Kingsteps car park - road ahead closed - Alexander Brodie installs the gate

The scene around midday as Alexander Brodie assisted by a local resident installs the gate across the road down to the Kingsteps car park. More pictures here. Short video here. 

Alexander Brodie is no longer in a mood to compromise earlier in the week he commented on the Gurn: "I have read the article dated 27 November in the Inverness Courier where Provost Macdonald branded my above posted compromise as "ridiculous". Pity. According, I withdraw the offer.

I am sorry, but I can no longer negotiate over this matter. It is taking to much of my time, confounding me, getting nowhere and subjecting me to unwanted judgement etc. According, I withdraw all offers and will not be making others.

Thank you to the readers of the Gurn for your support and understanding, and to those who did not support - for your good cheer and humor. thanks also to the Gurn.

Yours ever,

Alexander Brodie of Brodie"

Earlier this morning Liz tweeted:

Brodie and Frank Milne are in the process of closing the road to Kingsteps car park and installing a gate
— Provost Liz McDonald (@Liz_Nairn) December 1, 2012

A bit more planning - a Council document that will go to the Scottish Government - the dummy talks!

You can read the Highland Council document that our dummy star spoke about here.

Points that struck our regular reader about the document:

1)  It mentions the Nairn bypass, but almost as an afterthought to the main pitch, which is dualling of the whole of the A96 Inverness to Aberdeen.  A96 dualling is a worthy aim, but long term and very expensive.  HC should be pressing for the Nairn bypass ahead of (and if need be independently of) A96 dualling, just as Moray did with the Fochabers bypass.  The risk with the way HC is presenting this is that our bypass will only be taken forward if/when a grand plan for the whole A96 dualling project is agreed. (Our correspondent believes that that will not be in his lifetime)

Common Good unrest in Inverness

"New bypass may dip into city common good fund" states the front page of the Courier and in an article full of facts and figures you can also read "Inverness councillors, some of whom voted for the bypass route, are trustees who decide how the common good fund is distributed."  

A bit of  a stushie is brewing, the Courier also has a couple of letters on the subject. John West of the West Link Protest Group states in his correspondence: 

" We must question the position of Highland Councillors to pontificate on Inverness matters and to spend funds specifically bequeathed to Inverness. 

These trustees are not fulfilling their remit but preferring to bolster their political positions."

There also the suggestion of a conflict of interest in Mr West's letter should an application to support the relocation of recreational areas that will be affected by the by-pass be received. Now, plenty of reading material in the Courier if you have a copy  nearby or have friends or neighbours that buy it. What is interesting to this observer is that John West's letter contains a few phrases that you might have seen articulated in Nairn over Common Good issues. 

There is a big difference of course, Inverness's Common Good is cash and asset rich unlike Nairn. Here we have often heard the claim that the control of  the local Common Good should be taken away from Highland Council and given back to the people of Nairn. One wonders if similar views can find momentum in the Highland capital and even whether discontent with Glenurquhart Road could even lead to demands one day for an Inverness Council? 

Christmas arrives up the Riverside

The 19th of November might have been a bit early to start the Christmas rush according to the opinion poll in the Gurn sidebar but St Andrew's day seems to appropriate for the Riverside Christmas tree. One of our riverside correspondents sent this picture of some of the regular walkers gathered at the (now) traditional walkers festive tree.

Also a pic in from Stephen

@gurnnurn Nairn riverside Christmas Tree back again this year........ twitter.com/SKFScotLAD/sta…
— Stephen K. Fuller (@SKFScotLAD) November 30, 2012

Latha Naomh Anndra sona dhut - happy St. Andrew's Day!

The Courthouse Saltire heralds St Andrew's Day against a cold but brightening sky as daylight finally begins to install itself over the Moray Firth. 

Sea King helicopter returns to skies above Nairn

The helicopter returned to what looked like a similar search grid to last night at around 11.30 a.m. this morning. The pilot concentrated on the woods both sides of Granny Barbours Road and the Grantown Road and ventured over by the Crook too. After almost an hour's activity the helicopter left and shortly afterwards four police vehicles came down from Granny Barbour's and headed into town.
The Highland News site states: "A Northern Constaulary spokesman told the Highland News: "Our enquiries are on-going to establish the whereabouts of the man. We went to speak to him in connection with a number of offences including alleged drink driving and alleged resisting arrest." "
More information and pictures on the Highland News page here.  
Update - short video of search helicopter here. 

Soil testing team in residential area near Nairn harbour

A team prepare to drill another borehole

This observer purchased a copy of the Press and Journal this morning expecting to read something about last night's arial nocturnal activities but hasn't seen anything so far - maybe time for another wee read. What the P&J did have however was an article about ground being tested for possible contamination as part of a programme that the Highland Council are required to carry out by law. The P&J states:

"Highland Council has commissioned a team of engineers to carry checks on potentially contaminated ground near a block of flats at Nairn harbour. 

Glasgow-based firm ERS started extracting soil samples from the site on Monday for testing as part of a rolling programme of works at former industrial sites across the council area required by law."

More in  the Press and Journal today and the paper also states that anyone with concerns or queeries can ring Tec Services on 01463 228700.  

"Police in Nairn search for man in connection with an alleged disturbance"

Police are carrying out searches in the Nairn area for a man in connection with an alleged disturbance in the Granny Barbour Road area to the east of Nairn. No one was injured however police are anxious to trace the man who is described as in his 20's, wearing shorts and a t-shirt and no footwear.

Anyone with any information as to his whereabouts is asked to contact Police on 01463 715555.

Gurn exclusive - very blurred picture of chopper over Nairn

Police carrying out searches in connection with incident

rumours spreading on twitter about #Nairn are untrue. Police are carrying out searches in connection with an incident. No one hurt.
— NorthernConstabulary (@northernPolice) November 28, 2012