Farming family's fight to save roots
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DULNAIN Bridge farmers William and Betty Calder are fighting a move to remove them from their 34-acre farm in a Land Court hearing at Grantown this week.
The family, who farm at Wester Laggan Farm, Dulnain Bridge, have held that tenancy through three generations of their family for the last 88 years.
Now they are contesting a move by the owners of Muckrack Estate to terminate their tenancy.
The estate, which is owned by the Anstruther-Gough-Calthopre family, wants to amalgamate the farm into the 1,000 acre farming partnership which they operated from Ballintomb.
The 6,000 acre Muckrach Estate, bought by the Calthorpe family from Seafield Estates about 20 years ago, also includes a hotel and castle.
Mr and Mrs Calder first heard of the plans to terminate their tenancy in November 1985 just after the death of Mrs Calder’s father, Mr George Anderson.
The farm came into the family’s tenancy through Mrs Calder’s grandfather Mr John Anderson in 1899, her father took it over in 1933 and when Mr George Anderson died at the age of 92 the tenancy was bequeathed to Mrs Calder.
Formal approach was made to the Land Court late in 1985 raising an action under the 1949 Agricultural Holdings Act seeking consent to serve the Calders with a notice to quit.
Single-handed fight against fly
Badenoch and Strathspey District Council are on their own in their fight against the black fly.
Other Scottish local authorities are not prepared to back them in their struggle to eradicate or control the problem.
Local councillors had sought the support of COSLA, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, in finding a solution to the problem.
But COSLA will only reconsider their ”no action” decision if there was evidence in future that “black fly is becoming a nuisance on a national scale”.
All Scottish authorities were asked if they were experiencing similar problems to those of Kincraig residents and visitors who suffer the nasty biting habits of the fly each year.
“Of the 41 replies received only five had had any occurrence of black fly and none indicated any serious difficulty,” said the reply from COSLA.
The council will therefore have to await the outcome of a three-year study which is going on into the breeding habits of the fly.
Meantime, we must also remind people not to spray areas with chemicals while we do not yet know their effect on the environment, said Kincraig councillor Joe Wainford.
Woolly wanderers locked up!
LOCAL lamb is the recipe for a row brewing in Newtonmore over crofters’ grazing rights.
Local hotelier Mr John Grover claims marauding sheep destroy hundreds of pounds worth of plants in his and other gardens in the village each year.
He also warns of the potential danger such animals cause wandering on the main village roads.
This spring he has taken his protest a step further by impounding the offending creatures until the damages are paid for.
“This cannot be allowed to go on any longer,” said Mr Grover, “Newtonmore has been trying to improve its image for tourists for years and it is all being spoiled by some people not controlling their animals.
“This is no longer a crofting village, there are other industries now such as tourism from which many people make their living.”
He said the problem cropped up year after year and he was tired asking owners to look after their animals.
“This year I want payment for the damage these sheep have caused. I spent £400 on bulbs, £200 on shrubs and £150 on heathers this year and now they are strewn all over the place,” added Mr Grover.
The roaming sheep were impounded almost two weeks ago and Mr Grove intends to keep them until they are claimed and damages paid or until April 30 when they are to be sold to recoup damages.
Success writes silver story
THE 25th ANNIVERSARY of the Cairngorm Chairlift Co is being celebrated with a specially produced silver brochure.
The brochure – “Cairngorm – a Success Story” – outlined the history of skiing on the “Hill” which dates back 90 years. But it was not until 1961-62 that a new dimension was added with the opening of the White Lady Chairlift.
It comments on the pioneers of the Cairngorm development, the skills which have been required in landscaping and high altitude re-seeding and the growing popularity of the sport.
But of the future, the brochure says: “The Cairngorm ski are currently faces powerful opposition from conservation groups who are vehemently against the further incursion of skiers and tows to the west.
“It is therefore essential that skiers make their case known. In this way, Cairngorm and its skiers and the children of skiers will experience another successful quarter century.”
