JUSTIN Ryan has made some outspoken comment about Fort William and he's spot on the money.

I AM writing in response to your article in last week's Lochaber News, "Rank Rotten".

I READ your story about what Justin Ryan, formerly of Fort William, said and I listened again on BBC to hear it and I have to say what Justin said was such an accurate portrayal of what has happened.

AS someone who has long supported the work done by our local voluntary sector, I am horrified by Highland Council's removal of Age Concern Scotland's funding – and the threat of reduction in financial support to Lochaber Community Care Forum.

ONCE again I, having left my seasonal job driving coaches mainly on the continent, find myself working temporarily for the local bus company here in Fort William, driving either to Skye or Inverness.

TIGGER, the 12-year-old cat who got caught in a snare, had a lucky escape (Tigger escapes snare tragedy! LN, w/e 9/3/08). Sadly many other pets are not so lucky.

THE Highland Council budget approved recently will impact disproportionately on the poorest people in the Highlands.

Sir, I read with interest George MacLeod's letter in last week's Roamer regarding the piece of sandstone at the West End of Fort William High Street and I totally agree with what he says.

Sir, I am writing to protest against recent proposed cuts to the Highland Community Care Forum.

Sir, The story of the Duke of Windsor and Mrs Wallis Simpson leaving Lochaber for their famous cruise to the Adriatic (Roamer, w/e Feb 9) is interesting but is at variance with the facts, not least because it took place in 1936, not 1935.

WHAT do we do with our mounting waste in Lochaber? Most of us are doing our bit to recycle, but feel frustrated that we can't recycle more – plastics being the biggest concern.

I WAS saddened to hear of the sudden and untimely death of Cathy MacKenzie. Cathy played a very large part in the community of Caol and she will be very sadly missed.

WHEN our new Scottish Government took power, I along with many others, was delighted that their stated aim was to stop the march of centralisation and give local communities a chance to be heard again and their views taken into consideration.

I HAVE just returned from a three-month trip to the Philippines where I married my long-term girlfriend and spent a wonderful honeymoon on a secluded island. Sadly, I returned home to hear of many sad tragedies and accidents on the A82.

HIGHLAND Council's planning department currently has before it an application by Scottish Water for a major extension to the existing sewage treatment works at North Ballachulish, by the bridge.

ON Thursday 20th December Spean Bridge and Achnacarry Senior Citizens enjoyed the delightful ambiance and superb cuisine of the Letterfinlay Hotel as the venue for their Christmas lunch.

AS the area representative for Tearfund I extend my thanks to all involved in the promotion and selling of Tearcraft. The new format catalogue is easier to use with even more variety in the beautifully handcrafted goods.

WE, the directors of John McLellan & Co Ltd, would be obliged if you would allow us to correct an error which arose from Alexander Gray's letter in support of Michael McFall (Letters, w/e Dec 1). Although we are in no doubt that the error was made innocently and in good faith, it was a serious one and must be addressed.

I'M always pleased to see the Lochaber News is good enough to cover stories which other papers may be afraid to, especially last week's NHS staff bullying situation.

IN a recent issue of the Lochaber News (November 10) all too many letters referred to this waterfront issue as a battle or war.

WHAT a surprise to see ex-councillor Olwyn Macdonald on the front page of the Lochaber News. The withdrawal symptoms must have been really bad, that must have been the first time in about eight months.

I WRITE to put some meat on last week's letter from Councillor Michael Foxley. The day before the debate on the waterfront, the four Lochaber Independent councillors were advised by a leading Independent councillor that we would lose the vote as the Lib Dems and SNP were putting a whip on their members.

I HAVE been an avid local supporter of the Lochaber Hydrotherapy Pool Appeal, as thousands of locals have. Certificates have been placed all around Lochaber for the donations put into the small boxes placed around Lochaber, thanking us for our contribution to such a worthy cause.

HAVING read the front page of the Lochaber News, I wonder what Lochaber is coming to.

I WRITE in support of my husband Councillor Eddie Hunter who I am sure will be annoyed at my action.

IT is not always wise to shoot the messenger, but when the message is so off the mark as in your Page 1 headline of last week then maybe a wee cuff on the ear is appropriate.

IT was interesting to read in last week's Lochaber News about the alleged bickering at meetings within Highland Council.

I WRITE to shoot down the latest kite flown in your letters column last week. The Highland Liberal Democrats did NOT use a whip over the council vote on the Fort William waterfront. The only whip I use is in my dreams!

OUR committee has been overwhelmed by the congratulations received from all quarters on the excellent Mòd Lochabair 2007 and its Fringe. This success simply would not have been possible without the backing of a great number of people.

ON Thursday, October 25, I witnessed a very sad day for local democracy in Lochaber.

FIRSTLY, to our four Independent councillors: you went to Inverness with the best intentions for us Lochaber folk, but from what I am led to believe the decision was made before you even had a chance to speak regarding the Waterfront development.

I SAID recently that if the Highland Council administration is to stay strong then everyone within it had to listen to public opinion.

SEVERAL Lochaber songs were no doubt sung at this year's Royal National Mod but I doubt if any of them were by Donald MacLaren, who was one of the best-known deerstalkers in Invergarry and a noted Gaelic bard.

THE reason I stood at the last election was because of the manner in which the most important decision in Fort William in decades – the waterfront development – was forced through.

MOD 2007 has come and gone and what a Mod – one of the best in years.

I WOULD like to thank Charlie MacColl and all the organisers and people of Fort William for enabling us visitors to have a wonderful Mod – it was very friendly and enjoyable and we look forward to being back.

AS you read this letter the great debate about the waterfront development will be under way, possibly in private. In a weekend paper our chief executive Alistair Dodds warned that to stop the project now could lead to financial consequences for the council (a six figure sum).

IT'S over a month since the Mountain Bike World Championships ended and the new road layout at Lochybridge and Torlundy cycle access path were completed. Both have been a success.

I FAIL to understand why so many nasty letters are written to your paper, especially those based on false assumptions.

I AM writing in protest regarding the proposed changeover of Fort William's High Street Post Office to the unimaginable basement premises of WH Smith.

I WOULD like to thank Fort William Community Council for attempting to save our post office at Monday night's meeting.

I READ last week's Roy Bridge School article (LN w/e Sept 29) with incredulity, but welcome the apparent Damascene conversion by Councillor Bren Gormley.

THE official opening of the Lochaber Phoenix Boxing Club took place on Thursday, September 13, at Caol Youth Centre.

IT'S all very well for Councillor Brian Murphy to say that the waterfront development consortium put forward the best project for the benefit of Lochaber. Sadly, we only have his word on that.

I HAVE yet to meet anyone who does not wish to see fundamental changes to the proposed waterfront development, and I include the Chairman of Fort William and District Chamber of Commerce, leading community councillors and even members of the consortium which has been chosen as the preferred bidder.

I WROTE to your paper recently regarding the proposed waterfront development and, in spite of the assertions made by Cllr Bill Clark, I believe that the comments I made then were both accurate and valid.

I REFER to Andy Donaldson's letter (LN last week) regarding his attendance at the joint forum meeting, in particular his comments on my response to his question that if the council decided on October 25 to go ahead with the present waterfront development, would that put an end to the squabbling?

INVERLOCHY and Torlundy Community Council wishes to make public its appreciation of the concerted and sustained commitment shown by the main contractor RJ MacLeod (Ltd) in collaboration with the various sub-contractors involved in getting the new Lochybridge-Torlundy combined footpath and cycleway to a state that made it usable in time for the Mountain Bike World Championships, held recently at Nevis Range.

AS secretary of Fort William Cricket Club, may I say how much we appreciate the letter from Ewan McNeil in the LN. His congratulations were good to read.

I ARRIVED home on Monday night, following the joint forum meeting held in the Nevis Centre, feeling belittled and chastened owing to the response I received to what I thought was a very reasonable question about the proposed waterfront development.

I, AND a lot of local residents, were very disappointed to read about the verdict of Highland Council to overturn its previous decision and have the proposed Fort William waterfront development shelved for further debate.

LAST week's front-page story "Waterfront: councillors in new clash" made for some really interesting reading.

WHAT would we all do without the Lochaber News to keep us amused?

HERE we go once again: is Fort William determined to self-destruct?

LAST week I travelled up to Fort William on Thursday to visit relations and go to a surprise 50th birthday party.

WHAT do the people in power think visitors to Fort William actually see when they arrive?

I WRITE to congratulate Fort William Cricket Club on recently winning the Macallan North of Scotland Reserve League Cricket title by such a wide margin.

I AM delighted that the uncertainty over the future of Invernevis House has been removed for the benefit of the residents, their relatives and the staff.

I WISH to point out that it is not true to state that the results of the last local election proves the majority of people in Fort William oppose the waterfront development.

I REFER to the inaccurate content in the round robin letter most recently signed by Stephen MacLeod, Claggan, in support of the present waterfront proposals.

I CAN only agree with one sentence in Stephen MacLeod's letter (LN w/e Sept 1) and that is "Nothing should be seen as too ambitious for our town".

I WRITE to congratulate the LN regarding the article on the family who were re-united with the lost photographs of their relatives from the past.

AS a follow-up to Catherine MacKinnon's letter last week about traffic chaos and the mountain bike event, I would have thought Catherine would be looking forward to the bike championship.

I WRITE having just completed a 10-minute journey from Torlundy, in a new personal best of one hour and 15 minutes. It gave me a great view of the new cycle path, and Lochybridge junction.

FORT William is an area renowned for its rain, and it is usually the main topic of discussion whenever people meet.

MAY I start by thanking those who responded to my earlier letter – I certainly seem to have ruffled a few feathers.

I READ recently that the four Lochaber council members of the Independent Group (surely some contradiction in terms?) are intending to stop the proposed retail, commercial and housing development in Fort William on the grounds that the plans are too ambitious! What planet are these people on?

THE current traffic situation is ridiculous and a deterrent to visiting Fort William other than if absolutely necessary.

WHAT a joy it was last week to see the return of the continental market to Fort William.

WATCHING Councillor Brian Murphy's political performances is like watching someone do the hokey-cokey – he doesn't know if he's in or out or simply shaking it all about.

I WOULD like to reply to Alex Farquhar's letter in the LN. For a person who has, seemingly, no vested interest in the waterfront project, he has certainly gone out of his way to write a long letter in support of it and to try and rubbish my, and other people's, views.

IN response to Mary Bruce's letter last week, I did not say that Fort William Community Council had interviewed anyone for positions on the committee. I was merely stating what the letter had said and also what I was told by Mrs Jordan in a phone call.

IN response to Mr Woods’s letter (LN, August 11), as he has chosen to make his comments through the media, may I make the following comments.

DARREN Woods’s letter regarding the appointment to the Fort William Community Council committee of Neil Clark has raised a few eyebrows around the town.

I REFER to Councillor Brian Murphy’s letter regarding the Aldi planning application and, in particular, his comment that as vice-chairman of the Ross, Skye and Lochaber planning committee, I should defend the council’s planning officials handling of the application against adverse comments.

I AM writing to the LN to let the population of Lochaber know that there is hope that the powers-that-be may eventually get their repective acts together and work constructively to attract new business into Fort William, in what ever form that takes.

REGARDING the front page story in last week’s Lochaber News about the Aldi planning application at the Nevis Square Retail Park, Drew Purdon is totally wrong to imply that the waterfront development is stifling development in the Fort William area, and that the Aldi application is being held up because of it.

FIRSTLY, I would like to thank all those who took the time to express their views with regard to the recent decision taken by Fort William Community Council (FWCC) concerning Mr Neil Clark’s appointment.

I READ with some amusement that Ken Johnson has continued to promote the idea, put forward several times previously in your letters page, that the building of any structure on the edge of Loch Linnhe will somehow mean that any displaced water will somehow go straight across the loch and flood Caol, under the principle of “well, it has to go somewhere hasn’t it”.

REPORTS in the local press give the impression that the campaign to stop a development in Cromarty Crescent is against children. This is not the case.

I WOULD like, through your columns, to express my annoyance, frustration and anger at the way our money is being spent in Lochaber.

I WOULD like to comment on the recent decision by Fort William Community Council to overlook Darren Woods for the vacant position on the council.

COULD I through your letters page congratulate the Fort William Fire Service team who competed in the national finals of the road traffic extrication competitions in Cardiff on Friday and Saturday last week.

VILLAGE and community halls in Scotland perform a vital role in rural areas. But the volunteers who run these halls are finding it difficult to keep them operating,

I FEEL I must reply to the report in the Lochaber News of June 30: “Backing the Outsider?” by Margaret Chrystall.

A FEW days ago I learnt that Ballachulish Community Council and others were suggesting our late night bus service should be withdrawn.

UNTIL a few weeks ago the controversial waterfront development was only going to be a housing estate with supermarket and filling station (albeit a filling station that according to the developers would be a “world class tourist attraction”).

COULD I please thank all the generous people throughout Lochaber who gave a donation to our Sit-aside Bike fund.

I WOULD like to thank all those who voted for me on May 3 and assure everyone in the Fort William and Ardnamurchan ward that they will always find me willing to listen and help in any way I can.

IN April, I had a letter published about the Suicide Awareness Group asking for donations as I was running the Lochaber Marathon for the organisation.

AFTER reading the recent article concerning the alleged hounding of Mr Graham Brooks by river bailiffs and the letter from the fishery manager, John Gibb, attempting to justify the actions of his employees, I feel that I would be doing Mr Brooks an injustice if I did not put pen to paper.

I WAS perturbed to read in last week’s LN about poachers’ nets being discovered during the day, set under the surface in salmon pools where children frequently swim during the summer months.

I REFER to last week’s letter in the LN regarding the local fishery manager’s concerns for the safety of young children who swim in our local rivers. Mr Gibb outlines the risk these children are exposed to with poachers’ nets.

I WRITE in response to Alan Kimber’s letter on the cycle path (Last week’s LN).

IT really saddened my heart to read about the problems with Kilmallie Hall.

I READ with some confusion Mr Wynne’s pro-waterfront letter in the Lochaber News.

THE manager, committee and volunteers of Lochaber Deaf Care would like to thank the following organisations for their valuable contributions towards this year’s Children’s Easter Egg Hunt – Claggan Stores, Co-op Caol, Co-op Corpach, Farmfoods, Tesco, Thorntons and Glen Nevis Visitor Centre.

AS the fishery manager on the Rivers Lochy and Spean in charge of enhancing and protecting dwindling salmon stocks, I refer to your front page article in last week’s LN about Mr Brooks from Roy Bridge – “I’m being hounded by bailiffs – Storyteller is being followed and watched”.

I READ with interest and disappointment last week’s front page article (I’m being hounded by bailiffs, LN w/e May 12).

IT is with interest that I notice the ongoing debate concerning mountain bikers getting to Nevis Range safely for the upcoming world champs in September. Let’s take the Lochybridge to Torlundy cycle path out of the equation for the moment.

RECENTLY I read an article in the local press about the hedge in Kilmallie Cemetery being reduced in height to allow sunlight to penetrate and try and help cure a problem with moss.

HAVING 35 years of retail experience in Fort William High Street and also 25 years of retail experience in Oban, I feel more qualified than most to comment on the state of Fort William High Street and the new Waterfront Development.

FAILURE to form a political alliance with the SNP to form a government may sound the death knell for the Liberal Democrats in Scotland.