Lighting Up Stornoway

Chris Murray Photography shows how light is cast over Stornoway, while Melinda Gillen, Editor of the Stornoway Gazette, writes about the new businesses that will be lighting up empty premises in the town's centre.

Scottish Islands Explorer - has two retail outlets in the town
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In Depth on Sanday

Archaeological investigations of a most intensive kind will commence at Cata Sand, Sanday, next week. What was thought to be an extensive Bronze Age settlement on this Orkney island was initially uncovered last year. Read more in The Orcadian.

Scottish Islands Explorer - covers from geology and prehistory to current affairs
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Lone Walker

This photograph of a lone walker on Tolsta Beach, Isle of Lewis, is from the latest BBC selection of images sent in by viewers during the past week.

Scottish Islands Explorer - tries not to walk alone, but likes readers' company

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Heavens Above

Looking up at night has its rewards and West Highland Free Press reader, Ewen MacKenzie, has done just that.

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Swan Trust Skipper

The Swan Trust has appointed a new skipper, Thorben Reinhardt, for its 2016 season with a new programme for sailing the restored fishing vessel, LK243. Here's a man and a boat that will be going places and Shetland News carries the details. Thorben will need to acclimatise to the transition between his customary assignments in the Caribbean waters and those at the convergence of the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean.

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Chess Pieces

This Lewis Chessman may not be looking best pleased, but a colleague of his, Berserker, has been been re-created in the National Museum of Scotland, using 90,000 Lego pieces. Read about it on the BBC website.

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Ferry News

There's good news for South Uist residents and visitors with CalMac making its service from Mallaig, on the Mainland, into an all-year round operation. The details are in an interesting Letter from Europe that looks at other features of ferrying in Britain and Ireland.

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Love or Leave?

Will it be 'Shexit', 'Orknexit' or 'Wexit' this time, when Shetland, Orkney and Western Isles residents vote in the EU Referendum? The result there in 1975 was 'Out' rather than 'In' and so the forthcoming 'Love' or 'Leave' decision will indicate whether changes of thinking have taken place in these island communities. An item on the BBC website assesses what will happen over 40 years on from that significant vote.

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Good to Google in Gaelic

When picking up a language, there's nothing like having a translation at hand. Scots Gaelic has now joined more than a hundred languages that are available on Google.

Scottish Islands Explorer - bi-lingual version not planned
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The Missing One?

Here is the Iron Age Wheelhouse on Grimsay, which was photographed by Bob Jones. The island is one of the ten through which cyclists will be wheeling their way on the designated route through the Hebrides. It escaped me when compiling the blog for last Tuesday until one reader inserted a comment, but is home to 169 people. Some of them would just recall the time when Grimsay was not a stepping stone on the North Ford Causeway linking North Uist with Benbecula, but subject to the difficulties associated with tidal islands.

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