​Community invited to make use of new port facility

Organised by Macmillan Cancer Support, the event has been warmly embraced by the Stornoway Port Authority, who stated that they hoped to see more local groups make use of the facility in the future.

The new terminal at Arnish opened for business earlier this year, after being in development for two years and enabled the bigger cruise ships to ‘come alongside’ in Stornoway for the first time.

The subsequent “intrigue” around the coming and going of these ships, said the race organisers, was part of the reason they chose this location for their event.

The inaugural Deep Water 5K takes place on Saturday, October 26 and is “open to all abilities and ages, walkers and runners”.

It is the first organised 5K run round the new facility and will start from the port itself at Arnish. The route will then follow the Arnish road out to the main road, and finish on the new path back to the terminal.

Registration is open online but can also be done on the day, ahead of the event’s start at 11.30am. Links to the registration page can be found on the Lewis and Harris Macmillan Group’s Facebook page.

Amy Maciver, a member of the local fundraising committee, said: “We are always looking for new and exciting fundraising ideas to engage with the public and raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

"We thought the Deep Water Port would be a good location for it, as it’s a new development and there’s been a lot of intrigue around it as we have watched all the big cruise ships coming and going this year.”

Alex Macleod, Chief Executive at Stornoway Port, said: “We are delighted to support the Macmillan 5K, which will start at the Deep Water Terminal on 26th October. As a community-focused organisation, we are committed to facilitating events that bring the island together in positive and meaningful ways.

“The 5K aligns perfectly with our aim to make the new terminal a hub for both operational activity and community events and we look forward to welcoming more initiatives like this in the future.”

Amy added: “We hope to make it an annual event and are hoping for a good turnout on the day. Duncan Mackay and Co have kindly sponsored the event, and we have been able to purchase medals and T-shirts.

"They will be available to purchase before the event so keep an eye on social media for more information on that. The Stornoway Port Authority and all other stakeholders we have liaised with have been so supportive and welcoming of this event which we are so grateful for.

“We are really looking forward to this new event, and hope everyone on the Western Isles are ready to lace up their shoes and join us to raise money for a fantastic cause.”