YOUR VIEWS: ‘My heart goes out to farmers losing lambs’

On a recent Lynx Study Visit with staff from the Cairngorms National Park Authority we saw and heard about the Swiss government’s livestock protection, which was years ahead of ours if we are ever going to release Apex Predators here.

Only 24 hours after talking with their senior practitioner in livestock predation from Agridea we returned to hear of the sea eagle attacks on lambs in Laggan.

I immediately suggested to the CNPA that they organise a trial using the two Guardian Dogs trained for this very purpose with Jonny at Highland Falconery Aviemore - sadly my idea was not taken up.

We are a long, long way from releasing anymore predators when we do not take up opportunities like this.

My heart goes out to those poor sheep keepers suffering this new kind of predation to add to the many other things they have to put up with.

I also struggle to understand how anybody can condone the kind of suffering this poor lambs suffer being picked up by huge talons and flown of to be eaten - the death must be long and suffering.

Ruaridh Ormiston

Kingussie.

* * *

Unease over the rise of re-wilding

"Re-wilding" (Strathy, 9th May) as imposed on our country by politicians and pressure groups seems to be based more on ideological than on practical and humane motivations.

The farmers and others dismayed and hurt by the reintroduction of, say, sea eagles and the beaver have good reason to complain.

Decisions as to such potentially harmful and dangerous further reintroductions as the calls for the return of the wolf and the lynx to our countryside should depend on any convincing, tangible benefits sought rather than on enthusiasts' perceptions of an ideal world.

Is the white-tailed eagle really any more "magnificent" than, say, the robin?

All around planet Earth, hugely greater losses, destruction and suffering than benefits have always resulted from the imposition of political leaders' choices of ideologies on their nations' and people's lives.

Witness all these wars.

Charles Wardrop

Perth.

* * *

Dual all of the A9 not just to Inverness

Although of course it’s a tragedy that someone else has lost their life on the A9 road both of the comments of here from Laura Hansler and Fergus Ewing seem to forget the A9 does not end at Inverness.

The route goes a lot further up and the road from Inverness north is worse but they both have an agenda because obviously they live in that part ofthe world.

But there is a real need to dual the whole road.

Christopher Cade

Invergordon.

* * *

A sad goodbye to last bank branch

I have penned these verses as we prepare for the last local bank closure after the Bank of Scotland’s decision to axe its Aviemore branch.

Bad news for all those people, Who don't wish to bank on-line,

Alas the High Street branches, Are now running out of time.

They tell us more are closing, Although most have already gone,

For those unable to do tech, The decision is so wrong.

If you do not own a smart phone, Or don't use the internet,

The very thought of on-line banking, Can present a dreadful threat.

With so many stories on the news, Horrific tales of cyber crime,

No wonder folk are terrified, That they could loose their funds on line.

The closing of so many branches, Has left the elderly most affected,

Their trusted friendly tellers, Who made them feel protected.

If you wish to use the phone, To carry out transactions,

There are passwords to be remembered, Before you achieve some action.

To get a real person answering, Who may speak on your landline,

Is sometimes quite impossible, And can take a lot of time.

Unfortunately the travelling bank, Often fails to get to town,

The staff are quite delightful, But the customers feel let down.

It's a pity that the cash machines, Sometimes run out of money,

Or can also suffer breakdowns, Which really is not funny.

In our Highland tourist towns, It can be an annoying loss,

If visitors cannot access cash, They may become quite cross.

Shopkeepers must put their takings, In a safe and secure place,

But with the absence of a local bank, It is really a disgrace.

Every time a bank is closed, Alas more jobs are lost,

Customers loose direct support, Do the management care a toss?

If customers must travel miles, To see a banker 'face to face',

They will likely burn a lot of fuel, It's an ecological disgrace.

Their buildings were often very grand, Those sold put to good use,

Being done up to a high standard, They're now looking very spruce.

But with the banks departure, A way of life has gone forever,

One really can't help wondering, Whether these closures are so clever.

Barbie Miller

Strathspey Gardens

Grantown.

* * *

Pensioners in the UK deserve decent State pension and respect

We are writing to express our deep concern about the ongoing plight of Britain's elderly citizens and to urge your readership to support a critical initiative aimed at addressing this pressing issue.

The government has been discussing raising the State pension age to 71, while both they and the DWP, are now referring to the State pension as a benefit thus inferring they may take it away at any time.

These government decisions will drastically affect the ongoing plight of Britain's elderly citizens, and tomorrow’s youth when they are old.

At the heart of our concern is how badly our pensioners are treated in this country, they are simply not revered, they are made to live on a very low State pension, a pension that for over four decades has left our elderly population struggling to make ends meet, on a meagre income equivalent to just 17 per cent of the basic 'Living Wage.'

This paltry sum forces millions of pensioners to rely on insulting and degrading means-tested handouts to get by on, with ever increasing utility bills, and food prices.

Due to the low savings threshold level to claim, pensioners only have to be one penny over the threshold, and they get nothing. The time has come for a fundamental reevaluation of our State pension provision here in the UK.

From the outset, the State must prioritise the payment of a decent level of basic State pension to all our elderly folk, present and future.

This should be the number one priority for any party seeking to govern our country.

Pensioners, have contributed to the prosperity of this nation over the course of their lives, and they deserve to share in the fruits of their labour.

Our demands go beyond economic considerations, they go to the very essence of what it means to be a civilised society.

Furthermore, it is imperative that we fully fund community and social care for the aged, without resorting to means-testing.

The State, using income taxpayers' money, can and must afford this expenditure.

Our elderly population deserves access to high-quality care and support services that enable them to live with dignity and independence in their later years. Any other finances, other than their State pension, is of no business to the government, or the DWP.

We urge your readers to join us in advocating for a fair and equitable basic State pension that reflects the values of our society.

By signing the petition at [https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/654389], they can add their voices to the growing chorus calling for change.

Wakeup Britain! (wakeupbritain2021@gmail.com)

Angela Templeton, Karen Burns, Dave Fabian, Denver Johnson, and Michael Thompson.

* * *

Consider becoming a living kidney donor

I am writing to you in response to Kidney Research UK’s and Give a Kidney’s new research which reveals how people across the country feel about living kidney donation.

The results are quite significant; 13% of people in the UK would consider becoming a living kidney donor for someone they don’t know, 55% for a family member and nearly a third (30%) for a friend.

This is against a backdrop of 80% of people believing you can change someone’s life, even if you’ve never met them.

These findings come as the waiting list for a kidney transplant in the UK sits at more than 5,500, with six people dying each week whilst waiting.

Last year, Kidney Research UK warned that cases of kidney disease and failure were growing so rapidly, the country faced a public health emergency.

Kidney disease is a huge problem globally.

Worldwide, kidney diseases are the tenth most common cause of death and the number of people developing kidney disease in the UK is growing significantly, driven by risk factors such as health and economic inequalities.

Our report published last year warned that the rapid rise in kidney disease and kidney failure meant the NHS could be overwhelmed in just ten years’ time.

The report also revealed that increasing the numbers of transplants from living donors would not only save lives but would also save the NHS money compared to expensive and life-limiting dialysis treatment.

Given this stark reality, this poll comes at a vital time and is part of a new UK-wide campaign, Make Your Mark, launched by Kidney Research UK and Give a Kidney to encourage more people to consider becoming a living kidney donor alongside support through a new website www.donateakidney.co.uk.

The campaign has been made possible thanks to significant support from David Dangoor CBE, who is himself a living kidney donor and we are hopeful the results of this poll will have a profound impact on those considering donating and help everyone gain a better understanding of the process involved.

If there is one message that we take from this research, it must be that it’s time to make kidney disease and transplantation a priority.

Sandra Currie,

Chief Executive,

Kidney Research UK.

---

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.

---