Newsletter No.21 - Autumn 2020
Added at 01:20 on 30 October 2021
AUTUMN 2020 NEWSLETTER
We care for
a part of Scotland’s history
which belongs to our community
NEWSLETTER No.21 - Autumn 2020
OUR CASTLE OF KINGS
The draft final report prepared by our professional archaeologist Roddy Regan can now be viewed on our website. It is a final pre-publication draft, because Covid-19 has delayed some expert technical reports which will in due course be incorporated.
The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has accepted this on the basis of our evaluation - which is also on our website - and has congratulated us on a very successful project, meeting all its objectives, on time and on budget.
We have already presented the project to various groups who requested same before lockdown, and we still hope to have a public presentation in Tarbert as soon as Covid will allow.
In the meantime, there is a display in the central window of the Tarbert Life heritage premises in Harbour Street, which has been of interest to visitors, and which we think has contributed to the exceptional number of visitors to the Castle in the past few weeks.
NEW INTERPRETATION AREA
This project, to enhance visitor facilities, is in five parts:-
The canopy and cairn helped by grant from the National Lottery community fund
The design and manufacture of new interpretation panels, including the dig outcomes, and the remainder of our Heritage Park. These have been provided with a grant from Cour Wind Farm community benefit.
The provision of a donation facility on our website now established.
Proposal for a contactless donation unit – this is experimental as, although these are now common in museums, etc., we appear to be leading with an outdoor provision
Replacement of the very popular round picnic table at the interpretation area. This and the contactless unit have been helped by the Tarbert & Skipness Community Trust (TSCT) community benefit fund.
We’re making progress, and we plan to complete all of the above before next spring season (i.e. Spring 2021).
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FUNDING
We have had a good few weeks after lockdown, with record numbers visiting the Castle and woodland, but will experience a considerable drop in our modest visitor income over the whole year.
We now have a dedicated donations page on our website, accessed by clicking on “Support our work” on www.tarbertcastle.info, and QR codes on site will give visitors quick access.
Members and visitors can choose a donation amount, and pay with Paypal or Bank Transfer for internet banking. Any members who are able to make a donation would be a useful test of the facility.
We hope this will help in the future, and, as indicated above, we are working on development of an onsite contactless donation facility in our new interpretation area.
MAINTENANCE & VOLUNTEERING
Despite Covid-19, and with careful planning and social distancing, maintenance work has continued on site. Shortly, volunteers will commence feeding our sheep through the winter.
If anyone would like to try taking part in this, which basically means a visit for half an hour once a week, please contact Robert at sonamarg@btinternet.com.
Volunteers have commenced a new project, to form a path right around the pond in the Community Woodland, with the planting of a further fifty trees this autumn.
Our next volunteer morning will be at 10.00am on SATURDAY 3 OCTOBER 2020. Until Covid is out of the picture, please bring your own tea break. ALL WELCOME. There’s plenty to do.
Keep safe,
Robert
Tarbert Castle Trust
Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation Charity No. SC043056
Secretary & Treasurer: Robert McPhail MBE, Sonamarg, Ileene Rd, TARBERT, Argyll, PA29 6TU
E-mail: sonamarg@btinternet.com Tel: 01880 820643