Network Rail has given advance warning of its intention to close the Highland main line over two weekends as part of improvement works to enhance reliability.
It says the £8m project will include the installation of crossover tracks which improve flexibility for freight services on the line and the upgrades will enable more efficient movement of goods between the Highlands and the Central Belt, as trains will be able to travel faster through the area.
For engineers to carry out the improvements, the line will be closed to services over two weekends, Friday, October 30 to Monday, November 2 and from Friday, November 6 to Monday, November 9. During the works, around 400 yards of track will be renewed, while ageing signalling equipment will be replaced with new colour light signals. Work will continue at night and weekends until the end of the year as engineers remove old equipment from the site.
Gairloch Museum is holding its AGM in Gairloch Community Hall next Monday 26th October, and will follow that with a free talk by Katie Morrison and Laura Taylor, both staff at the Scottish Crannog Centre on Loch Tay.
The talk will be the story of the rebuilding of the crannog at Kenmore following destruction of the previously reconstructed crannog in a fire in 2021 which was a major loss to archaeologists, visitors and the local community. Not only has the crannog been rebuilt, the first of three to be constructed, but an Iron Age Village has been re-created at the newly opened Centre. Traditional crafts were needed in the process all of which will be described in the Gairloch Museum talk.
The Ullapool Village Hall committee has announced that it will not be holding a Hogmanay Ceilidh this year but hopes it will return in 2027.
A spokesperson for the committee commented that running the ceilidh needs a team with enough time and capacity to take on the many tasks involved and unfortunately that has not come together this year.
The committee point out that the ceilidh could form a valuable fundraising opportunity for a local charity, club or community group and say they hope to find enough people to become involved so planning can begin now for 2027. Anyone interested should contact the village hall trustees.
