Pie(?) on the pavement - was it yours? can you collect

Thanks to Kate for this picture of a bit of mess on the pavement on Lochloy Road. She asks if the owner can come and collect ? Looks like a pie to this observer - makes a change from a turd perhaps?

Scottish Cup - Linlithgow 2 Nairn 0 - pictures from Donald Matheson

Individual pictures here. Full screen slideshow here.

Yearly September early morning ritual on Nairn Beach

Many of the Coast to Coast Rat Racers like to head onto the beach and make the physical act of touching the sea. Others pose for pictures, to send immediately perhaps to friends and relative who will be following their progress over the two day event. The weather was kind to the 1100 competitors yesterday and the Moray Firth will have looked good in the images that will be seen all over the country and beyond on social networks and smart phones - there were a few European languages to be heard on the links yesterday as the contestants readied themselves for the start. More images of the ritual etc, here.

Good luck to them all, today promises to be even more of a challenge with an horrendous forecast as they complete the event in the west. Haste ye all back to Nairn one day. 

A good day out for the fans despite the disappointing football - Linlithgow 2 Nairn 0

A quick exit from the Scottish Cup this year for Nairn County. Despite the disappointing result the County fans made the most of it and even had a chance to get up close with the trophy. It was interesting to see the set up at Linglithgow Rose, including the tremendous support they receive. Obviously "junior" football in the Central Belt is a different  league. More images from Linlithgow tomorrow. 

UPDATE: The sun was out in West Lothian yesterday and County fans had a little time to take some refreshment and/or have a stroll around the town before the game. Linlithgow seemed a pretty lively place with the palace obviously drawing tourists into the town. There had been quite a bit of investment by the local council into the Tolbooth building that dominates the square, it had been in a very poor state but now is a very active cultural site with a cafe catering for visitors. A few images below. Pictures of the football to follow. 

Individual images here.

Tommy Hogg urges Nairn residents to attend South Nairn demonstration on Wednesday morning

Tommy, Chair of River Community Council, told the Gurn that he had held a meeting mid-week with his opposite numbers on West and Suburban CCs to finalise preparations for the protest which will gather at the Railway Station at 08.30 a.m. next Wednesday. He told the Gurn:

“I know it isn’t a perfect time for a demonstration but it's when the Councillors come to Nairn. We have to try and get back some sort of local influence in the planning system. If anyone can get a bit of time off work to come along please do, maybe a few mums could share the school run to enable others to attend too. It’s our town and our future, young and old – let’s not let other people that don’t live here ruin it."

Tommy reiterated a point he wishes to be heard: "We are not against development, the town has to grow, but we want it on terms that are acceptable to the community – nothing more than that. It’s time for the powers that be to listen to us!
Wednesday is an important day for Nairn’s future so please come along if you can.”

Gurnites may already have seen the full page advertisment for the demonstration that was placed in this week's edition of the Nairnshire Telegraph.

Nairn Gaelic Choir - pre Mod ceilidh in the Legion 8 p.m. Thurs 26th September

Bidh Còisir Ghaidhlig Inbhir Narainn a' steidheachadh ceilidh Diardaoin 26mh den t-Sultain aig 8.00 sa Legion.

Thursday 26th September 8.00 p.m - Royal British Legion Nairn. It's a 'Pre-Mod Ceilidh' this year, and the Altyre Ceilidh Band will be there. lots of dancing, raffle, tickets £5 on the door, £2 for kids

Nairn filling up rapidly with rat racers

The Community Centre is once again at the heart of a major sporting event as over 1100 competitors in the Coast to Coast Rat Race assemble in Nairn tonight for registration prior to the start of the event tomorrow morning on the Links (Sat 14th Sep). Depending on their category they will run, cycle and canoe across the Highlands to the West Coast. It will be quite a sight down there tomorrow morning as the Expert category sets off at 6.30 a.m. and the Challengers at 8.00 a.m. The Experts number 287 and there are approximately 800 in the Challenger competition. 

The Gurn understands that Liz will complete her last civic event as Provost tomorrow morning when she wishes all the athletes well and sets them off on their journey across the Highlands. 

A one night boost for the town's accomodation providers and maybe some of them might also spend another night here as there are buses back from Fort William to Nairn for those finishers that wish to come back  for their vehicles etc. More about the event on the Rat Race website. 

What is this Highland Wide Development Plan then? - Video interview with Alastair Noble

We are told that the application for South Nairn is in the Highland Wide Development Plan and because of that it will be hard to find grounds to turn it down. So how did we get to this situation then? Here's a video of a conversation with Alastair Noble where he gives his views about that plan and what it means for Nairn.  

Mill Road - the new rat run to avoid the Station Brae tailbacks if South Nairn goes ahead?

On Wednesday night Mill Road resident Colin Mackay spoke of his fears if the controversial planning application is passed on Wednesday. He told Tommy:

"Mr Chairman, I would like to support what you said about the traffic infrastructure as opposed to the sewage, water, etc. At the moment the situation under the railway bridge rather chaotic. At certain times there is a build up of traffic waiting to use the road. I'm quite appalled when I go to Queenspark to find the amount of traffic coming through Queenspark at the start of Mill Road and coming to access the centre of the town. That is not going to get any better when they start working on this Nairn South."

Friday morning press review - Liz in the Courier

Liz features on pages 5&7 of today's Inverness Courier. On page five the article reads - "Lawyers warn ex-provost to stay out of row over South Nairn planning controversy." The article explains that Liz has spoken out about South Nairn in the past but if she were to do so on Wednesday she could be seen as favouring her own 12 acres of land on the east of town for development. She is pretty downbeat about the prospects for defeating the application though and states in reference to the Highland Wide Development plan: 

"As long as the developers have got a similar amount of housing and the same foot path for land, it cannot be refused. And if it was it would be won on appeal." Presumably the Courier meant to say "footprint" instead of "footpath"?

On page 7 there is a report about Liz's transition from Provost to Area Political Leader. Who will replace her then? Colin was stating on Wednesday night that he was still not a contestant but in the Gurn's completely unscientific poll (on the top left in the sidebar) there isn't really much in it with Laurie and Michael neck and neck and with some Gurnites still voting for Colin anyway, he is behind them but there isn't much of a gap between him and the others.