TALKS are under way which could lead to Arisaig being twinned with a Czech village.

A CORPACH woman has pledged to shave her hair for charity and in memory of her mum whom she lost to cancer when she was just a child.

CHILDREN at Upper Achintore Primary School are doing their bit to help the people of earthquake-hit Haiti.

IT'S all smiles at Fort William's M&S Dental Care after the practice achieved success at a national awards ceremony.

A RETIRED Lochaber angler's 90-minute battle with a 32-pound salmon has netted him a prestigious gamefishing prize.

GUESTS at a Lochaber hotel are being given a warm welcome by a chatty parrot.

LOCHABER identical twins Karen and Claire MacKenzie finished school with similar qualifications.

PUPILS from Glencoe Primary School have been getting their hands dirty to help put the finishing touches to a tidy-up of their local lochan.

YOUNG people from Caol, Upper Achintore, Plantation and Roy Bridge have recently completed a fire safety course as part of their bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award.

HERE comes the bride, all dressed in... red, black, and sporting fangs!

HIGHLAND League strugglers Fort William FC may currently be serving up some poor fare for 90 minutes on the field.

A TALENTED teenager from South Lochaber is cooking with gas after being offered an apprenticeship with one of Britain's most celebrated restaurants.

A NEW dedicated Gaelic website for Lochaber has gone live.

HOGWART'S Express train driver, Frank Santrian (74), came out of recent retirement at the weekend to stoke up a locomotive chartered on the West Highland Line by steam buffs and keen cameramen.

THE driver of the Harry Potter Hogwarts Express has reached the end of the line.

A SCOTS musician who helped spearhead the Lochaber Hydrotherapy Pool campaign is preparing to scale the heights for charity once again – inspired by a little girl from Caol.

A LITTER blight on Ben Nevis is driving conservationists bananas!

LUCKY school pupils got the chance to do what the Fort William Shinty Club players will be dreaming about until Saturday when they got their hands on the coveted Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup this week.

AFTER 40 years of giving help, advice and encouragement to Ben Nevis racers as they near the 4,406ft summit, Willie Anderson is giving up his station at Gardyloo Gully and marking the occasion by donating a new trophy.

AN organic farm is under threat because the credit crunch is biting into its fruit and vegetable delivery business.

BIG-hearted couple Karen MacPherson and Kerr McCowan raised more than £1,000 for Caol-based charity Lochaber Action on Disability (LAD) by completing the West Highland Way walking route.

THELMA Henderson has taken over as managing director of Scottish Provincial Press, the Inverness-based publishing group whose titles include the Highland News Group.

WHEN Craig MacDonald joined a college evening class to get a better grade in Higher English, he never expected this move would take his life in a completely new direction.

A LOCHABER couple are gearing up for a motorcycling odyssey even Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman haven't tackled.

AN Inverness couple will be flying high next month when they tie the knot at the aircrew memorial bandstand in the city's Bellfield Park.

WHEN Captain the parrot went missing from his Lochaber home, owner Avril Boyle feared the worst.

OVER the last six weeks a group of young people have taken part in a fire safety course as part of the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme.

ARDNAMURCHAN High School staff and pupils gathered at the Salen Hotel, near Acharacle, last week for an annual graduation dinner.

SENIOR pupils at Lochaber High School donned their finery last week for their graduation ceremony and ball.

KINLOCHLEVEN village centre is looking blooming marvellous thanks to the efforts of local schoolchildren and volunteers.

RESIDENTS of Moss Park Nursing Home at Caol are benefiting from the creation of a new secure garden at the rear of the complex.

TWENTY interested youngsters went back in time on Monday for a morning of "Wartime Experiences" at the West Highland Museum in Fort William.

CAMPAIGNERS have set the ball rolling in their bid to establish a state-of-the-art sports facility for Lochaber.

AN appeal has gone out to former pupils of a Lochaber primary school to return for a reunion with a difference.

THREE beautifully designed and tastefully coloured stained glass windows were transferred at the weekend from a church in Dudley, in the West Midlands, to another in Fort William.

TV Masterchef Mat Follas cooked up a storm at Lochaber College UHI last week when he gave students a taste of his dishes.

FORT William's Fusion Youth Committee has been ranked amongst the top three winners of a prestigious national award.

LOCHABER’S superb outdoor facilities and the opportunities of developing businesses in adventure tourism have been highlighted in one of BBC television’s top activity programmes.

MORE blind and visually impaired people around the world could soon be using the internet and other digital media thanks to a Fort William young entrepreneur's visionary innovation.

TWO of Lochaber's lifeline services received the royal seal of approval this week, during a visit to Fort William by the Duke of Kent.

PROMOTING a weekend charity fundraiser is proving to be an uplifting experience for a group of local tradesmen and artisans.

UP and coming Fort William fashionista Judy Clark has been announced as the latest designer whose creations will grace the catwalk at the Dressed To Kilt fashion show in New York.

FRIDAY the 13th proved to be a very lucky day for potential school leavers as they explored courses and career choices available at Lochaber College UHI.

A ONE-MAN exhibition of three-dimensional models and scenes of the west coast was unveiled at the West Highland Museum in Fort William yesterday (Wednesday) morning.

MEMBERS of the Lochyside RC Primary School fair trade committee met up with Caol Co-op manager Dominic Duffy to further explore how they could promote the goods in school.

FORT William Community Council honoured two of its former members at a ceremony in the Lochaber House council chamber last week.

LOCHABER Hope is cutting a swathe for its forthcoming open day by offering a unique sword as the top prize in a fundraising raffle.

The youngsters of Inverlochy Playgroup picked the right day to sings songs about the weather, as they not only took their charity event out into the sun and snow, but were also able to give their brand new bad-weather clothes a first outing.

COLLECTIONS at the West Highland Museum and Mallaig Heritage Centre have proved inspirational for artists whose work will go on display at Inverness Museum and Art Gallery this weekend.

A BURNS Night ball organised by local firefighters raised more than £1,600 for a charity dedicated to help children who have sustained burns and scald injuries.

Shopmobility Lochaber received £2,500 towards its operating costs when Corpach Co-op manager Willie Gunn presented a cheque on behalf of its Community Fund to John MacLeod (right), Billy Ward (left) and Jan Jones at their base in the Fort William Travel Centre.

THE artwork of two talented Lochaber youngsters will go on show at one of the UK's leading art galleries next week as part of an education project and competition.

AN award-winning Lochaber business is savouring success once again.

PUPILS from Cauldeen Primary School brought some festive cheer to shoppers from across the Highlands in Inverness city centre.

AS part of A Curriculum for Excellence (ACE), first year pupils at Kinlochleven High School spent a week on an exciting eco project – a cross curricular exercise looking at various different aspects of protecting the environment.

Primary school pupils from across Lochaber took their partners to learn some traditional and modern dance moves as part of a social dance festival which was held in Caol Youth Centre last week.

EDEN Court Theatre came to Lochaber last week with a visit to Kinlochleven and Caol primary schools of its latest Highland-wide touring production, Midgie Nation 2: Winter.

A FORT William family will flourish at this year's Scots Trad Music Awards, which will take place in Glasgow on Saturday.

THE man who spearheaded the fundraising campaign to establish a hydrotherapy pool in Fort William has resigned as chairman of the charity which runs the facility.

A LOCHABER youth organisation is in the running to win money in a national television show.

IN the spring of 2005 a group of businessmen and women and local authority, enterprise and tourism officials launched a bold new initiative on Aonach Mor, in the shadow of Ben Nevis.

TWO Lochaber youngsters really put the "mountain" into mountain biking at the weekend – by conquering 4,406ft Ben Nevis using pedal power.

DESPITE the fearsome weather more than 20 former Cameron Highlanders from Lochaber – both ex-servicemen and TA personnel – attended their 21st anniversary reunion in Fort William on Saturday.

RESIDENTS and day care clients at the Mackintosh Centre in Mallaig can now enjoy watching their favourite programmes on two new high definition flat screen televisions – thanks to the generosity of a recently married local couple.

WHEN community councils in Lochaber first came into being in 1975, Bill Henderson was on the steering group which helped formulate Arisaig and District Community Council.

LOCHABER school pupils are preparing to push the boat out to raise vital funds for a school project in southern Africa.

STUDENTS, staff and officials at Lochaber College UHI have celebrated a year of special achievements and events in fine style.

THE children and staff of Lochyside RC School have given an emotional send off to the man they called "the best janny ever", Joe Wilson.

SIX-year-old Iona Wardner has proved she is a real daddy's girl by helping to raise funds for army heroes.

FORT William-based Voluntary Action Lochaber (VAL) is about to embark on a "mapping exercise" of the voluntary and community sector in Lochaber.

A LOCHABER student has been shortlisted for two national learning awards.

THERE was an excellent turnout of exhibitors and spectators to this year's Caol Flower Show, held on Saturday in the village's community centre.

BECKY, Fort William's Munro-bagging collie, has certainly been hitting the high spots this summer.

COLLEAGUES from local talking newspaper, Talk Lochaber, gathered last week at a presentation to thank volunteer John Skimming and wish him well on leaving the team.

A 90-YEAR-OLD woman has had her war service at Achnacarry Estate recognised – 63 years after hostilities ended.

FORT William paramedic Alyson Stewart is preparing to get on her bike – to Cuba!

RETIRING Lochaber football referee Andy Grant didn't just put his whistle away in a cupboard – he buried it!

FORMER Fort William hotelier Paul Morgan has been named the Lochaber College UHI student of the year after gaining a science degree over six years of part-time study through the prospective University of the Highlands and Islands.

THOSE Bank of Scotland currency notes with the bridges... You've seen them, handled them, spent them – well, maybe not the £100, right enough!

A FORT William athlete powered his way to second place in the gruelling West Highland Way Race, which was held recently.

AT a recent Lochaber High School fourth year assembly, the Fraser MacPhee Cup was presented to Brennan MacDonald.

THE eight-year link between the Clan Cameron Associations of Scotland and New Zealand, carried on the continuity in Lochaber on Saturday.

SIXTH year pupils put life at Ardnamurchan High School behind them in fine style last week when the school held its first ever graduation ball.

PEOPLE from communities on the Ardnamurchan Peninsula play starring roles in a new audio visual guide to the Sunart Oakwoods area.

LOCHABER gourmet smoker and self confessed culinary pyromaniac, Simon Macdonald, is spreading his wings and opening a brand new smokehouse - on Portugal's Algarve!

YOUNGSTERS in Kinlochleven are boxing clever thanks to special training sessions at the local community and sports hall.

PUPILS from Mallaig High School will be stars of the small screen in a forthcoming BBC television series.

A GREAT-great-grandmother, who is a resident at the Invernevis House care home in Fort William, celebrated her 100th birthday on Sunday.

HIGHLAND Council held a civic reception in Fort William last week to mark the services to Lochaber of Justices of the Peace, some of whom are retiring as a result of changes which have taken place in the provision of lay justice.

SIX Lochaber High School pupils made waves at a recent young engineers competition run by the Royal Navy.

RETIRING after 40 years of dedicated service to young people in the Highlands, Lochaber-based Gaelic early education and childcare officer Catriona MacIntyre was given a warm send-off by friends and colleagues at a party in Highland Council's education offices at Camaghael last Friday.

LOCHABER Sea Cadets held their Royal Naval parade and inspection on Tuesday evening at the cadet centre in Fort William.

NOT a mountain in sight for Fort William servicewoman Iona MacDonald, who is presently serving as an RAF medic in Iraq.

A MEMBER of the Lochaber Air Cadets is feeling sky high after learning she has secured a trip of a lifetime to Nepal.

PUPILS at Lochaber High School have raised hundreds of pounds for charity by taking part in a sponsored walk.

SIXTY-EIGHT Lochaber High School sixth year pupils turned city slickers to enjoy a full weekend of sightseeing and activities in London.

A KINLOCHLEVEN youngster has been recognised as a top learner at a national awards ceremony celebrating Scotland's land-based industries.

THE Rotary Club of Lochaber, founded almost 60 years ago, inducted its first ever female member at last Wednesday's weekly meeting.

FORMER world champion boxer Scott Harrison spent two days in Lochaber recently and took time to pass on tips to keen youngsters at the newly-established Lochaber Phoenix Boxing Club in Caol.

ORGANISERS of a forthcoming event to celebrate the history of the Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team (LMRT) have been bowled over by the response to their plea for material.

KINLOCHLEVEN High School pupil Lynsay Michie has booked a place in the grand finals of a young chefs' national competition, after proving to be a cut above the rest in Highland heats.

THE history of the Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team will be celebrated during the forthcoming Fort William Mountain Festival.

A SOUTH Lochaber care complex has taken delivery of a brand new bus, thanks to participants who took part in a record-breaking endurance race in the Highlands last summer.

KINLOCHLEVEN brother and sister Andrew and Elizabeth Gibson picked up free tickets to all 2008 events at the Lochaber Rural Complex in Torlundy, and a pocket diary to put them in, when they took top prize in a competition by a countryside walks firm.

A HIGHLAND man who has had more than his share of tragedy to contend with in recent years is appealing to people who have been bereaved and may feel down over the festive season to find someone to talk to.

A ROYAL Navy recruit from Upper Achintore, Fort William, is now one step closer to a life on the ocean wave after completing his basic training course at HMS Raleigh in Cornwall.

A NEWLY completed path connecting Forestry Commission Scotland's recently acquired Chapman's Wood with Ben Nevis was officially opened this week.

ROY Bridge Memorial Hall was packed to the rafters on Friday evening as villagers gathered for a surprise bash to mark the retirement of much-loved local school teacher and community stalwart, Margaret Sargent.

Organisers of the RBS Caledonian Challenge welcome a new member of the team this month, having appointed fundraising event specialist John Mercer as event director for the UK's premier endurance walking event.

THE management and staff at a Lochaber hotel are celebrating after landing a top industry accolade.

TWO Lochaber High School pupils are on countdown for an out-of-this-world experience next year.

A DEDICATED West Lochaber bus driver was crowned a "local hero" at a prestigous gala dinner event in Fort William.

A TRAIN driver from Fort William has picked up another accolade for his unstinting service to the rail industry.

AN ABBEYFIELD House resident celebrated her 100th birthday in fine style last week.

A COUPLE from Fort William have taken on a double challenge to raise valuable funds for the British Red Cross.

A LOCHABER estate manager has been honoured for his commitment to training and development within the game and wildlife industry.

THE outstanding dedication of two Kinlochleven firefighters was recognised at a ceremony in their fire station on Saturday evening.

LOCHABER Rotary Club is hosting five Australian female Rotarians this week as part of a study trip.

THE gloves are on at Lochaber's newest club, as boxing makes a comeback to the area's sports scene after an absence of more than 15 years.

GAELIC stalwart Chrissie MacEachen, who has dedicated more than 30 years of her life to tutoring youngsters, will have Lochaber's highest civic title bestowed on her at next month's Royal National Mod.

A PRESENTATION of certificates took place last Thursday (August 28) at the Greenfingers Project in Claggan, Fort William – a venture run by Lochaber Action on Disability and The Highland Council.

A CAOL woman took the plunge earlier this month, jumping 10,000ft from an aeroplane for charity.

A SPECIAL sit-aside bike has been bought by the Lochaber High School Support for Learning department after three of its pupils reached the summit of Ben Nevis – without leaving the school building.

STAFF at Lochaber College bade a fond farewell to their Clan Cameron colleague Kim Walker recently, with a special New Zealand themed menu.

A LOCHABER hotel has joined an elite band of organisations by receiving a top industry rating.

A FORT William couple hope Lochaber News readers can put them in the picture after an amazing chance discovery.

A NEW “rail” ale is the toast of passengers travelling on the world famous West Highland Line between Fort William and Mallaig.

I ARRIVED in Scotland at the beginning of June 2007 from Palmerston North, New Zealand. I had been studying at Otago University and after completing my Masters of Entrepreneurship, was awarded the First Light Award by the Clan Cameron.

BANGERS to Mongolia! No, not Scots sausages, but a trio of lads with Lochaber connections, linking up with scores of other groups who will be driving bangers to Mongolia.

THIRTY-FIVE years after starting as “a fresh-faced young teenager” at the Mastrick branch of the Clydesdale Bank, Gordon Westwood, now manager at Fort William, received a presentation last week to mark that career milestone.

WHEN Elaine Malcolm was growing up, she was fascinated by the sign language a friend used to communicate with her deaf brother.

THERE was rejoicing throughout Lochaber and Lorn at the weekend as well-loved local priest, Monsignor Thomas Wynne, celebrated the golden jubilee of his ordination.

RESIDENTS of Eigg this week celebrated the tenth anniversary of the island’s historic purchase by their community.

FORT William man Robert Penny hopes the sale of his collection of toy cars will provide many pounds for the Lochaber Hydrotherapy Pool.

A WELL-KNOWN Lochaber photographer has put his passion into print with the publication of his first book.

TV reality fashion series Project Catwalk catapulted Fort William design student Gemma Carver (24) into the spotlight before she had even finished her degree.

INVERLOCHY man John MacLeod, who is severely physically disabled, struggled out of his wheelchair on Saturday afternoon – to stand proudly on the snow covered summit of Ben Nevis.

A SPEAN Bridge man has beaten off the country’s biggest and best to carry off the trophy as Scotland’s Strongest Man.

EVERY parent knows the constant demands of children to be taken here, delivered there and picked up from yet another location.

NANCY spends her spring and summer days working in her big garden, she dances, goes to exercise class, enjoys Nordic walking and campaigning.

JUST over one year ago little Hannah Sinclair, now three-years-old, was diagnosed with a brain tumour and underwent life-saving major surgery.

HIGHLAND Council has appointed a new corporate manager for Ross, Skye and Lochaber. He is Bob Cameron, currently area manager for Ross and Cromarty.

ON Sunday, March 31, 19--, well, 50 years ago actually, two girls, aged 21 and 19, sat together nervously at the organ of the MacIntosh Memorial Church of Scotland, Fort William, to provide the music for the morning service.

NORTHERN Constabulary police constable Bradley O’Neill has been recognised by the force for making an outstanding contribution to the community which he serves.

GROUPS of smokers standing outside office buildings and public houses are now a common sight on the streets of towns and cities across the country.

NETHER Lochaber nursery pupils have returned “home” after a major refurbishment at St Bride's Primary School at Onich.

A KINLOCHLEVEN High School pupil who is battling a life-threatening illness has been honoured for her bravery.

THE guiding hand behind Lochaber Life is changing with the retirement of its first and until now only editor, Margaret Muncie, who steps down with the March edition.

THE Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and the Outdoor Education Response Team (OERT) delivered an adventurous weekend to 11 young people from the Lochaber area last weekend.

AGE is no barrier to creativity, as an innovative arts group have been demonstrating.

JUST moments after his chips came home for him in a prestige poker challenge, Lochaber businessman Ian Smith found himself “hustled”.

AN artist who has received wide recognition within art and mountaineering circles is to hold his first solo exhibition at the 2007 Fort William Mountain Festival.

THE development of a new boxing club in Lochaber is likely to prove a knock-out attraction for locals of all ages.

POPULAR Nevis Radio presenter Lachie “Mor” MacDougall has scored a hat-trick with his Monday evening show The Hoolie by taking a prestigious trophy for the third time.

DEDICATED environmental volunteers were honoured this week for their work with the Refurnishings project, which ran from 1994 to 2006.

SPEAN Bridge postie Catriona Andrews received a special package of her own when her 20 years of dedicated service in the village was marked by Royal Mail.

A CAOL man, whose quick thinking prevented a serious house blaze ending in tragedy, was honoured by fire chiefs this week.

DEDICATED taxi driver May Wardle completed her final drop off recently after more than 25 years safely delivering Torlundy children to and from primary schools in Fort William.

FORT William man Robbie Robertson has retired after a 40-year career with motoring giants Volkswagen — 22 of which were spent in the driving seat of his own dealership business in Lochaber.

A FORMER Lochaber High School pupil from Inchree, Onich, is preparing to embark on six months’ voluntary work in Port Shepstone, South Africa.

WITH the current trend of hotels tending to change hands every few years, it is unusual to find one which has been in the same family for the past 43 years.

THE work and commitment of Ronnie MacKellaig – who for over 60 years has organised the Glenfinnan Gathering – was honoured by fellow members of the committee by the presentation of a specially commissioned and engraved wooden bowl.

THE Lochaber Geopark Association moved another step forward recently with the appointment of a full-time project officer.

STAFF from The Royal Bank of Scotland in Fort William have been helping to raise £1 million for a range of charities as part of a community initiative across Scotland.

GILLIAN Moore, daughter of Charles Moore, Fort William, was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Music from Brunel University at its special 2006 Cadogan Hall Concert.

ISABEL Campbell MBE is to step down as director/administrator of Lochaber Rural Complex at the end of the year.

FORTY-FOUR miles and three and a half hours on their bikes brought in more than £500 for the Children In Need charity as Marc Harper from Caol and John Macintyre from North Ballachulish took the road from Ardgour to Kilchoan in a fundraising venture.

EVERY Saturday morning, starting at 5am when the alarm goes off, it is the same routine for 12-year-old Saskia Sansom and her mum Anna.

AN intriguing chain of events surrounds the renovation of a very old crofthouse near Kinlochbervie in Sutherland.

A SUGGESTION that a 60-year-old cairn erected on the summit of Ben Nevis in the cause of world peace should be removed to sea level has run into a storm of protest.

FOR many people Timbuktu conjures up thoughts of one of the most mysterious and farthest flung places in the universe.

A NEW state-of-the-art business facility, Lochaber Business Hub, will open its doors at Lochaber College in January, 2007.

LOCHABER'S Fergie MacDonald, genius of the button key accordion, marked his 50-year career with the launch of a new CD at the Royal National Mod in Dunoon.