"Crack the Code" with LearnGaelic at Mòd 2012

The partnership behind the LearnGaelic.net web resource has today (Wednesday 17 October) announced a number of developments of the site including a new promotional campaign targeting Gaelic Learners. LearnGaelic with BBC An Là will provide two news clips chosen each week from BBC ALBA's An Là news programme. The video clips will be supported by translations and notes in English and text in Gaelic. Look@LearnGaelic has been developed by Mòr Media and targets learners at Intermediate and Advanced levels. Each week, over the course of a year, two new videos will be available on LearnGaelic.net featuring a variety of styles, including monologues and interviews with experts and with Gaelic learners. Each video will have a choice of subtitles in English or Gaelic. The videos will be presented by Derek Mackay and Angela Smith. BBC ALBA will also highlight "Crack the Code with LearnGaelic" in its schedules beginning on 10 November through a series of specially produced trails. Alasdair Allan MSP Minister for Education, Learning and Skills (with responsibility for Gaelic & Scots) was in attendance at the Royal National Mod in Dunoon and said: “We must not lose sight of online activity as a means of developing Gaelic skills. I am very pleased to see the continuing evolution of learngaelic.net and am very pleased to be able to invest an additional £20,000 into the site to produce additional online materials for learners of all ages. Learning Gaelic shouldn’t just be classroom-based and I hope to see learngaelic.net attract new learners to its pages in the coming months.” Donald Campbell, Chief Executive of MG ALBA, said: “The opportunity to learn Gaelic should be extended as widely as possible and it’s wonderful to see LearnGaelic.net develop new creative learning methods to inspire learners of the language. This welcome additional funding from the Government will help to ensure that Gaelic continues to enrich the lives of generations to come.” The "Crack the Code with LearnGaelic" campaign, which is being managed by Clì Gàidhlig, will also be supported by Moray Firth Radio on its Scottish Charts show, which can also be heard on a number of local Radio stations throughout Scotland, and from Hands Up for Trad who will be directing voters in the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards to the site. LearnGaelic.net which launched a year ago, is the result of a collaboration between Bòrd na Gàidhlig, MG ALBA, the BBC, the Board of Celtic Studies Scotland and Sabhal Mòr Ostaig with financial support from the Scottish Government.

BUSKERS – A NEW TELEVISION SERIES FOR BBC ALBA

BBC ALBA – starts Monday 22 October at 10.30pm The incredible talent, variety and diversity of Scotland’s street musicians is set to be captured in a new BBC ALBA series. Buskers, produced by BBC Gàidhlig, looks at possibly the toughest stage of all on which to learn your musical trade – on your own, on the streets! Each episode delves into the lives of current and former street artists with input from recording artists such as Eddi Reader and the busker’s biggest critic and supporter, the public. From young to, well, not so young, you can find every form of street artist, whether solo artists to full bands, fire jugglers to dancers, on the streets of Glasgow and Edinburgh. There are many reasons as to why buskers find themselves performing on the city streets, and Buskers is on a mission to find out why. So, what is the life of a busker like and how many of them actually “make it”? Spotted on Sauchiehall Street, Dutch saxophonist, Sybren Renema, is a regular performer on the streets of Glasgow. Sybren explains: “I just seemed to fall into this lifestyle, having graduated from university. I’m out most days and I have so many stories about my experiences, but I hope my parents won’t hear about them!” At the tender age of 14, Murdo Mitchell, from Johnstone, has not only become a busking sensation but also an internet one! He writes his own material and his numerous video postings on YouTube and Facebook attract a healthy following. He is passionate about music and far more interested in busking than his school work. Buskers opens the door on this often misunderstood lifestyle – often amusing but always entertaining with fascinating anecdotes and performances from the famous and those striving for fame. Buskers commences on BBC ALBA on Monday 22 October at 10.30pm and each consecutive Monday thereafter, and is repeated on Fridays at 10pm.

Council welcomes return of the Royal National Mod to Dunoon

One of the major sponsors of the Royal National Mod, Argyll and Bute Council has welcomed its return to Dunoon this month, when the 109th Mod will take place between 12th and 19th October. The council makes an annual financial contribution to the Royal National Mod, as part of an agreement which ensures the Mod will take place in Argyll and Bute every three years. Dunoon hosted the Royal National Mod in the years 1994, 2000 and 2006, and the Convenor of the Dunoon Mod 2012 Committee, Councillor Dick Walsh said ‘The Committee has worked hard to prepare for the return of the Royal National Mod and the terms of the council’s support for it give Argyll and Bute a terrific opportunity to showcase the area. The people of Dunoon are well-experienced in offering the sort of hospitality which creates a memorable event, and I know the town will rise to the occasion with warmth and enthusiasm. ‘ The eight-day celebration of Gaelic music, dance, drama, arts and literature attracts participants and visitors from around the world, benefits the local economy by between £3m and £5m, and provides an incentive for Gaelic medium education to develop and thrive. Local schools have participated successfully in previous events. Leader of Argyll and Bute Council, Councillor Roddy McCuish said ’The council is proud to support Scotland's premier Gaelic festival. The Royal National Mod has its roots in Argyll, and it’s great to see it coming back to Dunoon this year.’’ For more information on the 2012 Royal National Mod in Dunoon, go to http://www.dunoonmod2012.org/

Making sure assets realise best value - for everyone

ARGYLL and Bute Council has taken steps to create a clearer process for transferring local authority assets to third sector groups and support their valuable contribution to communities. Councillors met on Thursday 20 September to consider the Draft Third Sector Asset Transfer Arrangements relating to the local authority’s property assets. These properties are held by the council as resources to be used in the delivery of services. However, the council also recognises that it has a significant role to play in supporting the development of the third sector and its provision of services in the community. This means that, when it is possible, transfer of some council assets to third sector groups can help to empower communities as well as ultimately achieving better value for money for both the local authority and the wider community. Now the council has developed the Draft Third Sector Asset Transfer Arrangements, working in consultation with partners in the third sector, to establish an appropriate process to make this more effective. This will provide a fair and formal framework to follow when considering the transfer of assets. It will also identify and assess the ability of groups to sustain a building or piece of land on an ongoing basis. The process is also designed to highlight any wider community benefits that could result from a possible asset transfer. An assessment panel has been established to oversee the transfer process, with the support of additional officers who may be able to provide specialist knowledge or expertise as required. Speaking after councillors voted to approve the draft arrangements, lead councillor for communities and culture Louise Glen-Lee said: “Third sector groups are very important to our communities and when we link their work with making the best use of existing assets, a real difference can be made to community life. “These new arrangements will demonstrate our commitment and determination to ensuring that there is a robust and transparent process in place to help make the best decisions about council property and how it might be used to benefit people in our area.”

Plans in place for much better community resilience in Argyll and Bute this winter

After the severe winter weather of 2011/12 and power cuts in the area, Argyll and Bute Council is working hard to improve its own organisational resilience as well as community resilience. A project is well underway and its progress has been noted at the council meeting on Thursday 20 September. There are improvements being made to council buildings, communications and IT including hiring more back-up generators in case of power loss and taking ownership of a satellite phone trailer from the Scottish Government which can be towed to any location. The council will also be taking part in the Scottish Government’s ‘Ready for winter’ campaign which will focus on individual resilience in an emergency situation. There will be two road shows in Argyll and Bute with the locations yet to be decided. Handbooks are being distributed to all community councils in Argyll and Bute to encourage them to prepare an emergency plan. This includes details about people’s roles and responsibilities, public safety information and key risks affecting the area. Each community council is being asked to consider what they can do in the event of an emergency or incident in their community. The handbook has been prepared by the council, Strathclyde Police, Strathclyde Fire and Rescue, NHS Highland, HM Coastguard, Argyll Voluntary Action , Red Cross, WRVS , Scottish and Southern Energy and Scottish Power. Council leader Roddy McCuish said “I am encouraging elected members to ask communities to complete their resilience plans and to highlight the importance of doing this. All plans produced will be very beneficial to the community, the emergency services and all the other agencies involved. “It’s vitally important we get our own organisational resilience right and communities do the same. This is crucial in Argyll and Bute where we have a number of remote and rural communities and a high proportion of elderly residents.”

50% increase in passenger numbers at Oban Airport

Argyll and Bute Council has announced the number of passengers travelling with Argyll and the Isles Air services has grown this summer by 48.5%. Operator Hebridean Air Services carried 906 passengers between May and July 2012 on services between Oban Airport and the islands of Coll, Colonsay, Tiree and Islay. The council’s Lead Councillor for Development and Infrastructure John Semple said, “A better connected Argyll and Bute will help combat the recession. Rural Scotland has enormous potential to reverse economic decline – as we have, within our natural resources, the means to create hundreds of well-paid and rewarding jobs. However, without the transport connections to markets and commercial centres, these jobs will not materialise. Our increasing patronage on these flights despite difficult market conditions given the current economic climate is an indicator of significantly greater potential.” The number of passengers using Argyll Air Services has increased steadily since it was established in 2008. During the period September 2011 – August 2012 the number of passengers increased by over 30% with over 3000 passengers carried compared to 2300 travelling in the same period the previous year. Local air services are essential to the social and economic wellbeing of the islands they serve providing resilience in the event of ferry cancellations and helping to counter issues such as depopulation. The services are used regularly by local businesses and have proved essential for service provision to the islands with the NHS and Argyll Community Housing Association being key users. Ends NOTES The services operating to and from Oban Airport provide island residents with access to essential services which cannot be provided locally and also support the development of tourism in Argyll. In recognition of the importance of these services, subsidy is made available by Argyll and Bute Council to operate the Public Service Obligation air services to Coll, Colonsay and Tiree. Argyll and Bute Council are keen to build on the growth of local air services and have commissioned a marketing strategy aimed at consolidating and expanding operations at Oban Airport. The council are keen to work with Transport Scotland, Hitrans and other local authorities to align the tendering process for Public Service Obligation air services in the West of Scotland and identify gaps in the market where additional routes and services could potentially be introduced.

Tourism Webinars

Leading experts in tourism have been invited by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) to deliver a series of free online masterclasses to help companies across the region to grow and improve their performance. The live internet presentations will bring together some of the best in tourism businesses who will share their insights and give practical tips on how to capitalise on Scotland’s tourism growth markets during the Year of Natural Scotland 2013. The first 45 minute presentation focuses on sailing and will be presented by Charmain Entwhistle, Isle of Skye Yachts, and Anne Gracie from the Duisdale Hotel, Isle of Skye at 9:30am on Wednesday 24 October. Evidence suggests that our landscape, scenery, islands, culture and heritage are a major factor in bringing people to Scotland. The series of online masterclasses – also known as webinars - will highlight what it all means for businesses looking to capitalise on this opportunity during 2013 and beyond. Sailing attracts large numbers of visitors and is becoming more accessible in terms of opportunities and costs. It has become so popular that in many areas the demand for berths and moorings is exceeding the capacity and the number of visitors keeps growing. The presentations will be full of practical hints, tips and ideas to help them make the most of the year-round opportunities for their businesses. The webinar series will be broadcasted live every Wednesday at 9:30am for the next eight weeks, each time presented by an expert in the tourism industry on a different subject. Those who register for the webinar will have the opportunity to ask questions beforehand with a view to having them discussed during the live presentations. Audrey Maclennan, Senior Tourism Manager at HIE, said: “Companies are being urged to take advantage of these opportunities for their businesses and are encouraged to take part in these webinars which will be full of practical tips. This is a great opportunity to learn more about how other businesses have successfully attracted more customers and improved their bottom line.” HIE is funding the series of webinars with support from Forestry Commission Scotland. Other in-kind support has been received from the Scottish Tourism Alliance, VisitScotland, Scottish Enterprise, Wild Scotland and SNH. To register for each event visit www.hie.co.uk/tourism-webinars Ends Sailing 24 October Mountain Biking 31 October Wildlife 7 November Golf 14 November Adventure 21 November Walking 28 November Food and Drink 5 December Technology 12 December

DAVID MACBRAYNE GROUP PUBLISHES ANNUAL REPORT 2011/12

The David MacBrayne Group, Scotland’s principal operator of domestic ferry services, has revealed that it paid back £5.8m to Government as a result of efficiency savings in the last financial year and increased its operating profitability by 19% to £3.8m. The figures were published in the group’s annual report which was laid before the Scottish Parliament today (October 12, 2012). The Group’s subsidiaries include CalMac Ferries Ltd, NorthLink Ferries Ltd and Argyll Ferries Ltd. Group Chairman Peter Timms said: “As recipients of significant amounts of public funding we take our responsibility to provide value for money to the taxpayer very seriously so it was very pleasing to report that our ongoing efforts to improve efficiency both internally and in collaboration with colleagues at Transport Scotland has resulted in just under £6m being returned to the Scottish Government as part of a contractual “clawback” payment.” The report highlighted: • The David MacBrayne Group carried 5.2m passengers, 1.1m cars and 1.5 million freight metres – a 5% decrease in passengers and the same for cars, but a 6% increase in freight, on the previous year. • Grants received from the Scottish Government rose by nearly 20% compared with the previous year to £121.8m, mainly due to increased fuel costs and support for Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) fares on Western Isles routes. · Clawback paid to Scottish Government as a result of efficiencies increased by 33% to £5.8m • The group recorded an operating profit for 2011/12 before interest and tax of £3.8m, an increase of 19% on the prior year, increasing the group’s retained reserves. Mr Timms said: “2011/2012 was a year of highs and lows. Among the high points was winning the tender to provide the ferry service between Gourock and Dunoon, while losing the Northern Isles services to another operator after serving Orkney and Shetland for nearly 10 years was a major disappointment and I wish to take this opportunity of thanking our crew and staff for their commitment and hard work which saw carryings on these routes significantly increase during our period of operation.” Mr Timms said that the drop in passenger and car traffic was disappointing:“These figures reflect carryings across the group, and the impact on individual routes will vary enormously, with some doing better than others depending on local circumstances such as major building projects. That said, overall our feeling is that a combination of factors have contributed to a general decrease in traffic including fewer people travelling due to the economic downturn, higher fuel costs and poor weather.” Looking to the future Mr Timms said he welcomed the interim contract to extend CalMac’s current contract to 2016 and said that the company intended utilising this period to further improve services: “Our commitment to customer service was recognised recently by the award of the “Best Ferry Company” in the Guardian and Observer Travel Awards for the third year in a row, however there are a number of further improvements we would like to make to the customer experience such as updated ticketing systems and improved online booking. We will now push ahead and make these improvements as soon as possible and look forward to working with the Scottish Government and Transport Scotland to further develop our services to best meet the needs of island and rural communities.” The Annual Report of the David MacBrayne Group is available on the internet at www.david-macbrayne.co.uk/reports.