Here in Lewis, money has been earmarked for a feasibility study into turning Lews Castle into a 4-star hotel, which is something that is apparently lacking in these parts. At the moment, the Castle, which features in my pictures every now and again, is crumbling at its prominent position overlooking Stornoway Harbour.
The Western Isles Health Board continues to make headlines, after a new chairman was installed. John Angus MacKay is the current chairman of the Stornoway Arts Centre, An Lanntair. Health Minister Andy Kerr has expressed full confidence in Mr MacKay's commitment to public service. The previous chairman resigned in August after the Board found itself spending £4.5m in excess of its income. There were also problems with bullying and intimidation, which led to a breakdown of trust between staff and management.
Unfortunately, the people of Scalpay are not
impressed with the Board's activities or lack of them, surrounding
their health centre. Until 1997, you needed a ferry to reach Scalpay;
it's a small island 5 miles east of Tarbert, Harris. Now that a bridge
has been built, the Health Board argued that the Scalpeachs could go to
Tarbert to see a doctor. An angry populace has risen up and demanded
that the service be retained in their island. It would appear that the
Board's plans have fallen flat on their face, as they have allowed the
health centre in Scalpay to fall into disrepair. The walls are
paperthin, allowing people in adjacent rooms to overhear confidential
conversations. In other respects, the building is unfit for purpose.
Net result: the Health Board is forced to spend money doing up the
Scalpay health centre, money that it can ill afford to spend at the
moment. I should add that there are two islands called Scalpay in the northwest of Scotland. The other is an uninhabited island to the northwest of Broadford in Skye.
which has a view like below
oh my gosh....that last picture is stunning!
ReplyDeleteI'm always impressed with how much you know about Scotland...
~Amy
I'm not so sure about making it a hotel....but maybe a museum. Although, both ideas would generate income, keep it maintained, and pay any taxes and fees it has to pay.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful picture I wish I could come to Scotland sometime.
Pam
Such beauty... wow...
ReplyDeletebe well,
Dawn
My daughter's been to Scotland and I've been over it but I've always felt a kinship and would love to go and find a suitable place to call my own. Would you like the visitors, it would bring more income and probably jobs for the area but then again it can alway run a place down and thing's would change to admit the newcomers.
ReplyDeleteGive it a thought! The pictures are beautiful, it's clean,it's airy and so new looking. Ei a good place to be huh Guido.
:))))))Doreen
What fabulous photographs. I wouldn't mind if they renovated the castle and turned it into a hotel instead of a museum. I for one would certainly come and holiday there. Jeanie
ReplyDeleteSorry it's so grey up there Guido, it's been grey here today but has cleared as night fell leaving freezing temperatures. The photos are stunning of the two islands, hope they get their issues on healthcare resolved. Pity they let the place fall into such a state of disrepair. Jeannette xx http://journals.aol.co.uk/jlocorriere05/Welcometomytravels/
ReplyDelete