Strachur and District Community Council

Meeting Held On

Wednesday 12th August 2026

Strathlachlan Community Centre

 

Present: Archie Reid Convener, William McGladdery Vice Convener, Lizzie MacDonald Treasurer, Kirstie Reid Secretary, Isabel McGladdery. Also, present were Councillors William Sinclair and 3 members of the public

Before the Convener went to the agenda items, he explained that this was the last meeting of the 2022-2026 term and thanked his fellow Community Councillors past and present, Police Scotland, Councillors, council officials and members of the public who helped make the CC function and wished those that stood for the 2026 2030 term all the best. The 2026-2030 CC Members are Lizzie MacDonald, Isabel McGladdery, William McGladdery, Erin Paterson, Archie Reid and Kirstie Reid

Apologies and Declaration of Interest:

Minutes of Last Meeting; June 2026

Maters Arising 1. Disruption to power after storm in October 25 due to yacht washing up reply received from The Strachur Mooring Association Chairman

I apologise in advance that this response is not brief, as it is clear from the question that the circumstances of the event resulting from Storm Amy on the evening of Friday 3rd October 2025 requires some clarification.

Firstly, perhaps surprisingly, there was no mooring failure initially! The boat that collided with the other boat came free of the mooring due to a design fault on the boat. This is the boat that subsequently struck the 33kV conductors putting the electricity off at 1920hrs. This boat was recovered on the 18th of October but eventually written off and broken up. We would not have a similar boat, or fair lead design here without modification or a different system to connect to the mooring.

The boat which lay under the conductors for over 9 months did so because the owner opted to have it craned out rather than refloated in Loch Fyne. It came ashore 3 hours after the one that did the damage, and did not further damage the conductors, and SSEN removed the mast to enable restoration of the power asap. This boat, on its track to the shore, did strike and slightly damage a fourth craft, which remained on the mooring.

Our moorings are (at some expense) completely lifted, inspected and serviced annually, and every boat in our association is required to carry public liability insurance >£2m as is the mooring contractor.

The Storm surge on 3rd October and the associated low barometric pressure brought forward high tide by around 4 hours and increased the forecast height of the tide by 2.1metres. Had that happened at 11pm rather than 7pm that would have doubled that effect, making the high tide 4m above chart datum (14ft) and the A815 impassable between the arch and the road junction. This will happen in due course. Exceptionally at the height of the storm the wind was South/Southwest, to Southwest, and that determined the track of the two boats landing.

It is equally important to note that the 33kV conductors are vulnerable and within reach of a mast for approximately 500 metres in Strachur Bay. Of that 500 metres, 300 metres of the poles and conductors run below the mean high-water mark. Yes indeed, they are over Loch Fyne!

Therefore what can be done in mitigation requires input primarily from SSEN whose contingency planning was sadly inadequate on the occasion. For example, because one of their employees was abroad on holiday, they had not a clue who to contact ref the boats, and they didn't have an experienced employee on the ground the following day.

They further damaged both boats in ignorance of how to easily turn them and were poorly organised to deal with a situation that has occurred before and will do again. When timber harvesting adjacent to a power line takes place it is possible to connect bypass cables over several hundred metres and use of this option needs to be fully investigated asap!

Extreme weather events can be forecast accurately 48 hours in advance and as we all know are continuing to worsen by the year.
Be prepared is actually the correct response, because similar circumstances will result in similar issues arising.

I trust that this information will be sufficient, but I am happy to further discuss my response with anyone who suffered the adverse effects of the event, or indeed SSEN's reaction to the circumstances.

Best regards
Ian Arnold
Strachur Bay Moorings Association (chairman)
SC046867

Councillor Update: Grass cutting at Glenbranter done, Tar for surface dressing and repair is costing ABC more than usual due to the ongoing conflict in the middle east which could have an impact on the amount of work that can be done. Don’t forget the ongoing Visitors/Tourist Levy Consultation running until Monday 5th October can be filled in as a Business Tourist or Resident of Argyll and Bute.

Police Report: None Received

Health Report: GP Walk in Clinic at Cowal Community Hospital (CCH) seems to be doing well above the average patients against the others across Scotland to the extent they have on occasions stopped any more patients attending, to allow those waiting to be seen by the Doctor. They run on a Thursday and Friday 12pm to 6.30pm with this likely to increase after the initial trial period. Anyone living in Cowal at the time of the Walk In Clinic can attend

CTAC meeting at the hall although the meeting didn’t go as planned by either side the CO to the ABC HSPC IJB has reached out to the various community councils concerned with a proposal to meet and discuss the issues further to see if a solution can be found to suit all. Although some changes to the number of hours that a nurse will be available to SMP patients has increased for the time being you still have to see the GP to be referred for bloods and this will be done in either the OOH room in Strachur or at the CTAC Unit at CCH

Secretaries Report: letters have been received from the following

The following letters/emails that have been received between the 9th of June and the 11th of August 2026 that are not part of the agenda.

 

  1. Dr Robbie Coull SMP

  2. Julie Forest land Scotland – monthly updates

  3. Nathan Barrie Cowal Deer Management Group

  4. ABC re Local Plan 3

  5. Steven Kendrick – Japanese knotweed advice

  6. LLTNP -weekly planning lists

  7. Sam Spencer- Argyll Rally 26 minutes

  8. Strachur Hub- introduction and thank You for donation

  9. ABC- CC liability Certificate

  10. ABC- Bute and Cowal area planning group minute

 

 

Golden Eye Community Benefit Fund. Due to changes at the Strachur Dev Co Kirstie has organised this round funding applications. applications can be submitted up and until 31st August 2026 application forms available kirstie.reid1@btinternet.com a committee meeting will take place in September where all applicants will be informed of the outcome.

Treasurer Report: Hall Rental and Donation to the Strachur Hub have been paid out since the last meeting leaving a balance of £2667.62

Transport Report: discussion took place at the last meeting on if a Council Officer should attend the Cowal Transport forum if there is an agenda item under there remit. ABC answer was that as the CTF is not a decision-making meeting that they do not have to attend this led to belief that as CCs are decision making bodies then if requested, they should attend CC meetings.

Cal mac has announced that from 2nd September 2026 to 25th March 2027 there will be a one vessel service this is to allow for annual maintenance and extending the life of the boats this despite the promise of two new boats for this service please see enclose timetable which shows you the train connection to and from Glasgow Central Train Station.

Gordon Ross of Western Ferries as asked for views on only being able to buy SPT Concession tickets for the WF in the WF Office on Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. Please give your views to the secretary and she will pass them on

Argyll Rally 2026: No Issues were reported to the CC re this year’s rally the wall on the B800 has been repaired

National Park: Various areas on Lock Eck side have been left in a disgusting state over the last few months by wild campers and Loch Visitors. It has got a lot worse since more bylaws have been granted to the LLTNP for loch Lomond side, this was predicted by this CC a good number of years ago when the original by laws where about to be implemented and we were assured then that this would not impact any other area of the NP

AOCB: The 2026-2030 CC Members are Lizzie MacDonald, Isabel McGladdery, William McGladdery, Erin Paterson, Archie Reid and Kirstie Reid, we can have 10 Community Councillors so if you think you can help us even just for an individual project we can co-opt you on for that purpose.

Japanese Knotweed Councillor Sinclair said any report we receive re Japanese Knotweed should be forward to him and he will report to the appropriate authority

Date and time of next meeting: 7.30pm on Wednesday the 21s of October 2026 in Strachur Memorial Hall