From Hebrides News:
Following an independent feasibility study, funded by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and LEADER, the St Kilda Centre Working Group has announced the recommendations made by Jura Consultants in an independent feasibility.
After an intensive assessment process, Mangurstadh in Uig (Isle of Lewis) has been identified as the preferred location by the consultants for the proposed St Kilda Centre.
Three possible sites had been shortlisted as potential locations for the Centre; Cleitreval in North Uist, Leverburgh in Harris and Mangurstadh in Uig.
Chair of the St Kilda Centre Working Group, Councillor Angus MacCormack commented: "This was a very difficult decision for the consultants to reach.
“All three site locations are viable and the potential for development strong in each area.
“The proposals were extremely well presented and developed by the community groups. The consultants have now undergone a detailed process which had to make one recommendation from the three submissions."
The feasibility study also identified the potential in developing a St Kilda Trail through the Outer Hebrides.
The consultant's findings and recommendation will now go to the Council and relevant groups. The Working Group is comprised of representatives from HIE, CNES, PNE, VisitScotland, National Trust for Scotland.
(With thanks to the Comann Eachdraidh Uig blog)
UPDATE: The following sensational video was used to help promote the Uig bid...
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Isn't St. Kilda in Harris and surely it has most historic and genealogical ties with Harris? What has happened here is the most unprofessional scoring system used by the consultants and removal of key criterion which favoured Harris and insertion of vague criterion which favoured Uig, i.e. Economic Sustainability was key factor in orig requirements this was removed and a criterion like "Journey to site" was inserted in its place. The Harris Site was by far in a way the most Economically viable, The Vist Scotland Tourist Info Centre numbers showed Harris had a far higher number of visitors, Consultants had this info but disregarded them in favour of which view they preferred en-router!!!
ReplyDeleteNext their scoring system, I'm sure anybody interested inthe blog will understand the importance of History, St. Kilda has been part of Harris for over 500 years, in 1729 (i think) it was re-populated by people from harris after its numbers were decimated by smallpox. As part of the parish of Harris all genealogical records are in Harris, Kildan Gaelic same dialect as Harris Gaelic and on and on..
All traditional fair reviews apply weights to such criteria, not this one! Historical Links Harris scores 3, Uig 2 (The 2 awarded is very questionable, relative to 3 rightly awarded to Harris), now compare that to the Journey in your car criteria, where 3 awarded to Uig, basically meaning that the view from your Car was equally as important as 500+ years of history and the fact that St Kilda is in parish of Harris)
3 btw was the maximum score awarded in each criteria, which in itself does not I feel give the level of precision to score the 3 sites against each other.
P.S. anyone who has travelled down the West Coast of Harris will know that the Journey is spectacular!
Putting the St Kilda Centre at Mangurstadh is absolutely ridiculous,its in the middle of nowhere,i sometimes think the people that make these decisions are total dreamers.
ReplyDeleteThose of us who are the descendants and direct family of St. Kildans want it to be in Harris.
ReplyDeleteHow about asking us?
It's like we didn't exist then and we don't exist now. It was our island, and of course the people of Harris repopulated it too and saved St.Kildans in time of great distress.
Us descendants of St.Kildans are ignored. Hey maybe like Diego Garcia, we may one day want our island back.