LOCAL NEWS 24 MAY 2023

Skye school takes on 500-mile defib challenge

Pupils from Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig Phort Rìgh and Sgoil Araich have today taken part in a 500-mile walking challenge to raise money for a community defibrillator.

The school pupils were joined by parents and staff as they undertook the challenge from the Skye Camanachd club house in Portree.

Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig Phort Rìgh aim is to raise £2,000 for a defibrillator through the Skye-based charity Lucky2Bhere, which has place more than 700 life-saving devices across Scotland.

Radio Skye went along to the Skye Camanachd clubhouse this morning for the start of the challenge.

Here is Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig Phort Rìgh head teacher Flora Guidi talking about the school’s fundraising enterprise.

To find out more or donate to you can visit the fundraising page here.

NHS Highland “sorry” over departure of key Skye health care worker

NHS Highland has today praised the work of a long-serving occupational therapist on Skye who left her job after she claims she was denied full-time hours.

Anne Marie Ferguson worked as an occupational therapist on Skye for a decade helping patients discharged from both Broadford and Portree Hospital.

On Tuesday she told Radio Skye that she left her job after her her request to increase hours from 25 to 37 a week to meet the demands of her job and managed increased cost of living were rejected.

The former healthcare worker said that while she had no choice but to leave the NHS, she feels she has let her former colleagues down.

A statement sent to Radio Skye today, a spokesperson for NHS said: “We are sorry that Anne Marie has moved from her post as occupational therapist as she was a valued member of the team locally.

“Over the past few years, we have increased the local team’s capacity by 25 per cent to meet clinical need.

“Although we currently do not have vacancies in the occupational therapy team on Skye we are working with local teams to consider where we can use peoples’ skills and expertise in wider roles across clinical areas.

“I am sorry that this was not yet an option for Anne Marie at the time she left the Board.”

Police appeal for information on fatal Strathcarron crash

Police are appealing for information following a fatal road crash in Strathcarron on Tuesday night.

Police received a report of a Volkswagen Polo colliding with a bridge on the A890 at Strathcarron at 9.05 on Tuesday night

Emergency services attended and the 79-year-old male driver of the car was pronounced dead at the scene.

The road was closed for several hours as crash scene investigators conducted enquiries at the scene.

Sergeant Alasdair MacKay said: “Enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances of the crash and I would appeal to anyone who may have been in the area around the time of the incident to contact us.”

Sergeant McKay asked for those with dash cam equipment to check their footage as it could hold images which would assist with the police’s enquiries.

Anyone with information is asked to call Police Scotland via 101, quoting incident number 3769 of 23 May 2023.

Highland public toilet map shows lack of baby changing and disabled provisions

The Highland Council has today published a map detailing public conveniences across the local authority region.

The number of Comfort Scheme providers -providing public convenience facilities is set to increase by more than 30 per cent from 42 to 55 with new 3-year agreements in place.

However, of the 12 public toilets located across Skye, only two, in Glendale and at the Old Man of Storr, provide both baby changing and disabled facilities, while in Lochalsh, Glenelg is the only convenience stop to offer both provisions.

The results of a survey conducted by the Highland Council found that 14 per cent of the current comfort schemes are located in Skye and Lochalsh, while 27 per cent of all the comfort scheme operators were on the NC500.

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