Last year the Lord of the Isles was a finalist...how amazing would it be this year if they could take an award back to Craobh Haven! The awards they are going for are:

Best Independent Bar
Best Pub
Best Gastro Pub

If you've ever visited please show your support and vote at: http://entertainmentawards.co.uk/vote-now/

​It would mean the world to them, thank you very much.

Thanks to everyone who gave so generously at the Car Wash & Cafe fundraiser on Sunday.  The children raised more than expected and are very excited about their upcoming trip to Benmore. Isn't it weird seeing all these shiny, clean cars in Ardfern?!

We are immensely proud of our Ardfern Runners who ran a half marathon (for the first time!) in Glasgow on Sunday 1st October to raise funds for 3 charities - two of which were founded and are run by locals.  Over £1500 has been raised (so far! we're still counting) for Feedback Madagascar, DARE Foundation and MIND UK.  Well done guys!

Photos from previous beach cleans in Craignish. The last photo was taken at Kintraw beach at the head of Loch Craignish on the 23rd May. The children are flying beachclean sarongs with the message SAY NO TO A PLASTIC SEA! an initiative by local artist and designer Hannah Tofts who is fighting against marine pollution: www.letsgotothebeach.org

In collaboration with Craignish Primary School, Craignish Village Hall we have submitted a project called Fuaimean Craignish (Sounds of Craignish) to an Argyll & Bute Particapatory budget scheme to promote Gaelic language and culture.

Their idea is to kick off with a summer feis in Ardfern to support the rich Gaelic culture that is such a vital part of this place but is so threatened. They hope to set up a series of workshops about Gaelic story telling, language, history, music, drama, and more with regular coffee and craic sessions at the hall to keep the momentum going.

They aim to be as inclusive as possible, with plenty for all, young and old, in Craignish and throughout mid-Argyll! To receive funding they need as many people as possible to vote for their project. You can do so via this link: www.abpb.co.uk. If you have any questions or would like any more info please get in touch.

​THANK YOU!

Our small but utterly amazing boat club has won Club of the Year at the Scottish Canoe Association´s Awards ceremony this weekend!
And this is why: 

In 2010, Craignish Boat Club became homeless and it was unclear whether they would survive. After a lot of blood, sweat and tears, they managed to secure a new site which they moved to in 2014, after 3 years of uncertainty. Since securing the new site, the club has gone from strength to strength, and through forging links with local schools it is now seen as a pillar in the community. Every child in the local school from P3 upwards has attended at least one of the activities (sailing or paddling) for at least one season. They now have 60 kayaking members and with three Level 1 coaches and 7 assistants, they are building on their bank of coaches, providing ongoing training and support to help them progress. Achieving all of this in such a relatively short period of time is a fantastic achievement, which is why Craignish are recognised as Club of the Year 2016. 

Congratulations guys!

The calendar for this year´s Arts Festival is now available and its going to be another excellent year of art and culture.  For updates keep checking: www.craignish.org.uk/cvh/craignish-festival-2016-30th-july-to-14th-august/

Ju and Bob were both away this month, so Jan did the count on her own. Although it was cloudy initially the temperature was 22ºC and by the end of the count it was sunny and 24 degrees! June tends to be a fairly quiet month on the bird front, but with virtually no wind and a very low tide it was fairly easy to identify those birds that were about.
 
One highlight was a great view of a pair of Sandpipers on the shore in front of the Village Hall. They came so close that Jan tried to photograph them, but they were so well camouflaged against the stones that they didn’t really show up in a photo!
 
There is an unusual looking Oystercatcher which has been on the Loch Beag Shore for some time now – much whiter and more mottled than a ‘normal’ oystercatcher. It is very distinctive so worth keeping an eye out for.
 
Birds seen were as follows:
 
Oystercatcher – 25
Canada Geese – 72
Greylag Goose – 27
Red Breasted Merganser – 17
Common Sandpiper – 6
Grey Heron – 3
Mallard – 26
Shelduck – 3
Eider Duck – 3