SC Astrea

The SC Astrea, a ro-ro ship registered in the Bahamas, has just passed us going south down the Sound.  She's on her way to Belfast, but what is the cargo stowed on deck?  From information on the internet, she appears to be making regular sailings between Aalborg, Denmark, and Belfast.  Could this site suggest the answer?

There's more about the SC Astrea here.

Locating Wildcats

On a recent walk across the higher slopes of Ben Hiant we came across our first evidence of the presence of local wildcats, some scat neatly deposited beside the remains of a deer's leg, the bones of which had been picked clean.  We've probably seen scat before, but didn't realise what we were looking at. It tends to be less dark than pine marten scat, has characteristic rounded ends, and is supposed to smell like domestic cat faeces.

Over the last weekend I had a very enjoyable morning out with vet James Kavanagh (right) and Zoology graduate Ewan Brennan looking at some of the trail cameras they've deployed over the last few months across this end of the peninsula.  One of the things that impressed me was the amount of wildcat scat they have found, which they've used to help them site the cameras.  The scat is often on rock outcrops, on top of tussocks, or in other prominent positions - so the cats seem to use it, along with their urine, to mark their territory.

With the wildcats' breeding season upon us shortly, Ewan and James are leaving to return to their normal work.  James has taken time off from his job as a vet in Somerset to take part in the project, so his contribution has cost him money, and Ewan has also given his time freely.  They're leaving almost thirty cameras behind which will be operated and maintained by local volunteers.  The cameras are located in all sorts of environments, from open land, where they're usually fixed to convenient boulders, to scrubby woodland, and in the coniferous plantations.

Ben McKeown, who works for Ardnamurchan Estate, is one of the people who'll be setting and checking the cameras.  It isn't always a very pleasant job - this camera was sited to monitor activity round a very dead sheep.

It goes without saying that the project is asking everyone to leave the cameras alone.  At the same time, they're asking for any news of wildcats - the contact number and email address are here - and they'll be permanently available via the box headed 'Wildcats' in the right-hand column of the Diary.  Your help would be much appreciated.

More Pictures from Uist Match

More pictures from the Uist match are here.

Match Report

Today's match between Kilchoan Ladies and Uist Ladies took place on Mallaig High School's astroturf pitch, which is a full-sized pitch on top of a cold, exposed hilltop.  It was decided, for reasons that remain obscure, to play four 15-minute quarters, and Kilchoan started facing into the strong wind.  As a result, much of the play was at their end but, in a hard-fought first quarter....

....it was Kilchoan's Rosie Curtis who was first to score, having harried the unfortunate Uist goalie until she dropped the ball.  But, very much in the spirit of what was a very friendly, if hard-fought game, Rosie apologised to the keeper.

Just under ten minutes into the second quarter, with Kilchoan goalie Nan MacLachlan under strong pressure, it was Uist who scored an equaliser.

When the third quarter opened, Uist had an increasingly strong wind behind them.  With Kilchoan unable to control the centre field, Uist pressed hard, and it was only a fine save from Nan that prevented them going into the lead - as can be seen, at least one of the Kilchoan players thought that a goal was a certainty.

But it was again the team with the wind in their faces that scored the next goal, when Kilchoan's Abi Woods beat a defender and scored with a cracking shot.

Sadly, it was at this point that one of the Uist defenders fell so badly that the emergency services had to be called and she was stretchered off.  Everyone wishes the injured player, who has been taken to the Belford, a very swift and full recovery.

It was decided that, with the weather deteriorating and the players now very cold, it would be wise to abandon the game.

Kilchoan v Uist - Match Abandoned

Sadly, the match between Uist and Kilchoan, played at Mallaig, had to be abandoned this afternoon shortly after the half-way point when one of the Uist players was injured and required emergency attention.  The score at the time was Kilchoan 2-1 Uist.  Full report to follow.