We are experimenting with a new type of Newsletter system - you can either sign up to have it emailed to you or you can read online here.  There's also a link from our Facebook page.

If you have stories or news that might be of interest to TBI members and supporters why not email us?  The next newsletter will be published in June.

This feed was drawn from the Transition Black Isle website

Interested in helping with our Million Miles Project? TBI is looking for a full-time project officer for our three-year project to help Black Isle residents reduce their car usage, and we also need a part-time PR consultant and Bookkeeper.

The Million Miles Project hopes to reduce the annual distance driven by Black Isle folk by a mere 1% - or a massive Million Miles, depending on which way you look at it! We’ll be looking at the things that stop people using bikes, lift-share schemes and public transport, and trying to make them easier and more fun.

The Travel Project Officer will take overall control of the project, arranging events, liaising with other interested parties, managing part-time staff and co-ordinating volunteers. The PR Consultant will over-see the marketing and communications side of the project, and the Bookkeeper will maintain financial records, including PAYE and monthly reports against budget.

If you’re interested in any of these positions, we need applications by 20th April. Send a CV and covering letter, or in the case of the PR Consultant or Bookkeeper posts, a proposal setting out your background, your proposed approach to the work, and an estimate of fees. Applications should be sent to Martin Sherring, Stoneybank, Culbokie, IV7 8JH.

There’s more information available on the website:

Background to TBI and the project
Travel Project Officer job description
PR Consultant brief
Bookkeeper brief
Grant application as sent to Climate Challenge Fund
Cost analysis accompanying the CCF grant application

For even more information, phone Martin Sherring on 07730 927518 or Wendy Price on 07719 620559
 

This feed was drawn from the Transition Black Isle website

 The Members Meeting for March will be focussed around transport and has not been organized far ahead because we were unsure how our bid would fare with the Climate Challenge Fund. Our proposal is that we should get together socially on Monday March 26 in the Station Hotel, Avoch at 7.30pm.

We hope all who come will consider how low a carbon impact their journey to the meeting need be. Could you walk? Could you cycle there? Could you car‐share to make the meeting?
Could you arrive by public transport (yes possibly, but get home afterwards must be a near impossible task for everybody). In thinking out what is involved in NOT getting a car out, we can mentally join those who for one reason or another are not allowed to drive or do not have a car. At the meeting we can discuss our own transport views, and we will outline how the Transport Black Isle project is conceived with the first activities focused in Muir of Ord, North Kessock and Fortrose .

Obviously we would like to draw more people into making the outcome of a million road miles saved a reality. Do talk to neighbours and friends and see if they would be prepared to join us for the next three years at least!neighbours and friends and see if they would be prepared to join us for the next three years at least!

This feed was drawn from the Transition Black Isle website

 You can read our latest newsletter HERE

This feed was drawn from the Transition Black Isle website

We've just heard some fantastic news, the grant application for our "Million Miles" sustainable travel project has been approved by the Climate Challenge Fund. The project will run over three years, and aims to reduce Black Isle residents' annual car mileage by a mere 1% - or, astonishingly, a million miles a year.

There's going to be a lot more detail in the coming months, but the first things are going to be to appoint a project officer, and to complete the survey of current travel attitudes we've already started - see the inserts in Chatterbox and Muir Mutters.

Watch this space and dust off your bikes!

This feed was drawn from the Transition Black Isle website

Spring comes to Cromarty Market on Saturday (10th March) with over 20 varieties of seed potatoes - sold individually and cheaper than the shops!  The swap your seeds stall returns as well and the health and fitness zone, and we have much improved our food offering with a revamped and improved TBI veg stall offering produce from a variety of local producers.  Dundonnel Smoked Salmon from Dingwall are making their debut appearance, and there will be plants from Mary Henderson.

Soup and sandwich lunches this month will be supporting the Allt na Criche Summer Camp for young people.

Don't miss it!

This feed was drawn from the Transition Black Isle website

On 27TH February Transition Black Isle arranged an open evening for its members in and around Muir of Ord, as well as other locals interested in ways to improve the resilience of the village.

The evening started off with a showing of sections of a DVD produced by Transition Scotland Support. The first section showed the types of activities carried out by transition groups throughout Scotland, and set out the “Transition Vision” – starting from the idea that we should be taking steps to reduce our dependence on oil and other fossil fuels, but developing that logic to support anything that makes our communities more self-reliant and less dependent on external factors.

For the second half of the evening, smaller groups discussed specific aspects of sustainable community life:

• Travel
• Energy
• Food

It was good to focus on the needs and wishes of this community.  The groups were full of great ideas and excellent suggestions, with volunteers and action points to move them forward, so we look forward to seeing these sparks catch fire! Watch this space!

We are planning a similar meeting at Fortrose at 7.30 pm on 14th March in Seaforth Lodge, Station Square.

This feed was drawn from the Transition Black Isle website

 Hot on the heels of our Tattie Day last Saturday and our open meeting at Muir of Ord comes our latest event where you can find out more about us and what we are about.  This time the venue is Fortrose on 14 March where there will be a short film followed by delicious home-made puddings and discussion about what practical action we can take ourselves to help make a better future for us, our children and grandchildren...

unmissable!

This feed was drawn from the Transition Black Isle website

HUNDREDS of people descended on North Kessock to peruse the north’s biggest selection of seed potatoes on Saturday.

Organisers were astonished by the enthusiasm and sheer volume of people who rushed to select their spuds in when Potato Day opened on Saturday afternoon.

A total of around 400 people poured through the doors of North Kessock Hall for the event run by Transition Black Isle.

There were 60 varieties of seed potato on sale, ranging from the oldest known British variety available - Fortyfold, from 1836, to some of the newest, such as Trixie, from 2010.

Three times more tubers were sold than at last year's inaugural potato day at Culbokie. More than 80% of the stock went, with half the varieties selling out completely and nearly 1,500 paper bags were used by customers.

Buyers were impressed by the atmosphere of the event and delicious food, cakes and refreshments, as well as the vast array of potatoes on offer.

Susan Kruse of Strathpeffer said:  “There’s been a great atmosphere, with people talking and sharing advice and it’s fantastic to have the opportunity to choose from such a great variety of potatoes.”

“It’s been great fun - absolutely fab!” said allotment holder Diana Gray from Inverness. “I loved the chat and all the people mingling, trying to figure out which kinds to pick.

“Variety is the spice of life and I’m now looking forward to the excitement of watching all my seed tatties grow, from earlies through to the later varieties. Then there’s the joy of discovering all the different flavours and textures when you eat them.”

Lady Julia Mackenzie from the Black Isle said she would definitely be returning to next year’s Potato Day. “It’s a very good event and I am totally in favour of what Transition Black Isle is doing,” she added.

The remaining tubers will be available for people to buy at March's community markets in Cromarty on Saturday 10 March and Culbokie on 17 March. Among the 25 varieties available will be the popular salad spud Anya, which didn't arrive in time for Potato Day.

Organiser Agric Hadron said: "It's been hectic - and great to see the enthusiasm. People have come from all over the Highlands - Tomatin, Forres, Tain and beyond. I guess we'll have to do one every year after this. Big thanks to the local Black Isle growers who've supported tattie day."

This feed was drawn from the Transition Black Isle website

 The February Newsletter is just out.  You can read it here

This feed was drawn from the Transition Black Isle website