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Authors: Laura Marney
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getting all their trucks and equipment down there. The field is lying fallow at the moment and apparently it’s far too soft. The trucks will churn it into mud before shooting even starts, so, Miss Yip has put together a very interesting proposal. Now, some of you are shaking your heads, but please, just hear me out. Our machair has the unique advantage of having a better turning circle for heavy vehicles and its views of the mountains across the loch are unsurpassable.
‘The machair belongs equally to each and every one of us. Obviously there are grazing rights, but we all have a stake and therefore we all have a say in the decision. Global Imperial are offering every household in Inverfaughie a very generous fee of 240 pounds, as well as a separate agreement for everyone with grazing rights. Although technically we’ll be temporarily waiving our access rights, apart from while they’re actually filming, our use of the machair will not be affected. So long as we fulfil the conditions, everything will carry on as normal.’
‘Will our visitors be allowed to walk on the machair?’ asked an anxious Moira.
‘Absolutely, except obviously when filming is taking place, and when they’re filming that fight scene, my goodness, won’t that be the biggest tourist attraction of all? I wouldn’t be surprised if we got the television cameras up here from Edinburgh. It’ll put our wee village on the map.’
Most people seemed to agree and were excited about the filming on the machair. Like me, most of them were probably already plotting how they were going to spend their 240 quid.
‘And what about those of us with grazing rights?’ asked one of the farmers, ‘how much are we getting?’
‘No, hold on a wee minute,’ said another one, ‘I’m short on grazing as it is this year. I don’t want compensation. I want my grazing.’
‘But it isn’t compensation,’ said Betty, the soothing balm of her voice like calamine lotion. ‘You won’t lose any grazing and you’ll still be paid the honorarium.’
‘How much?’
‘That very much depends on the size of your flock and the shooting schedule. Miss Yip has kindly drawn up some figures. I’m afraid there wasn’t time to have them copied but if you’d care to look.’
‘I’ll need to see them as well before I agree to anything,’ said yet another farmer.
‘Yes, of course, you’ll all have your chance.’
Jenny raised her hand and was given the floor.
‘We can hardly expect anyone to make a decision if they haven’t seen the figures. I propose a break. That’ll let the lads see how much they’re getting before we vote on these two important matters.’
‘Two matters?’ said Betty.
‘Aye. The machair agreement and the Thursday night history class,’ said Jenny, ‘that’s yet to be sorted to the committee’s satisfaction. Nobody leaves this hall until it is.’
Chapter 15
As soon as I got home I phoned Steven to tell him the good news.
‘Well, my bum was numb by the end of it, but they finally gave me the licence.’
‘Quality!’ Steven yelled.
‘So, you’ll be arriving into your luxurious three-star B&B this weekend, or three thistles, I should say.’
‘I’ve never stayed in a hotel before, I don’t think Gerry has either.’
‘Gerry’s coming?’
It was out before I managed to rein in the sharpness in my voice.
‘I told you he was. You said.’
I’d lost so many battles over the years when, in an unguarded moment, and just for some peace, I’d
said
.
‘Yeah, ok, but this is the last. Once I’m properly up and running as a hotel Gerry will have to pay like everybody else. And I don’t want you two doing your usual: out all night drinking.’
‘Oh no,’ he quipped, ‘That would be treating the place like a hotel.’
*
He’d been in a strange mood since they’d arrived. When I’d picked him and Gerry up at the station Steven wasn’t full of his usual cheeky banter. He wasn’t even interested in my new
‘The machair belongs equally to each and every one of us. Obviously there are grazing rights, but we all have a stake and therefore we all have a say in the decision. Global Imperial are offering every household in Inverfaughie a very generous fee of 240 pounds, as well as a separate agreement for everyone with grazing rights. Although technically we’ll be temporarily waiving our access rights, apart from while they’re actually filming, our use of the machair will not be affected. So long as we fulfil the conditions, everything will carry on as normal.’
‘Will our visitors be allowed to walk on the machair?’ asked an anxious Moira.
‘Absolutely, except obviously when filming is taking place, and when they’re filming that fight scene, my goodness, won’t that be the biggest tourist attraction of all? I wouldn’t be surprised if we got the television cameras up here from Edinburgh. It’ll put our wee village on the map.’
Most people seemed to agree and were excited about the filming on the machair. Like me, most of them were probably already plotting how they were going to spend their 240 quid.
‘And what about those of us with grazing rights?’ asked one of the farmers, ‘how much are we getting?’
‘No, hold on a wee minute,’ said another one, ‘I’m short on grazing as it is this year. I don’t want compensation. I want my grazing.’
‘But it isn’t compensation,’ said Betty, the soothing balm of her voice like calamine lotion. ‘You won’t lose any grazing and you’ll still be paid the honorarium.’
‘How much?’
‘That very much depends on the size of your flock and the shooting schedule. Miss Yip has kindly drawn up some figures. I’m afraid there wasn’t time to have them copied but if you’d care to look.’
‘I’ll need to see them as well before I agree to anything,’ said yet another farmer.
‘Yes, of course, you’ll all have your chance.’
Jenny raised her hand and was given the floor.
‘We can hardly expect anyone to make a decision if they haven’t seen the figures. I propose a break. That’ll let the lads see how much they’re getting before we vote on these two important matters.’
‘Two matters?’ said Betty.
‘Aye. The machair agreement and the Thursday night history class,’ said Jenny, ‘that’s yet to be sorted to the committee’s satisfaction. Nobody leaves this hall until it is.’
Chapter 15
As soon as I got home I phoned Steven to tell him the good news.
‘Well, my bum was numb by the end of it, but they finally gave me the licence.’
‘Quality!’ Steven yelled.
‘So, you’ll be arriving into your luxurious three-star B&B this weekend, or three thistles, I should say.’
‘I’ve never stayed in a hotel before, I don’t think Gerry has either.’
‘Gerry’s coming?’
It was out before I managed to rein in the sharpness in my voice.
‘I told you he was. You said.’
I’d lost so many battles over the years when, in an unguarded moment, and just for some peace, I’d
said
.
‘Yeah, ok, but this is the last. Once I’m properly up and running as a hotel Gerry will have to pay like everybody else. And I don’t want you two doing your usual: out all night drinking.’
‘Oh no,’ he quipped, ‘That would be treating the place like a hotel.’
*
He’d been in a strange mood since they’d arrived. When I’d picked him and Gerry up at the station Steven wasn’t full of his usual cheeky banter. He wasn’t even interested in my new
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