volunteers busy on Tanera

Tanera Mor John Muir Work Party Report, November 2012

In October, just as the regular season was drawing to a close, we welcomed a group of 12 John Muir Trust members and 2 JMT staff members to Tanera for a five-day work party. The opportunity to host the JMT work party came about through our involvement in the Coigach Assynt Living Landscapes Project (http://coigach-assynt.org/) of which both we and the JMT are members.

We were delighted to be blessed with an extremely experienced and hard working group able to turn their numerous hands to a great range of tasks, all undertaken with enthusiasm, care and diligence. We were also blessed with excellent weather, for the first three and a half days of the week. Thereafter the conditions proved very good for testing the newly installed path drainage systems!

A huge range of tasks were achieved by the group, including; restoration and improvement of a good section of the island’s main path, considerable repair to the stonework at the head of Tigh-an-Quay pier, thinning the birch woodland, upgrading an old fence line, removal of a considerable area of gorse, and rubbish collection across the majority of the island’s beaches.

The group was led by Sandy Maxwell, the JMT work party co-ordinator, with expert input from Chris Goodman, the JMT Path Officer. In addition Brian Wilson, an Ullapool-based drystane dyker, led on the stone dyking element at Tigh-an-Quay pier.

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone involved for their hard work and for providing us with such a memorable and enjoyable week.

Plans are afoot for a further work party in October 2013. If you’re interested more details can be found here: http://www.jmt.org/activities-conservation-work-parties.asp

Richard, Lizzie and Rosie Williams