Wednesday 21 December

Thirty-four years ago today, at just after 7pm, all communications ceased between PanAm flight 103 and ground stations. Its radar blip split into pieces which quickly fell out of range. The wreckage of the plane slammed into the town of Lockerbie, 70 miles southeast of Glasgow and 26 miles northwest of Carlisle. Eleven people were killed in the town, 259 died on the plane. A bomb had exploded on board. Culpability was lain with Gadaffi's Libya, one man was convicted (of a relatively minor role), one was acquitted and another has recently been accused of complicity - building the bomb. The chain of command has never really been cleared up.

We remember the victims of this, the worst terrorist atrocity on British soil.

On a personal note. In late July 1981, I was travelling up the A74 (which passes Lockerbie) by car. I was struck by something not unlike a premonition after passing the Scottish border near Carlisle. When it passed, I looked out of the window and saw this roadsign. It features in many of the photographs, taken in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy. Nowadays, the A74 has been upgraded to the M74 motorway, and the intersection shown is now junction 18 on that road.

Thursday 15 December

So, after many years, the interconnector is going to be. The capacity will be 1,800 MW (1.8 GW), three times what was proposed last time I looked at it. This will enable the establishment of a number of on-shore renewables projects in Lewis and Harris, including (presumably) the Muaitheabhal windfarm in Eishken, south of Stornoway. The cable will run from Arnish, across the water from my position, to Dundonnell on the mainland, west of Ullapool, and thence to a switching station near Beauly, west of Inverness.

I understand this apparently sudden push for renewables, particularly in view of the war in Ukraine and the need for this country to wean itself off Russian oil and gas. Whether I am happy for this island to be sprinkled with windturbines is another matter. I am pleased this cable was not there when the huge, 180 turbine, windfarm was proposed with turbines marching from Ness in the north, via Bragar to Stornoway. But there will still be windturbines gu leòr, detracting from the wilderness aspect of Lewis and Harris. That is not a dewy-eyed yearning for the past. That means that one of the reasons why people like to come and visit this place will be diminished. And tourism remains one of the other pillars of the islands' economy.

Monday 12 December

I was very sad to learn that three young boys died after falling through ice on a pond near Birmingham. The shards left on the ice indicate that it was not even half an inch thick. My thoughts are with the bereaved families and with the members of the emergency services who jeopardised their own safety by jumping into the freezing water to try to save the four that had got into trouble. One did survive, but is still in hospital in a critical condition. Thought will have to be given to the safety message around open water, whether frozen or not.

I will add this personal note. Ice should be at least 4 inches (10 cm) thick for (a number of) people to safely walk or skate on it. In Holland, a 125 mile ice skating race is organised after periods of very cold weather. This Eleven Cities Race will only be held if the ice on the entire route is at least 6 inches (15 cm) thick. The last four editions were held in 1963, 1985, 1986 and 1997, which shows how rarely these conditions are met, and how stringent they are being adhered to. 

The Royal Life Saving Society has issued this advice:

Staying safe near frozen lakes

• Children should not go on the ice under any circumstances
• Stay away from the edge of bodies of water as uneven terrain can make slips and falls more likely
• Whenever possible, stick to well-lit routes away from water
• Keep dogs on a lead when they're near the ice, and don't throw sticks or toys on to the ice
• If a pet falls in, do not go on to the ice nor into the water to rescue them, move somewhere where the dog can climb out and call them to you

Wednesday 7 December

On 7th December 1941, the Empire of Japan attacked the United States' Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. It was to bring the US into the Second World War, after more than two years at the sidelines of the conflict. This move signalled the beginning of the end for the Japanese Empire: one of its leaders observed that we have wakened a giant. Three years and eight months later, an atomic bomb on Hiroshima and another one on Nagasaki prompted the surrender of Japan. The war in the Pacific was brutal, and indescribably atrocities were visited upon those under Japanese occupation, not to mention upon any prisoners, or prisoners of war.

The Japanese emperor was stripped of his status as a deity in exchange for not having to face war crimes charges. Japan has never apologised, for whatever good that would have done, for its actions during WW2; and its neighbours, like Korea and China, still regard the land of the Rising Sun with suspicion.

Glumag Harbour

The powers-that-be in these parts curtsey to the lure of money (the easier the better) and the Wisdom of the Man in the Castle. These days not Sir James Matheson or Lord Leverhulme. The Man in the Castle now takes the shape of EDF (in the case of windfarms) or Big Tourism, from the cruise companies or the owners of yachts, either moored in the Newton Marina or on the Costas of the Mediterranean. Who are we, lowly peasants, cottars and crofters, to question the wisdom of those who have more money than we ever hope to earn in multiples of our lifetime </sarcasm>.

This in comment to an event that will be hosted at Lews Castle tomorrow, December 7th, to explore the potential of the cruiseline sector to the economy of the Western Isles.

Apart from the sycophantic boot-licking that drips off the article, there is also the sheer short-sightedness of it all. The huge cruiseliners that will be able to dock at Glumag Harbour from 2024 will disgorge hundreds of tourists on our fragile infrastructure, roads, supplies and tourism amenities. This summer, there have been three accidents on the single-track road between Carloway and the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village (museum), some involving a tourist coach. 

We have some time to contemplate the way forward with this project. The way cruise passengers were accommodated in the past cannot be extrapolated into the situation that arises once the Glumag Harbour project has been completed: to the tune of fifty million pounds.

Monday 5 December

 As a cold snap starts, my thoughts briefly turn to the festival of St Nicholas. Observed in parts of Europe, latterly (as I mentioned in a blogpost in November) become tainted by zealous political correctness regarding skincolour. It really needs to be rethought. Where did the innocent fun go that I remember from my young years? Anyway, happy Sinterklaas if you're having a prezzie party tonight.

Sunday 4 December