March 2025

1. Minutes of Last Meeting
2. Apologies
3. Chairperson’s Report
4. Secretary’s Report
5. Treasurer’s Report
6. Election of any new Committee Members
7. Election of Officers for the forthcoming year
8. Any Other Business

Harvey's House Calls for Cats is a family run business in the Waternish area, offering a pet service for cats and cat owners. The business is named in commemoration of our own late cat Harvey.

We are fully insured and DBS checked, and offer a number of services, including:

• cat sitting in your own home;
• overnight stays;
• cat walking for indoor cats;
• cat chauffeuring

To join us on Facebook, click on the following link:
https://www.facebook.com/harveyshousecallsforcats

To get in touch for all your furry feline needs, contact us via facebook, or one of the methods below:

tel: 01470 517214
email: harveyshousecallsforcats@gmail.com

The Highland Council are currently consulting on the proposed introduction of a visitor levy scheme. The scheme will affect individuals and businesses in the Highland Council area.

A reminder that the consultation process for the Highland Council Visitor Levy consultation will close on 31 March 2025, and Waternish Community Council encourage everyone to make their views known.

The Visitor Levy Consultation Document and Frequently Asked Questions can be found at the following link, and you can complete and submit the form online (scroll down then click on the Visitor Levy Consultation button, then click on Go to Event):-

The DCF Community Cafe have another Free Community Swap Shop event coming up!

We will be taking in donations of clothes and bric-a-brac in good, usable condition during Cafe opening hours on Monday 31st March.

The event will run as a free shop on Wed 2nd April from 2-5pm. There is no need to have brought a donation to attend the free shop event ! Please join us anyway!

There will also be light refreshments of tea, filter coffee and cakes available and cash donations can be made towards refreshments... any money raised will go to the work of Unite Nepal, feeding hungry children in the Nepalese mountains.

We also need a couple of extra volunteers for helping to set up the event on Tues 1st April from 12pm and then to help close down the event on Wed 2nd from 5pm , please reply to us at dunvegancommunitycafe@gmail.com if you are able to help.

We have a set of indoor curling 'stones’ and target stored in the Hall cupboard, together with a full set of instructions. The game can be played whilst seated, standing and by using push sticks, so is open to all.

Curling evening will take place on the last Tuesday of each month - so the next is on Tuesday, 25th March.

If you would like to be added to the Curling WhatsApp group please contact me using the details below with your mobile number.

The session starts at 7pm and lasts about 2 hours. The cost is £2

Jill Lopez
email: jill16lopez16@gmail.com

Dear Waternish Residents,

Most of us have been affected by cancer in some shape or form and Cancer Research UK undertake pioneering work into how to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer.

As in previous years, in the month of March, volunteers from Waternish will be doing door to door collections for the local branch of Cancer Research UK. We will have collecting tins and will be out and about during daylight hours when weather and time permits.

The collectors who will be knocking on your doors are Janice Martin, Pat Matheson, Lesley MacLean and Hilary Goodall. We would be delighted if anyone else would care to join us – it’s a great way to wander around Waternish and meet your neighbours!

In these days of electronic payment methods, many of us don’t have cash lying around, so we are giving you a wee bit of notice in case you want to obtain cash for the collecting tins. Alternatively you can make a payment direct to the Skye branch account held in the RBS in Portree. Sort code 83-26-19, account number 00281554.

You can also donate online at https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/get-involved/donate and this method enables you to add Gift Aid if you are a UK taxpayer.

If you are not in when we call but would like to donate, you can drop your donation off at Lesley’s porch (Trumpan Cottage - last house on the right, top road at Trumpan). A box will be left there for donations.

Lesley MacLean

What's Going On With The Bins?

This past week saw the last collection on Waternish by the Highland Council for green bins used for general refuse; and next Tuesday (11th March) will see the last use of the blue bin for all recyclable waste. Some people are unsure about the forthcoming changes to bin collections, so here is your easy to understand guide to what's happening on Waternish.

New Grey Bin For Refuse (non-recyclable)

Certain households (mainly businesses) have already had a new grey bin delivered, to be used in future for non-recyclable waste. If you've not yet received yours, then it should be delivered within the next week or so. It's a slightly smaller size than your old green bin, so the Council somehow expect people to produce less non-recyclable waste in the future, which will be collected in your new grey bin every fortnight, starting on Tuesday 18th March.

Blue Bin

Previously used for all recyclable waste, after the collection on 11th March, this should only be used for paper, card and cardboard. The first collection date for these items in your blue bin is Tuesday 8th April. After this, it will be collected every 4 weeks.

Green Bin (although some people have a grey/black bin instead)

Previously used for non-recyclable refuse, this should now only be used for recyclable plastics, metals, and food and drink cartons. The first collection date for your re-purposed green bin is Tuesday 25th March. After this, it will be collected every 4 weeks.

Conclusion

The collection next Tuesday (11th March) is unchanged - it's the final old-style recyclable blue bin collection. After that, the new rules kick in as explained above. If you're still confused, then a leaflet from the Council detailing the new rules about what can and cannot go into each bin will be delivered when you receive your new grey bin.

Bin Collection Calendar

I have prepared a new Waternish bin collection calendar for my own use, but you are welcome to download it if you think it would be useful. As well as colour-coded bin collection days for the rest of the year, it also shows Bank Holidays for Scotland, England and Wales. It can be viewed or downloaded by clicking here.

Frank Coma
Newletter Co-editor

The above information has been provided in good faith from the Highland Council website, and applies to Waternish residents only, but the newsletter accepts no responsibility for any errors. Please check leaflets and website information as provided by the Highland Council for further details.

The Highland Council are currently consulting on the proposed introduction of a visitor levy scheme.

The visitor levy scheme will affect individuals and businesses in the Highland Council area.

The consultation process will close on 31 March 2025, and Waternish Community Council encourage everyone to make their views known.

You can find out more by attending an in-person event being held by Highland Council at Isle of Skye Visitor Centre, Portree on 14th March from 2pm until 3.30pm, as per above.

The Community Council will be discussing the levy at our next meeting on Tuesday 11th March at Waternish Community Hall. If you would like to attend, please feel free to come along at 7pm.

The visitor levy consultation document and frequently asked questions can be found at the following link and you can complete and submit the form online (click on the Visitor Levy Consultation button then click on Go to Event):-