Iochdar pathway “opens a whole new world” for kids

The community open day last Friday was very well attended, with young and old in attendance

placeholder image — The community open day last Friday was very well attended, with young and old in attendance

The new Slighe an Iochdair pathway has opened up “a whole new world” for schoolchildren and residents, creating a safe link through the heart of the village of Iochdar in South Uist.

Officially launched last Friday, the new off-road route gives walkers and cyclists a connection between local homes, Sgoil an Iochdair, the village hall, shop and Post Office.

More than 100 community members gathered for the opening celebrations, joining school pupils, project funders, contractors and representatives of the Scottish Government.

In a touching tribute to the late councillor Donnie Steele, who campaigned passionately for the project, his son Levi cut the ribbon, alongside Cllr Uisdean Robertson, chair of transportation.

The project significantly enhances safety for children walking to Iochdar School. (Image: Iain Stephen Morrison)

Cllr Robertson praised the village’s persistence: “This is a great example of what can be achieved when a community has a clear ambition and sticks with it.

"Iochdar Community Council and everyone involved locally deserve enormous credit for the determination they have shown in taking this project from an initial idea right through to the path we see today.”

Completion of the pathway marks the culmination of nearly a decade of dedicated work led by Iochdar Community Council.

“When we formed the community council in 2015, one of the first things we decided to do was create a wish list of what we wanted to see happen in our area,” explained secretary Anne Bird.

Cllr Robertson cuts the ribbon with Morag Ann and Levi Steele, son and wife of the late councillor Donnie Steele. (Image: Iain S Morrison)

“We went to speak to the pupils at the school, and they told us about the difficulties they had getting to school, whether walking or cycling, and just moving around in general in their own time. That's when we decided we would try and do something about a safer route.

“It’s fantastic to reach this point and hear so much positive feedback about how children are now able to get to and from school safely, as well as getting out and about in the evenings and weekends.”

Head of School, Joan MacDonald, highlighted the impact on the children of Sgoil an Iochdair: “We’re using the pathway on an almost daily basis.

“We’ve got the nursery out and about exploring and having picnics. For our older pupils, our ‘mile a day’ is now down to 17 minutes as we don’t have to stop to let cars pass any more.

"And outside of school, we’re seeing kids walking, on their bikes, and parents with buggies.

“It’s opened up a whole new world in a lot of ways.”

Built with recycled plastic for durability, Slighe an Iochdair has been praised as a model of innovation and sustainability. The material used will withstanding the challenging coastal environment better than timber.

The use of recycled plastic on the project, as opposed to traditional building products, has saved more than 20,000kg of Co2 emissions — the equivalent of driving more than 100,000 miles in an average UK car.

The more than £1million project was developed with funding from Transport Scotland, along with match funding from several local and national partners, creating a vital link between community facilities that will benefit generations to come.