sanda - ?access issue?

[awol]

May I suggest that carrying on as usual is the best policy? I and others have landed at the slip (a "pier" usually stays above water) walked past the ex-Byron Danton. risked "death within a year" in the graveyard, climbed the Sanda "munro", walked to the lighthouse, etc. without let or hindrance. One of my friends (yes, I do have some) even used a mooring, went ashore and paid for it + a can(!) of beer in the empty restaurant. He claimed he was intending to leave money behind the bar for a drink for my next visit but had zero faith in the set up.

At some point the owners or their representatives either have to confront the visitors, at which point a report on another website will "let loose the dogs of war", or life will go on as usual but without the ear-bending from the landlord of the Byron Danton or access to draught beer.

I often wondered how Dr No, Scaramanga etc. managed to create their island strongholds from which to terrorise the world. Weren't there any militant yachties around to demand and enforce their anchoring and access rights?

 

[Fascadale]

I plan to be in Sanda on either the the night of the 1st July or the 2nd on my way out West.

I will be going ashore to explore the island.

Perhaps I may see one or two of you there?

 

[awol]

Could you no wait fur the Glesca Fair an' go mob handed? That weekend is the Roond Mull swally so it is bound to be a NW6/7

 

[bikedaft]

must admit i'm planning to make a point of landing there more often

will next be there end mar/beginning april

anyone know any kayakers etc?

 

[bikedaft]

ps - does anyone know what the legal position is regards piers/slips etc?

foreshore is easy, ie anywhere beneath HWS is not owned by the landowner, but presumably piers eg businesses, harbours etc can tell you where to go, or charge you for the use etc?

anyone know for sure?

 

[Clyde_Wanderer]

must admit i'm planning to make a point of landing there more often

will next be there end mar/beginning april

anyone know any kayakers etc?

I tend to get a bit ratty about things like this too, hence my interest in this one.
I tried to email the Access Officer on your email add last night but it dident go, is that the correct email add?
Sorry I dont know any Kayakers, maybe this would be a good mission for those hairy chested bald headed Jet skiers! round up a few dozen of them and dispatch them armed to the teeth with Tenants lager to Sanda.
C_W

 

[Clyde_Wanderer]

ps - does anyone know what the legal position is regards piers/slips etc?

foreshore is easy, ie anywhere beneath HWS is not owned by the landowner, but presumably piers eg businesses, harbours etc can tell you where to go, or charge you for the use etc?

anyone know for sure?

There isent a harbour master there as such, so provided visitors keep withen the law I would imagine they would be entitled to land at the pier, apparently this new owner is treating the pier the same as the rest of the island in so far as his interpretation of No Access is concerned.
Interested to hear how you get on with your email.
Good luck.
C_W.

 

[bikedaft]

I tend to get a bit ratty about things like this too, hence my interest in this one.
I tried to email the Access Officer on your email add last night but it dident go, is that the correct email add?
Sorry I dont know any Kayakers, maybe this would be a good mission for those hairy chested bald headed Jet skiers! round up a few dozen of them and dispatch them armed to the teeth with Tenants lager to Sanda.
C_W

Jolyon.Gritten at argyll-bute.gov.uk

have cut and pasted it this time, that's the one i got him on? odd

he sounded quite helpful, will be interesting to see what happens to the sign after their meeting

a bevvy of jet skiers now there's an idea

 

[Clyde_Wanderer]

May I suggest that carrying on as usual is the best policy? I and others have landed at the slip (a "pier" usually stays above water) walked past the ex-Byron Danton. risked "death within a year" in the graveyard, climbed the Sanda "munro", walked to the lighthouse, etc. without let or hindrance. One of my friends (yes, I do have some) even used a mooring, went ashore and paid for it + a can(!) of beer in the empty restaurant. He claimed he was intending to leave money behind the bar for a drink for my next visit but had zero faith in the set up.

At some point the owners or their representatives either have to confront the visitors, at which point a report on another website will "let loose the dogs of war", or life will go on as usual but without the ear-bending from the landlord of the Byron Danton or access to draught beer.

I often wondered how Dr No, Scaramanga etc. managed to create their island strongholds from which to terrorise the world. Weren't there any militant yachties around to demand and enforce their anchoring and access rights?

Interesting point noted here, " a can of beer", did the new owner procure a drinks licence? if not then he broke the law if he sold a can of beer!
I know that he hadent got a licence the summer of 2010 as we couldent buy a drink with our meal.
Bear in mind this was before the offending signs or foreign staff appeared on the scene.
I am becomming more understanding of why the previous family that worked there fell out with the new owner.
C_W

 

[bikedaft]

There isent a harbour master there as such, so provided visitors keep withen the law I would imagine they would be entitled to land at the pier, apparently this new owner is treating the pier the same as the rest of the island in so far as his interpretation of No Access is concerned.
Interested to hear how you get on with your email.
Good luck.
C_W.

presumably the slip and road was built for lighthouse building then servicing? don't know if that makes any difference, although could make it harder for him to try and claim the road is his garden. using the slip or not is pretty academic in a dinghy, the beach right beside it is easy enough for landing.

 

[bikedaft]

Is the email typed in exactly as it appears here? assuming that "at" is a @ (ampersand)
C_W

yip, change the " at " to "@"

 

[Clyde_Wanderer]

yip, change the " at " to "@"

My fault I had first name spelled wrong way, its my lexdixia!
C_W

 

[Harry25]

Sanda in 2008 in happier times

I hope this photo loads up.

 

[mcframe]

a bevvy of jet skiers now there's an idea

Seumas Mor wrote:

Twas down by the farm of Scottas
Lord Brocket walked one day
And he saw a sight that troubled him
Far more than he could say
For the seven men of Knoydart
Were doing what they'd planned
They'd staked their claim, they were digging their drains
On Brocket's private land

"You bloody Reds!", Lord Brocket cried
Wot's this you're doin' 'ere?
It doesn't pay, as you'll find today,
To insult an English Peer
For you're only Scottish halfwits
And I'll have you understand
You Highland swine, these hills are mine
This is all Lord Brocket's land"

"I'll write to Arthur Woodburn, boys,
And he'll soon let you know,
That the Sacred Rights of Property
Will never be laid low.
With your stakes and tapes, I'll make you traipse
From Knoydart to the Rand
You can dig for gold till you're stiff and cold
But not on this 'ere land."

Up spoke the men of Knoydart
"Och, away an shut yer trap
For threats from a Saxon brewer's boy
We just don't give a rap
For we are all ex-servicemen
And we fought against the hun
We can tell our enemies by now
And Brocket, you are one"

At this the noble Brocket
Turned purple in the face
He said, "These Scottish savages
Are Britain's dark disgrace
It may be true that I've let a few
Thousand acres go to pot
But each one I'd give to a London spiv
Before any goddamned Scot!"

"You're a shower of Tartan Bolshies
But I'll soon have you licked
I'll write to the Court of Session
For an interim interdict
I'll write to my London lawyers
And they will understand"
"Ach, tae Hell wi yer London lawyers,
We want our Scottish land"

When Brocket heard these fighting words
He fell down in a swoon
But they splashed his jowls with uisge
And he woke up mighty soon
He moaned, "The Dukes of Sutherland
Were right about the Scot
If I had my way I'd start today
And clear the whole damned lot"

Then spoke the men of Knoydart,
"You have no earthly right
For this is the land of Alba
And no the Isle of Wight
When Scotland's proud young Fianna
Are assembled in the van
We'll show the world that Highlanders
Have a right to Scottish land"

"You may scream and yell, Lord Brocket,
You may rave and stamp and shout
But the lamp we've lit in Knoydart
Will never now go out
For Scotland's on the march again
And we think it won't be long
Roll on the day when the Knoydart way
Is Scotland's battle song"

c'n'p from http://www.dickgaughan.co.uk/songs/texts/knoydart.html

An interim interdict on a yacht exercising innocent passage according to custom and practice is an interesting idea...

 

[davidej]

No poster has, so far, pointed out the following on his website


"Dear Guests, that's why we have decided to provide a limited instead of mass access to Sanda Island and hope you will enjoy the treasures here without missing comfort and luxury"

 

[bikedaft]

No poster has, so far, pointed out the following on his website


"Dear Guests, that's why we have decided to provide a limited instead of mass access to Sanda Island and hope you will enjoy the treasures here without missing comfort and luxury"

its buried in the first post - thanks for pointing it out tho

glad to know there are many others who dislike closed islands, thanks for all the support

 

[Sandy]

c'n'p from http://www.dickgaughan.co.uk/songs/texts/knoydart.html

Great to see another Dick Gaughan fan

 

[eljocko]

As for me I will be anchoring in the bay again, I will be landing at the pier again, I will be walking on the track past the pub again, and I will be climbing the hill beside the pub again, and I will be carrying a copy of the scottish laws on access just in case someone tries to stop me.
C_W

Good to see that the militant wing of the GLCC are still active...

 

[Blue_mischief]

Official response

Justreceived this from access officer in response to email querying status of access to Sanda:

Dear Sir
I have received a small number of complaints regarding public rights of access to the island of Sanda, to the South of the Kintyre Peninsula, under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 including one from you. It would appear to me that there is the possibility that there may be an issue with some of the signs being displayed adjacent to the pier as well as the words used on the website.

An initial look at the maps suggests that the majority of the land on Sanda is subject to Access Rights as defined by the Land Reform Scotland Act 2003. If you wish to know more about your rights to responsible non motorised access over land and inland water please visit http://www.outdooraccess-scotland.com/ to learn about the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. Please note that although you have rights, you also have responsibilities to other users of the land including the land owner to make sure that your enjoyment does not affect their ability to use and enjoy the land. Most of this is common sense and could be viewed as a development of the older Countryside Code. You might also wish to note that the public have common law rights of access to the land from the sea, which allow the use of motors i.e. a tender with an outboard, once on the foreshore the Land Reform Scotland Act applies.

I have contacted the landowner and asked him to speak to me regarding public access to the island. I am now awaiting a call from him and I hope that this will be the start of resolving this issue. It may be a few weeks before I have anything concrete to report however if you would like an update please feel free to contact me. Depending upon the landowner’s responses to this issue I may need to contact you again and ask you to complete a form to officially record a complaint.

In the mean time if you have any further questions please feel free to contact me again.

Yours sincerely,


Jolyon Gritten
Access Manager
Development & Infrastructure Services
Argyll & Bute Council
Manse Brae Offices
Lochgilphead
ARGYLL
PA31 8RT

 

[Clyde_Wanderer]

Good to see that the militant wing of the GLCC are still active...

Aye Aye Cappin.
C_W