth (Ridge End), to Sgaoth Iosal (Low Ridge), 531m and on east to Sgaoth Aird (High Ridge), 559m.

up the expanding views and listen for the calling of eagles. One gains height easily. Cliseam looms so near you could stretch out your hand to touch it were it not for the forboding dark gullies and corries beneath our feet! Heading east, keeping Bac a Ghaill to our left we picked up the easy slope to what looks like a medieval fort and scrambled over it to reach the top of Sgaoth Aird(559m). We took a good rest here for, not only could we recap our views to the west, but we could add the scenery of the east - Eilean Scalpaigh, the Minch, Shaint Islands, the

Cuillins of Sky, the glistening lochs of East Harris and Eabhal in North Uist. What’s not to like about that? No wonder we dallied taking too many pictures of our remarkable surroundings. We saw 3 golden eagles from our vantage point hunkered down in the stones around the cairn and of course the ubiquitous ravens wheeled above us like vultures waiting for carrion. Sated, we strolled down Sron an Toister to take a good look at Locanan Lacasdail and the old drove roads and paths linking north Harris with Reinigeadal and Tarbert. Routes for another day. ROCKY OUTCROPS Back round to Bealach Garbh (Rough Col) we headed up again to Beinn Teanga (Ben Tongue), another little top on this plateau walk, with nice rock scrambles. Here we looked down on several Red Dear stags in full antler, preparing for

the coming rut. As usual they saw us too and cantered off arrogantly to dissolve into the landscape, leaving us alone again, staring at the Skeaudale River far below and the many black and grey crags encompassing it. About 3hrs into our walk we stopped for another break at the trig on Giolabhal Glas (475m) to survey yet again where we had come from, where we were heading and of course mentally planning other routes we could trace out on south Harris, on the assumption that the weather was going to be just like today – dry, calm and sunny.

Refuelled we maintained height on the plateau to the final top of the day -Gillaval Dubh (417m) and took a final 360 degree look at the vistas we had been enjoying all day. It was very satisfying to identify so many islands and lochs – many of which we had been to and some still to be explored. How lucky we had been to have only shared the rocks and heather with the stags, the eagles, the ravens, one rabbit, one buzzard and one snipe. END OF DAY Leaving Gillavah Dubh to complete the circular route requires a little care. Do not be too hasty to get down to your car which you can clearly see to the north west, 417m below you, over the Geodhan Dubh (Black Ravines). The name hints at the dangers. Turn your back instead and aim for the A859 to the S or SW aiming to hit it at about Cul na h-Aird or Aird Asaig being careful

to avoid the steeper crags and some slippery greenery. If you feel uneasy just veer more S picking up Abhainn Blas or other south flowing stream to the road and make your way north along the road to your car or bus and a well-earned last drink and snack. Take a wee while to look up at the plateau horseshoe which you have just walked round and breathe in a deep sense of pleasure and satisfaction. It wasn’t Everest but it was hugely enjoyable. Ken and James Kennedy

Children’s Non Fiction

Adult Fiction - Thriller

The Girl of Ink & Stars

Little Disasters

Isabella Riosse is the daughter of a cartographer who lives on the island of Joya; an isle both steeped in mythology and shrouded in mystery. For the last thirty years, a strict Governor has forbidden the island inhabitants from venturing beyond their small township.

A mysterious injury threatens to unravel the seemingly perfect image of a stay-at-home mother in this compelling and intelligent psychological thriller. A mysterious injury threatens to unravel the seemingly perfect image of a stay-at-home mother in this compelling and intelligent psychological thriller.

Kiran Millwood Hargrave £5.99

by Sarah Vaughan £7.49

Expertly crafted with a loveable lead, this modern tale weaves myth, magic and even a thread of political intrigue into its expansive fantasy world.

Adult Non-Fiction

House of Glass

by Hadley Freeman £8.49 Non Fiction Scottish Book of the Month

Native

by Patrick Laurie £7.99 Desperate to connect with his native Galloway, Patrick Laurie plunges into work on his family farm in the hills of southwest Scotland. Investing in the oldest and most traditional breeds of Galloway cattle, the Riggit Galloway, he begins to discover how cows once shaped people, places and nature in this remote and half-hidden place. This traditional breed requires different methods of care from modern farming on an industrial, totally unnatural scale.

Children’s Fiction

The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh by Helen Rutter £5.99

From comedian Helen Rutter comes the hilarious yet moving story of Billy Plimpton, who is desperate to make it as a stand-up comic - despite the fact that he has a pronounced stammer. A laugh-out-loud, against-all-odds triumph of a story: the funniest debut of 2021. The idea for this story came from Helen Rutter's son, who has a stammer: she wanted to write the book that he would love to read, starring a child like him.

Addressing themes of assimilation, identity, and home this powerful story of the past explores issues that are deeply relevant today. A moving memoir following the journey of the Glass siblings throughout the course of the twentieth-century, House of Glass is a thrilling account of love, loss, family and belonging.

Adult Fiction

Exciting Times

by Naoise Dolan £7.49 Psychologically astute and dryly funny, Exciting Times delivers an enthralling dissection of love, commitment, power and privilege in the international circles of contemporary Hong Kong. Ava, newly arrived in Hong Kong from Dublin, spends her days teaching English to rich children. Julian is a banker. A banker who likes to spend money on Ava, to have sex and discuss fluctuating currencies with her. But when she asks whether he loves her, he cannot say more than 'I like you a great deal'. All Book Reviews have been kindly supplied by the Elgin Branch of Waterstones 10-11 High St, Elgin, IV30 1EA 01343 547321 www.waterstones.com/bookshops/elgin

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