The Gathering storm . . .
SHINTY and track athletics have been dropped from this year’s Cowal Gathering.
The move, which is bound to anger a lot of local people, was taken by the Gathering’s organising committee.
The decision was greeted with dismay by individuals involved in the sports, who felt that too much consideration was being given to the interests of pipe bands at the expense of other events.
Hugh Dan MacLennan of the Camanachd Association, said that he was ‘disappointed’ at the decision.
“However,” he added, “I would hope that the door is still open so that we can maintain dialogue to get shinty back in.”
He felt that there was a growing interest in shinty in Cowal and the staging of the Camanachd Cup at the stadium last year had been the icing on the cake. He could see no conflict between the shinty and events in the main stadium, since the shinty took place in a separate area which did not impact on the other events.
Donald MacDonald, who has a long connection with shinty and is a player/coach with Strachur, was not aware of the situation when we spoke to him, and said that he was “absolutely gobsmacked”.
“We’ve always had good feedback in terms of shinty’s involvement with the Gathering,” he said. “In fact we’ve been putting pressure on the Camanachd Association to get some of the bigger clubs involved.
“It’s a great showcase for shinty and I can’t understand the logic behind dropping it.
“The Cowal Gathering is more than just pipe bands - it’s a whole range of events which should be aimed at attracting people of different interests.”
George Spence, who is convener of the heavy events took the view that the Pipe Band Association (RSPBA) had too much influence on the Gathering.
“I love pipe bands,” he said, “But I’ve no time at all for the Pipe Band Association.
“They want everything to be organised around their needs. They get annoyed when bands have to wait for runners to pass before they can get on to the park; they get annoyed when announcements are being made over the tannoy about other events.
“This is a Highland Gathering.
“They should reflect on the fact that pipe band competitions are not normally part of events like this. They are traditionally a mix of activities, and it’s time the Pipe Band Association learned to live with the other participants such as the athletics, the shinty, and the heavies.
“After all, people come to Cowal to be entertained, and if you limit the scale and variety of their entertainment they’ll stop coming.”
George Spence’s brother Cameron, who is athletics convener, was equally angry. “Eleven years ago I was asked by the late Stuart Donald, who was the Games Manager at the time, to bring athletics back to the Gathering.
“It’s proved very popular with both spectators and competitors, who absolutely love the atmosphere and the crowds. I’ve worked very hard to get the best athletes in Scotland to come to Cowal, and some great performances have been turned out on the track.”
He claimed that a gun had been held at the Gathering’s head by the Pipe Band Association. “Basically they’re saying that they’ll withdraw from the Gathering and set up another competition elsewhere on the same day - and bar any bands that come to Cowal.”
. . . and the Gathering’s response
The accusations of blackmail by the RSPBA are completely unfounded. As always the Board and Management of the Cowal Highland Gathering work closely with their partners in the RSPBA to identify and implement ways of enhancing the Gathering for the spectators who attend the event. The RSPBA appoint venues for their Major Championships by a process of review and tendering. Thus each venue is subject to review on an annual basis by the RSPBA and the very nature of this process can result in rumours emanating as to which bid is going to be successful.
The level of competitiveness in the Pipe Band Championship has greatly increased over recent years and it is important that the event hosts ensure that the facilities they provide are of a similar standard. As we are subject to an annual tendering process it is important that we seek regular feedback from the Pipe Bands, their supporters and the organisation that represents them. We must also take into consideration the health and safety of both our spectators and competitors. In our debrief last year it was
pointed out that there were a number of areas at certain times on the Saturday became very congested, so much so that we felt this would hamper the access for emergency vehicles. The changes we are making should improve the event for the majority of spectators, in both their enjoyment of the event and their safety and would ensure Cowal stayed at the forefront of
Highland Gatherings.
These changes have been presented to the RSPBA and they have accepted them enthusiastically. As a result we are introducing several changes to the layout of the Pipe Band Championships this year. The changes are aimed at getting the competing bands closer to their spectators in order to enhance their enjoyment of the Gathering and will be reviewed as part of the Gathering’s extensive debrief procedure post event.
2. How does the withdrawal of these events square with the Gathering’s declared aim of spreading the attraction of the weekend to encompass a wider audience, e.g., the inclusion of events such as classic vehicles and wild bird displays?
The changes being introduced this year are aimed at enhancing the event for the majority of spectators and also aimed at introducing new elements and re-introducing some traditional elements to the event. The feedback we have received over the last few years is that people wish to be closer to the bands when they compete. It was also felt that the area that the bands are allocated for their use was not large enough given the large number of bands that are in attendance. The changes we are introducing will address both of these situations.
We are also introducing a Ceilidh tent on the top field this year which will be an added attraction. We are aiming to have a mix of new and established performers competing throughout the Saturday and it is hoped that this will become a permanent feature of the Gathering in years to come.
I am also delighted to confirm that I am currently in discussion with representatives of the Traditional Wrestling fraternity with a view to re-introducing wrestling to the main arena on the Saturday.
Whilst we would have preferred to not lose any elements from the Gathering, like all major events we have a responsibility to our atendees to continually strive to build on what we have, in order to exceed their expectations and maintain our position as the Largest and most competitive traditional Highland Gathering in the world.
The changes will not affect the Schools Athletics on the Friday or the 5k race on the Thursday night and in fact we are looking at the possibility of introducing a 10k race in the future. It should also be known that we did look at holding the Track and Shinty events on alternative days of the Gathering but representatives of both events declined this as an option.
3. Shinty enjoys a wide - and growing - following locally, and its location on the upper park in no way interferes with events in the main stadium. Why, therefore, was it thought expedient to drop shinty - especially since Cowal is now a major contender as a regular venue for the Camanachd Cup?
When we looked at how best to achieve our goals of enhancing the Pipe Band Championships we identified that, given the area of the top field, it was currently being under utilised, with the whole area being dedicated to approx. 200 competitors and spectators. Whilst the lower field had approximately 3,500 competitors concentrated in an area less than half thesize of the top pitch. The changes being introduced allow us to make better
use of the area available, whilst achieving our goals of expanding one of the biggest draws to the Gathering.
4. This decision is supposedly only on a year’s trial. What guarantee is there that, given the ill-feeling that it’s bound to generate among the athletics and shinty fraternity locally and fromfurther afield, that they may not want to come backin the future and indeed, may be poached by Games elsewhere?
All the changes being made this year will be reviewed in great detail during our extensive debrief process and a decision will be made as to whether we proceed with them going forward, or they are amended or dropped for future years.
Obviously we have no guarantee that, if the decision was made to change back to the previous format, either the track athletes or the Camanachd Association would wish to return to the Gathering. However, there would be no guarantee that we would not look to bring in other attractions to enhance the event rather than reverting to previous formats.
5. In the absence of shinty, what’s going to happen on the top park?This year two of the Pipe Band Arenas, that have been on the main arena in past years will move onto the top pitch. This allows spectators to get closer to the bands when they are competing and also removes the congestion problems we experienced annually at the entrance to the west arenas. Another benefit of these changes is that the Bands have more room to tune up and are not all concentrated to one small area of the Stadium.
As mentioned previously we are also introducing a ceilidh tent on the top field, which it is hoped, will become a meeting place for ceilidh band enthusiasts and everyday spectators alike who is looking for somewhere to relax and escape the hubbub of the rest of the event.
6. This decision raises obvious concerns about the future direction of the Gathering, in terms of how it can grow in an increasingly competitive market when its options are apparently
constrained by outside parties. How accurate is that perception?
As mentioned earlier the changes that we are introducing this year are driven by our desire to secure the future of the Gathering and to ensure that it remains at the forefront of the Worlds Highland Gatherings. If it was possible we would have preferred to have made these enhancements to the event without the need to lose existing elements of the Gathering but the
constraints of the layout of the stadium meant that it was not possible to retain everything.
Extensive market research over recent years has highlighted the elements of the Gathering which most attract visitors together with those aspects they perceived as “missing” from our event. The changes introduced in 2007 will enhance the current aspects enjoyed by the majority of spectators and will aim to introduce the additional attractions which most wished to experience such as greater element of entertainment and other traditional music formats.


THE WAY FORWARD
On May 3 the introduction of the Single Transferable Vote and multi-member wards in the local government elections paved the way for a fresh look at how we work together, both as councillors and with our communities and other partners.
I was heartened by the approach taken by our newly elected MSP, Jim Mather, in the piece he wrote for the Dunoon Observer last week. Then he expressed the desire to see all the key players from the public, private and voluntary sectors unite to achieve common goals of attracting future investment, new residents and more visitors.
In this I agree with him entirely. Working in partnership is a prerequisite for success, and in Argyll and Bute, we are already putting in place the structures to support this new approach.
An Alliance of Indepen-dent Councillors has been formed, bringing together all 16 Independents to work in a coalition with our SNP colleagues. We have formed a strong Executive of 16 Members which will provide vision and leadership across all of the council’s interests. We have formed Policy and Performance Groups that will closely monitor policy and service performance. We have appointed Spokespersons and Members to outside bodies who will ensure a strong voice for Argyll and Bute.
We will continue the development of Community Planning and, along with our partners, work with all agencies in our drive to have Argyll and Bute recognised as Scotland’s Leading Rural Area.
The way that we organise ourselves will have a positive impact on the way that we deliver services to you and I would ask that you work with us to identify those areas of concern, both locally and throughout Argyll and Bute, which most need attention and which, realistically, can be addressed.
In Education we aim to maintain and improve the quality of our learning and teaching. With five new school campuses, including the new Dunoon Grammar School, due to open later this year, the quality of the school environment will improve dramatically for teachers and pupils alike.
In Transportation we will continue to fight for a ferry service to meet our needs and for more money to be spent on our roads.
In Health and Social Care Services we will work as part of the new Community Health Partnerships, through the redesign processes, to improve our home, residential and dementia care services to provide support for the most vulnerable people in our community - the elderly, infirm and disabled.
We will continue to work hard to secure the resources needed to kick-start the development and improve the economy. A vibrant economy will provide new opportunities and encourage our young people to stay or return as active citizens.
We will work with communities to support the events that bring people together and attract visitors to the area.
Locally, it is our ambition and intention to improve the whole of the waterfront area of Dunoon as the new and much improved Marine Gateway to the National Park.
Our purpose in the council is clear: to provide essential local services that are efficient, cost effective and responsive to needs; and to promote policies which will make Argyll and Bute a good place to live, work and visit, with a clean, safe and attractive environment, a positive culture and a strong community spirit.
How we deliver those services and promote policies that will make a difference needs a new and innovative approach. We need to constantly review what we are doing, why we are doing it and how we do it to ensure that we deliver quality services at the least possible cost.
In the recognition of the constant challenges, changes and pressures which face local government, our key priorities remain:
To further improve the efficiency, accountability and effectiveness of the council
To secure a fair share of resources through increased funding from the Scottish Executive and Europe
To manage an agenda for change in transportation, education, health, social care, housing, the environment, public utilities, roads and infrastructure
To consult and listen to our communities and to promote regular clearer and stronger communication links
To actively support our voluntary sector organisations
To develop further the corporate governance of the council to provide for proper scrutiny and improved service performance. And it is clear that we cannot succeed in achieving our aims by working alone.
I do not underestimate the challenges which face us in achieving these goals and I recognise that there will be tough decisions to be taken both now and in the future, but I am confident that by working together we can make Argyll and Bute a better place to live, to work and to visit - to make it Scotland’s Leading Rural Area.
Councillor Dick Walsh
Leader, Argyll and Bute Council


Locals have their say on park plan
Around 370 people attended the seven Local Plan Open Days which have been held so far in communities throughout Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park. The open days let residents contribute to the early stages of the preparation of the first Local Plan for the Park, which will contain detailed policies and site-specific proposals for the development and use of land.
Community participation in the open days has been extremely positive, with many people choosing to spend one to two hours at the events. Participants respond to a series of questions on posters around the room and place flags in a large-scale map to show where they think certain types of development should take place or where areas or features should be protected from development.
Speaking about the open days, Tracey Peedle, Principal Planning Officer for the National Park Authority, said: “We’re delighted with the turnout so far and would like to thank everyone who has come along and taken part. The open days are very useful in identifying local issues in each community. It was especially good to see a range of age groups taking part and thinking about the use of land in their community.”
The seven communities which have taken part so far are Gartmore, Strathard, Drymen, Callander, Lochgoil, Croftamie and Buchanan. Initial feedback from the first open days is available from www.lochlomond-trossachs.org.
Along with other strands of work, information from all the Local Plan Open Days will help inform a Main Issues Report, which will be published for consultation late 2007 or early 2008. For enquiries about the National Park Local Plan please email localplan@lochlomond-trossachs.org or speak to a member of the Policy Team on 01389 722600.


Walsh on air over graves
On Wednesday afternoon BBC Radio Scotland conducted a live interview from Cowal Cemetery with several locals who have been affected by the recent uprooting of headstones throughout Cowal.
Three of the people whose stories the Observer have covered recently, Linda Pursley, Christine Goffin and Martha McNab, were interviewed about their personal situations and their thoughts on the whole process by Laura Maxwell, who then spoke with Councillor Dick Walsh, Argyll and Bute Council leader.
Cllr Walsh opened by saying that he had been unaware of the plans to uproot hundreds of headstones throughout the area. He said: “We, the councillors, knew nothing about the plans to uproot the gravestones until it had actually started happening; the instruction was given by the local area management.”
He then admitted that he looked at some of the headstones that had been taken down with despair.
“We are now looking at putting the stones back as soon as possible,” he added.
When asked as to whether disciplinary action will be taken against anyone, Cllr Walsh replied: “Not at this stage, however it will be looked at.”
Cllr Walsh then went on to say that only headstones that are causing a clear risk will be removed, and not before strenuous efforts have been made to contact the families concerned. This, he said, was a guarantee.
Regarding whether or not the council workers who will be re-erecting the stones will be trained or not he added: “Absolutely. The stones must be erected to a particular standard and we will ensure that those conducting that exercise will be fully trained.”
Cllr Walsh was also at pains to point out that the incident at Strachur, where council workers were met by Mrs McNab and fellow residents who blockaded the cemetery forcing the workers to turn back without actually taking down any stones, was totally avoidable.
He said: “I was extremely surprised at council workers turning up at Strachur Cemetery as work had already been suspended by that time.”