A New Academic Year

With the new academic year heaving into view, the University of Kilchoan has been leafletting the area with a list of courses on offer at its campus during the next few months. The range is stunning, varying from hedge laying, marine engine maintenance, mower maintenance, sheep foot care, and dry stane dyking to street dance, yoga, jewellery making, quilting, manicure, cheese making, and vermin control - and there are grants available to help make sure that people can attend the courses they want.

There's something here for everyone, including several the Diary will be singing up for, yet Pat Glenday, our dynamic vice-chancellor, is still asking for more suggestions. This will shortly be the best-educated, best-skilled and most intelligent rural community in the whole wide world.

Contact Pat at pat.glenday@lochaber.uhi.ac.uk or on 01972 510 354.

The Weather

Interesting day yesterday, with 25mm of pure liquid Kilchoan sunshine, a record since the Diary bought a measuring device. But it proved a bit expensive as the local sparrows and chaffinches descended en masse onto the bird feeders, cleaning them out.

For some people, whatever the weather, work has to continue. This is Dochie Cameron and his son Justin suitably dressed for a trip in the coble to check the salmon net off Ormsaigbeg.

Eric: Caught at Last

From Stewart & Judy Pote

Judy and I were out canoeing around the corner from Ormsaigbeg, had been out for a while and had caught several mackerel. We were on our way back when Judy saw a young seal a few yards in front of the canoe. It disappeared and within the same breath I said I had got something on the line.

The line I was fishing with was a crabline I had purchased that afternoon at the Ferry Stores to which I had attached some feathers. Whatever was on the line was pulling the canoe to one side, I was struggling to pull it in, Judy was helping by pulling the line bit by bit while I wound it onto the reel. There was a lot of line, it was nearly all out. Judy was panicking as she was convinced it was the seal and was sure we ought to cut the line to let it go. At this point we gave it a name ......ERIC .

Tony Kidd has lost big Eric several times, so we were convinced this was him! The fight was soon over. Eventually a large fish passed in front of our eyes. Yes it was Eric ...lol. There was a lot of squealing and panic from Judy as I landed Eric into the canoe. I had to open the splash deck to slide him, none too gracefully, between my legs. And he was a whopper!

Eric was a pollock 24" long, and he weighed a hefty 6 lbs.

Pig Obituary

Hughie MacLachlan has advised the Diary of the sad end of eight little - or, rather, now not so little - pigs, who have gone to see a nice man in Tobermory and will be back in Kilchoan shortly to be interred in eight different freezers. The original story is here.

Kilchoan Kayakers

From Geoff Campbell

Over the last six weeks an enthusiastic group of kayakers, keen to enjoy the beautiful waters around Kilchoan, have got together on a Wednesday evening. Our outings consist of paddling along this stunning coastline, watching seals and seeing Kilchoan from a different perspective. The banter's good too, but for those who want it, there is the opportunity to practise rescues and generally improve kayaking skills. The club has attracted a diverse range of members, aged 16 to 60 plus, locals and visitors alike.

Last Wednesday everything came together for a special voyage. 10 paddlers in 8 kayaks headed west into the setting sun. We cruised past Ormsaigbeg and carried on west along the cliffs of Ardnamurchan displaying their unique igneous geology. We landed on a shingle beach next to a cave with a waterfall at its mouth in a surprisingly challenging swell. There we enjoyed a well earned rest until the sun left the beach and the midges came out in force. We returned to the Kilchoan jetty with a sense of shared achievement.

If you are interested in participating in kayaking around Kilchoan, join our Google group http://groups.google.com/group/kilchoan-kayakers and come get out on the water.