CHATTERBOX - Lochwinnoch

THEN & NOW—71 High Street June 1661 / May 2012—Gilmour’s Hairdresser
This was Ian Gilmour’s first property purchased, and his first car. His brother Robert purchased the premises in 1987 and
says he’ll never sell it because it was the family’s first business venture. The property shall pass it’s way through the
generations. R .Gilmour
Regional Park
Round Up
Double Celebrations for Clyde
Muirshiel in Heritage Lottery Funding
Awards
We are delighted to be celebrating two
successes in the recent Heritage
Lottery Fund (HLF) funding
announcements. The funding awards
for the Semple Trail Heritage Project
and Scotland’s Mountain Woodland
Project total nearly one million
pounds and will benefit Lochwinnoch
and the wider community. Look on
our website for more details.
BBC film at Castle Semple
Castle Semple loch has just been a
film location where the BBC filmed
the school drama Waterloo Road. The
crew and lots of equipment were there
for 2 whole days causing them to have
to borrow the nearby Annex for some
of their vehicles. Several local people
and fans of the show were down
watching the action patiently from the
Visitor Centre ramps! We would like
to thank the public for their patience
and we look forward to seeing the
episode, due to be screened in August.
Rare Beetle Found at Muirshiel
A rare beetle has been found on the
moor on the way to Windy Hill at
Muirshiel Country Park. Carabus
nitens is a nationally notable species
and is a golden-green ground beetle
with bright coppery-red foreparts. It
is mainly seen between dawn and
dusk on upland heather moors and
is regarded as one of the most
endangered ground beetles in
Central Europe due to a loss of
heathland areas. If you spot any of
these colourful
beetles within Clyde
Muirshiel let the
Rangers know or
contact Alan Brown
at Barnbrock.
Swallowcam 2012!
We are eagerly awaiting the return
of the swallows to the Greenock Cut
Visitor Centre for this year’s
Swallowcam! Check the Blog page of
our website for the latest
information.
Photographic Competition
2012
The wait is finally over as leaflets for
this year’s Photographic
Competition are out in our Visitor
Centres and now online. In support
of the 2012 Year of Creative
Scotland, the theme is ‘Capturing
Creativity in Clyde Muirshiel’. Top
Prize £250. It’s time to great creative
with your camera or mobile phone.
4
Schools Nearly Out for Summer
The Countryside Ranger team and our
Outdoor Activity team have a wide
range of outdoor activities and
courses, events, wildlife watching and
volunteer opportunities available
during the school holidays – please
look at the event listings on our
website or look at the course dates and
consider what new and fun things you
and or the children could be doing this
summer, many events are free.
Mountain Bike Pals?
Enjoy getting out on your bike but
would like some local company? Send
u s a n e m a i l t o
routes@clydemuirshiel.co.uk and we’ll
let you know when folk are going out.
‘Calling all Cyclists’
We’d still like to know where you cycle
within the Regional Park and what
developments you would like to see in
the future. Please get in contact,
preferably by email, to
routes@clydemuirshiel.co.uk. Thanks
to those that have been in contact,
your input is most appreciated.
Events in June
�� Sat 2 & Sun 3 June Come and
Try RYA Sailability Weekend—
One of many events being held at
Castle Semple throughout the year to