News

Graham Hatton, from the council, and PC Ben Rusden, from MAKI Police, (second and far right) have been explaining to colleagues from Dumfries and Galloway how organisations in Argyll and Bute work together to tackle livestock worrying and prevent further cases happening. The methods used by our local police and council have been highlighted as a way forward for other local authority areas in Scotland.

Provost Len Scoullar gave his support at the launch of this year's Highlands and Islands Music and Dance Festival. The fetsival takes place in Oban from Friday 3 May to Sunday 5 May and tickets can be purchased at http://www.obanfestival.org/ This year the Festival celebrates its 36th anniversary and the event was celebrated in a Civic Reception hosted by Provost Scoullar in the Regent Hotel this week.

Lochgilphead’s historic town centre has been handed a £1million boost in the shape of a grant from Historic Environment Scotland (HES). The funding, part of the HES’s Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS), will see Lochgilphead benefit from similar CARS projects that have improved Campbeltown, Inveraray, Dunoon and Rothesay.

Despite budget cuts, the council works hard to maintain cemeteries and to respect the areas. We have selected to use weedkiller as strimming grass and weeds can damage memorial stones and tributes set out by families for their loved ones. While we were carrying out this work in Barone Road Cemetery, Bute, a broken piece of equipment meant that more ground was sprayed than intended.

124 bags of litter were cleared from one of Scotland’s most scenic tourist routes last week during a two day spring clean. Staff from Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority joined forced with a team from Argyll & Bute Council to tackle roadside litter head on and carry out a litter pick on the A82. Armed with litter pickers and safety gear, the group covered the busy stretch of road between Duck Bay and Luss.  Just some of the items that were cleared from the area included furry dice, underwear and, unfortunately bottles and bags filled with human waste.

Cardross Crematorium has reopened following five weeks of major refurbishment work. In what is the first major renovation work at the crematorium since it was built in the 1960s, access has been improved both externally and inside the chapel area. The route from the carpark to the chapel has been levelled to make wheelchair access easier, with no steps to navigate. Also, access for funeral directors and their staff has been improved inside the chapel area. Flooring inside the chapel has also been restored, and improved toilet facilities installed.

A new trial scheme offering weekly and monthly permits for off-street parking, at a discounted cost, starts on 1 April 2019 in the Oban, Lorn and the Isles area and will run for the next 12 months. If successful, the pilot will be rolled out across the whole of Argyll and Bute. In the meantime, parking permit arrangements throughout the rest of the area remain unchanged.

Scale models of The Kelpies, the world’s largest pair of equine sculptures, have arrived in Ardrishaig in time for Easter. The 1/10th scale maquettes will be stabled in Ardrishaig Harbour on their first venture to ‘Britain’s most beautiful shortcut’. The three-metre-tall Kelpies, which have toured the world helping to promote Scotland and the Falkirk area as a visitor destination, have previously appeared at major events including New York’s Scotland Week, the Grand National and the Ryder Cup.

A team of hard-working staff from Argyll and Bute Council and Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority are taking part in a two-day litter pick along the A82 today and tomorrow (Thursday 28 and Friday 29 March). Starting at Duck Bay this morning, the team will make their way up towards Tarbet, collecting discarded rubbish along the major tourist route.

A talented young artist from Dunoon Grammar School has won a national award for a piece of artwork she created to make a stand against racism.   S1 pupil Khiara Dominick fought off stiff competition from thousands of entries across Scotland to win the S1-3 category in Show Racism the Red Card’s annual creative competition.   Joined by her family, Khiara attended a prestigious award ceremony at Hampden Park to collect her prize.