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.
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