Woman sends warning about playing chicken on railway line by Carrbridge
After seeing your story about the near-thing at Carrbridge Station (February 6) on my Facebook feed it immediately brought back a hugely significant and horrific experience.
I would very happily meet with these children - if found - and retell how it felt when the body parts of a child hit the other side of the window my head was resting on, whilst sat on a train from Dewsbury to Manchester some years ago.
It was a young boy about 12, playing chicken near Mirfield.
He didn’t go home that night and I’ve never felt such horror and grief.
So so sad and needless.
Let’s hope they are found and made to understand the reality of what can and does happen.
Paula Topley
Cupar.
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Punish culprit for release of boars
The recent illegal release of feral pigs in the Cairngorms National Park is an appalling act of irresponsibility that threatens both our farming industry and our natural environment.
The deliberate introduction of non-native species without oversight can have catastrophic consequences, including the spread of disease, damage to crops, and harm to local wildlife.
As a councillor representing rural communities, I am deeply concerned about the impact of this reckless behaviour.
Farmers and landowners already face enough challenges without having to contend with the dangers posed by uncontrolled feral animals.
Those responsible must be held accountable, and I urge the Scottish Executive to take decisive action to prevent future incidents.
Scotland’s rural economy and biodiversity must be protected from such reckless interference.
I call on all relevant authorities to ensure this matter is investigated thoroughly and that appropriate measures are put in place to safeguard our countryside from further harm.
Alastair Redman
Islay.
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It is essential that everyone has access to the law in UK
Clark Cross (Strathy letters, February 6) writes that Greenpeace and Uplift should lose their charitable status, apparently because they brought and won a judicial review.
He implies also that this ruling was wrong as it delays oil and gas production from the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields.
The Scottish Court of Session held that the production licenses were unlawful, because their environmental assessments had not included emissions from using this oil and gas.
It followed the law, set out by the UK Supreme Court in Finch v Surrey County Council, that production of oil needs assessment of emissions from burning oil, not just from extracting it.
Whether or not Rosebank and Jackdaw should be allowed to produce oil and gas is now a decision for the UK Government after a proper environmental assessment.
The Government might allow it, perhaps for some of the reasons given by Clark Cross. But it might not, for there are also arguments against.
The task of the Court of Session was to apply the law, not to anticipate the outcome of future environmental assessments.
How can Clark Cross argue that Greenpeace and Uplift should lose their legal status for bringing this case?
Access to the law is a fundamental right in this country.
Dermot Williamson
Kincraig.
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Extending speed limit to the Eilan
I was very pleased and encouraged to receive a a personal and detailed response to my submission to Highland Council’s consultation on the 20 mph limit in built up areas.
The start of the 20mph limit on the B9150 into Newtonmore will be properly signposted.
The impact of Tullloch Homes new Spey Green development, while not part of the consultation, will be assessed.
I trust the outcome will be to extend the current 20mph limit to cover the whole of the frontage of the Spey Green housing development and that this can be done reasonably speedily as the first residents are due to move in at the end of March.
Ideally the new limit should start at the Eilan shinty pitch to give vehicles time to slow down before Spey Green.
Tulloch Homes are setting a 20 mph limit within the whole of Spey Green, so I assume that they will want to seize this opportunity to press Highland Council to extend the current 20 mph limit along the B9150 to cover the whole of their development.
As the A86 (Kingussie to Speak Bridge) is classified as a trunk road it is the responsibility of Transport Scotland, so they will have ordered the new red 20 circles in Kingussie and Newtonmore not Highland Council. Returning to pedestrians having priority it is worth highlighting Rule H2 in the Highway Code in particular the first sentence:
Rule H2 - Rule for drivers, motorcyclists, horse drawn vehicles, horse riders and cyclists
At a junction you should give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross a road into which or from which you are turning.
Unfortunately Rule H3 – Rule for drivers and motorcyclists regarding giving way to cyclists, horse riders or horse drawn vehicles is also too often disregarded.
Jim Budd
Newtonmore.
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Do not let history be repeated with Putin
President Trump’s statement that he plans to start negotiations with Vladimir Putin on ending the war in Ukraine is reminiscent of one of the darkest episodes in Europe’s history, and that is the Munich Agreement.
Munich is still regarded as the gold standard of great betrayals, and history is in grave danger of repeating itself. On September 29, 1938, the British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, horrified by the prospect of a wider war, helped France to wriggle out of its commitment to defend Czechoslovakia by signing a deal to appease Nazi Germany.
The Czechs were cut out of the negotiations and the price for peace was the dismemberment of Czechoslovakia, which surrendered its German-speaking areas — the Sudetenland — and with it a formidable network of Czech fixed defences.
Hitler’s hunger was not satisfied with the acquisition of the Sudetenland, and peace as we know was temporary. To paraphrase a warning often attributed to Churchill, British leaders, given the choice between war and dishonour, chose dishonour and got war anyway.
A Munich-style capitulation is precisely what Putin seeks, and his appetite for territory, like Nazi Germany, will not be appeased by the sell-out of Ukraine.
Alex Orr
Edinburgh.
