View from the Signal Box

It won't have escaped your notice that this is a bumper edition and I trust that you will find it informative.

The bulk of the content is made up of summaries of our submissions to the Scottish Executive on the topics of Scotland-wide Free Bus Travel, the Freight Transport Inquiry, the Rail Strategy for Scotland Consultation, and our response to the petition submitted by the Association of Caithness Community Councils. Lastly, we responded to the Highland Council's Draft Strategy document for the Inner Moray Firth Ports & Sites document; in all 14 sides of A4, but you'll be relieved to know that I have narrowed it down slightly! These documents can be found elsewhere on the site.

The AGM was one of the best attended that I have experienced with plenty of new faces no doubt due to some fairly rigorous recruiting having taken place. It was a lively affair and as usual not enough time was available for some topics to be discussed. You will have received a copy of the minutes of the AGM with this newsletter. Our thanks go to former Chairman, John Melling, for his able handling of the AGM up to the election of the new Convener, Mike Lunan.

We have co-opted Iain Macdonald back onto the Committee and pen-pictures of the committee members appear on this page.