Friday 14/04/06

Dawn breaks at 5.30 a.m. at the moment. Nice sunny morning until about 11 am., when a shower slowly moves east over Arnish. Another cumulus is seen raining out over the town. It nonetheless stays on the whole sunny, and 9C is not bad. The Galson estate in North Lewis looks set to be the subject of a successful community buy-out bid. The Galson Trust has secured funding totalling £627k, which means puts it in a good position to buy the estate land against the owner's wishes. This is possible under Scottish legislation. To acquire all this funding, the Trust has had to put together a cast-iron business plan. The Park Trust, in Southeast Lewis, has got problems doing so. Its primary source of income has been reduced, following a decision of adjacent landowner Nick Oppenheimer to reduce the proposed number of windturbines on the Eishken Estate from 133 to 53. The Park Trust has a proportional share in those turbines, under the Muaitheabhal [Muyaval] Trust structure. A glorious evening draws to a close at sunset at 8.36. The ferry came in, very busy indeed. I go out with mrs B to Engebret's shop up the road at 10pm. It's still a little light by that time. In a month's time, it will be light after midnight.