Tobermory Harbour closed

[FlyingGoose]

My bath tub has not yet closed, so happy sailing everyone

 

[alan_d]

It really is like watching the Darwin awards live and in slow motion in the uk right now.

Not really. The Darwin awards are given to people whose stupidity leads to the their own removal from the gene-pool. Unfortunately, in very many of the cases currently being reported the consequences are more likely to impact on others.

 

[LBRodders]

Funny how all the rural places which want you to visit in normal times are now saying dont use your cottage/mobile home/caravan/boat to socially distance - keep off - this is a local area/shop/hospital for local people only and we dont want you using up our facilities

It's not funny. These are unusual times.

Holiday locations are set up for er holidays.
Not self isolating fools from a pandemic.

 

[Uricanejack]

While I can understand people are afraid, what will happen over the next few weeks or even months is unknown. The unknown is often our greatest fear.
its all very well to say keep out of our small communities, we need our facilities for our selves.
what about tomorrow or next week or next month when the small communities are overwhelmed and wish to send thier people to bigger centers for assistance. Or request assistance.

the reality is we are in this together, self isolation will help, selfish isolation will not.

 

[Kelpie]

While I can understand people are afraid, what will happen over the next few weeks or even months is unknown. The unknown is often our greatest fear.
its all very well to say keep out of our small communities, we need our facilities for our selves.
what about tomorrow or next week or next month when the small communities are overwhelmed and wish to send thier people to bigger centers for assistance. Or request assistance.

the reality is we are in this together, self isolation will help, selfish isolation will not.

Nobody is saying we need our facilities for ourselves. I think you misunderstand the situation here. There aren't really any facilities to speak of other than roads, houses, and small shops. My nearest hospital- the only one with ICU- is in Inverness, about 3hrs away on a good day.
So we already send our people to bigger centres. Did you think every village had a massive hospital sitting empty?

 

[FlyingGoose]

Nobody is saying we need our facilities for ourselves. I think you misunderstand the situation here. There aren't really any facilities to speak of other than roads, houses, and small shops. My nearest hospital- the only one with ICU- is in Inverness, about 3hrs away on a good day.
So we already send our people to bigger centres. Did you think every village had a massive hospital sitting empty?

A well presented post and thankyou for that , but there are certain posters on here from up North in Scotland telling all and sundry that there not welcome and that there area has only so many ICU beds and like you have pointed out , when the capacity is reached in these areas they are flown mainly to Glasgow , and as a Scots man I feel my country as one , and those that were complaining are also very vocal on a Scottish Independence and one Nation , but only when it suits them as when a crisis happens it becomes us and them again , which is rather sad and counter to their Scottish Independence attitude

 

[Pete7]

We were going sailing in the Western Isles over Easter, that has now been binned and we are staying at home, the money lost. Holidays aren't essential.

Pete

 

[JumbleDuck]

A well presented post and thankyou for that , but there are certain posters on here from up North in Scotland telling all and sundry that there not welcome and that there area has only so many ICU beds and like you have pointed out , when the capacity is reached in these areas they are flown mainly to Glasgow , and as a Scots man I feel my country as one , and those that were complaining are also very vocal on a Scottish Independence and one Nation , but only when it suits them as when a crisis happens it becomes us and them again , which is rather sad and counter to their Scottish Independence attitude

Down here in the SW we have to go to Edinburgh or Glasgow for almost anything medically significant, so it really doesn't bother me if people from Up There want to ride out the storm Down Here. The scenery is nice and they/we will end up in the same hospital beds anyway.

As far as the north goes, the Raigmore's 7 ICU beds each serves roughly as many people across the Highlands and Islands as Edinburgh's 46 do across the city and the Lothians. A few refugees, or even a few hundred refugees, in camper vans won't change that much though they might well put an unreasonable strain on local health services on islands.

 

[JumbleDuck]

We were going sailing in the Western Isles over Easter, that has now been binned and we are staying at home, the money lost. Holidays aren't essential.

We were going to a cottage in Norfolk followed by a music festival in Ipswich. The festival was cancelled ages (ten days seems like ages) ago and I got an email today saying that the non-refundable, non-changeable cottage booking can be postponed for up to a year.

 

[Kelpie]

A well presented post and thankyou for that , but there are certain posters on here from up North in Scotland telling all and sundry that there not welcome and that there area has only so many ICU beds and like you have pointed out , when the capacity is reached in these areas they are flown mainly to Glasgow , and as a Scots man I feel my country as one , and those that were complaining are also very vocal on a Scottish Independence and one Nation , but only when it suits them as when a crisis happens it becomes us and them again , which is rather sad and counter to their Scottish Independence attitude

I should add that I've been watching an ugly attitude growing over the last few days where the whole island has been screaming at whoever will listen to stop/turn back the campervans. It's always so much easier to blame the 'outsider'. This reached the point where a local couple who live full-time in their camper were getting genuinely worried that they would be attacked. Totally inexcusable, and in some cases quite hypocritical because plenty of folks up here were happily filling the pubs right up until Friday night.

I don't believe that people should be moving around the country at this time, that's about all.

 

[Uricanejack]

I have a pretty good idea what facilities are available on Skye, Mull, Lewis and even the mainland.
My point was about the general pull up the drawbridge attitudes which are being expressed. Not making a lot of sense.
If this spreads, no small communities will be able to cope without outside assistance.

 

[Kelpie]

I don't see how banning non essential travel, inc campervans and people attempting to self isolate in holiday houses, needs to have any bearing on emergency services, health workers, and general supply lines. Nobody suggested cutting these things off. We're remote up here but we don't claim to be self sufficient.

 

[Uricanejack]

When the government bans non essential travel, which I expect it will soon if things keep going the way it has in other countries.
Your Point is made.
until then unilateral action by individual communities is not helpful. Just a knee jerk provoked by fear.

 

[Kelpie]

unilateral action by individual communities is not helpful. Just a knee jerk provoked by fear.

Perhaps you were under the impression that we were going to barricade the bridge? We're not that daft. We are well aware that there is not a single ICU bed on the island. And we would run out food and fuel in a couple of days anyway.

 

[GTom]

Perhaps you were under the impression that we were going to barricade the bridge? We're not that daft. We are well aware that there is not a single ICU bed on the island. And we would run out food and fuel in a couple of days anyway.

Wouldn't have been a bad idea though to pile up supplies in the past weeks and set up a protective quarantine for the islands. Not just Mull. I understand how the locals feel, they're free from this plague ATM but one single infected visitor is enough to put many to the death row.

 

[Kelpie]

I would say it's unwise to suggest that the virus has not already reached every part of the country. The incubation period seems too long, and the crisis too young, to come to that conclusion.

 

[JumbleDuck]

I would say it's unwise to suggest that the virus has not already reached every part of the country. The incubation period seems too long, and the crisis too young, to come to that conclusion.

And you'd have to maintain a blockade until an effective vaccine is available, which, if it happens, is at least 18 months away.

 

[GTom]

I would say it's unwise to suggest that the virus has not already reached every part of the country. The incubation period seems too long, and the crisis too young, to come to that conclusion.

That's right, it is likely too late now. Just a week ago might have been right to isolate and protect the Hebrides.

And you'd have to maintain a blockade until an effective vaccine is available, which, if it happens, is at least 18 months away.

Maybe you don't have to wait for the vaccine, the pandemic sweeps the mainland quickly and the virus disappears in a couple of months as it can't find anyone to infect. The virus needs a host to survive.
Countrywide restrictions will stay anyway and this year's tourist season is likely gone.

 

[FlyingGoose]

Wouldn't have been a bad idea though to pile up supplies in the past weeks and set up a protective quarantine for the islands. Not just Mull. I understand how the locals feel, they're free from this plague ATM but one single infected visitor is enough to put many to the death row.

That would mean that the residents would have to be in lock down weeks before the rest of UK there are flights and ferries out of the Islands it is not inconceivable to have a resident to bring the virus in , but it is a mute point now we should all follow the rules and hope this passes with little deaths as possible

 

[GTom]

That would mean that the residents would have to be in lock down weeks before the rest of UK there are flights and ferries out of the Islands it is not inconceivable to have a resident to bring the virus in , but it is a mute point now we should all follow the rules and hope this passes with little deaths as possible

That's right, just as UK residents brought most virus samples to mainland UK from Italy. Late now anyway.