Skye war memorial future secured
Chair of the Communities and Place Committee, Cllr Allan Henderson
The future long-term management and maintenance of a war memorial on the Isle of Skye has been secured by Members of The Highland Council’s Communities and Place Committee.
Councillors have agreed that the local authority will enter into a conservation agreement with the local tenant and landlord regarding Sleat war memorial, which is located in Kilmore.
The granite column war memorial is located approximately 50m from the main road on crofting land overlooking the Sound of Sleat. It contains the names of local people who died in service during the First World War, Second World War and the Aden conflict. The tenanted crofting land is owned by Clan Donald Lands Trust.
Chair of the Communities and Place Committee, Cllr Allan Henderson said: “This conservation agreement is an excellent solution for the future preservation and management of this important war memorial. I am very pleased that a suitable solution has been secure to safeguard the memorial.”
Eilean a' Cheò Ward Highland Cllr John Finlayson who was involved in discussions around this proposal for over two years and chaired the well-attended community meeting about the war memorial’s future in January 2018 said: “I am delighted to see that this conservation agreement has been agreed by the Communities and Place Committee and I know that this decision will be well received in the Sleat peninsula. I am sure that all parties will welcome this decision which will permit public access to the memorial; will protect the memorial from harm; will still allow for crofting activity to take place around it while also ensuring that the whole conservation area will be kept in good condition. This win, win situation I know will be warmly welcomed by all stakeholders and the wider Sleat community.”
Cllr John Gordon for the Eilean a' Cheò Ward added: “It is finally very encouraging to see a formal solution to protection of the Sleat war memorial. I would like to thank Council officers for their work and also the Clan Donald Lands Trust that we are now able to protect this memorial and site.”
When the agreement is in place, The Clan Donald Lands Trust will take forward the erection of a new fence around the path and war memorial. Highland Council will retain overall responsibility for the war memorial. Any future works planned for the war memorial will be done in consultation with the Clan Donald Lands Trust and the War Memorials Trust.