Minutes of Annual General Meeting held on Tuesday 20th May in Kilmodan School
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Jim McLuckie opened the meeting, minuted apologies from Michael Kaufmann and welcomed councillors Ron Simon and Alec McNaughton from A&BC, PC Brian McFarlane and all present.

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Bobby Sinclair, after many years at sea, joined the Colintraive ferry in 1970. He shared reminiscences with Elizabeth Fairbairn

I’ll never forget the day when I came to Colintraive. It was the day that I met Martin Dunn, who’s now 80 and living next door. There were a lot of great characters on the ferry. There was Martin, John Peter MacDonald, Stan MacMillan. There aren’t any like that now.
One night, waiting on the other side, we heard a sports car going like the clappers from Ardmaleish. Out gets a chap with a cravat. ‘I say chaps, just up from London for a bit of island hopping. What’s the main town on that island?’ he says, pointing over at Colintraive. ‘London.’ says Martin Dunn, quick as a flash.
When I started we had an old Skye ferry and a couple of the original plywood ferries that were supposed to carry a 30 ton tank. Even with a 10 ton lorry on board they were like half submerged fish boxes. Our pride and joy was the Loch Riddon built for the run in 1986. It took 12 cars and a coach. It became too small and the Isle of Cumbrae filled in for a while until we got the Loch Dunvegan after the Skye bridge was built. You can see pictures of all the ferries at the Colintraive Hotel. Some are my photographs.
One day, the driver of the Rothesay bus, seeing the ferry was in, put the boot down a wee bit. An old lady sitting up front got a bit panicky. ‘Driver, driver, does this bus stop at Rhubodach?’ ‘Aye, missus’ says he, ‘if it disnae there’s going to be a hell of a splash!’
One night there were a few coaches waiting to get on. A youngish farmer appears all dressed in his best gear. Tweed suit and boots with turned up toes and a million tackits in the soles. Clump, clump. On his arm there’s this American woman and she’s calling ‘Donald, Donald, Ah love yew Donald!’
He’s wanting rid of her ‘Well I’m away the noo.’
‘Ah’ll come with yew Donald’ cries she. ‘Ah do so love yew.’
‘Ay well, maybe the morrow.’ says he and made it onto the ferry with her still calling ‘Donald, Ah love yew Donald!’
That just tickled my fancy.

On 25th March 2007 Colintraive and Glendaruel Community Council made an initial response to the Draft Harbour Empowerment Order served in February by McGrigor’s Solicitors on behalf of Calmac. The letter is as follows:

Mr D Willis
Ports and International Division
Area 2-F
Victoria Quay
EH6 6QQ

Dear Sir

On behalf of the Colintraive and Glendaruel Community, I wish to make an objection to the application by Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd to establish that company as the statutory harbour authority for Colintraive Harbour.

The main reason for the objection is the complete lack of consultation with the local community despite the company’s assurance that they would do so prior to their application for such an order.

The local community is of the opinion that the order is being presented as a ‘fait accompli’, that the geographic limits of the order are excessive and that future restrictions will prevent access to and use of, traditional launching and mooring areas. There are also misgivings about the company’s power to build, alter, reclaim, etc without local consultation, not to mention questions of road traffic, parking and light pollution.

In short, we do not think this order should be granted without further local consultation and we request as a start point, a public meeting with all parties concerned.

Yours faithfully,

James McLuckie
Chairman

Solicitors McGrigors of Glasgow have served a copy of a draft Harbour Empowerment Order and plan upon the Colintraive and Glendaruel Community Council.

The Council have 42 days from the date on which this notice was served (it is dated 14th February 2007) on them to make any objections or representations to the Scottish Executive, Enterprise, Transport and Life Long Learning Department, Aviation, Ports and Internation Division.

Draft Empowerment Order Low Res (Dial-up)

Draft Empowerment Order (Broadband)