Tuesday press review

There were no Nairnshires in the Co-op at nine o’clock last night, some regulars were seen walking home anxiously without having received their “hit”. Withdrawals only lasted until this morning though as the late delivery from Dingwall obviously eventually got through.

A front page spread then about the future of the Links School, the Nairnshire has been on the trail of rumours about a deal between the Highland Council and one of the two groups that were bidding for the building recently. Once the proceedings are finalised the outcome should please most people who were concerned about the future of the school building. 

On page two there are heartfelt tributes to Peter Ord and also news of the Nairn County Football Club Supporters’ fund raising activities. On Saturday during the game against Keith the County flag flew at half-mast in memory of NCFC supporter Peter.

A further call to link up the existing coastal path from Banff to Moray with a new section via Nairn and Inverness was made last week by Brian Stewart at West CC, more on page 4 of this week’s paper. This is one project that surely could be scraped together in these cash-strapped times? The presence of walkers, long-distance and day-trippers, would have a positive impact all year round on the local economy. Elsewhere a whole infrastructure has grown up on long-distance walks offering accommodation and support to walkers. With a bit of imagination and will we could have the same thing here. 

Murd criticised West Community Council’s donation of £500 to NICE last week too. He isn’t against their plans for the town centre, he just thinks they shouldn’t have given the money. Rosemary the Chair, also a member of NICE, defended her position robustly and you can see what she said to Murd on page 5 of the Leopold Street Thunderer. Again, on the theme of Community Council donations: last week the Suburban Community Council, who also gave £500 to NICE, deferred a decision on a donation to one of the Wee County’s youth teams. The problem now is that a £500 donation is the sort of amount that the Highland Council’s Nairn discretionary fund would make but Community Councils don’t have that kind of financial firepower on a regular basis. Their budgets come in at less than £2,000 per year and a £500 donation is a massive part of that. Those not realising that however, will obviously now put in requests in the hope of some cash for their organisations. The youth soccer team may not be the last group to receive a disappointment. 

In the editorial column Iain Bain mentions the upgrading of the A9 and not without reference to the prospects for the Nairn Bypass. He again points in the direction of the SNP by asking: “What sort of fuss do we have to make in Nairn to remind Mr Ewing MSP and his colleagues that we need a bypass here, ahead of the national dualling of the A96,.

Plenty more in this week’s paper and colourful images of the 10K, the opening of the river, the football and other recent stories in Nairn. All yours for 45p in one of the many Co-ops in Nairn or other newsagents.