BIG WEEKEND
Kevin Sene , Big Weekend Organiser , reflects on a magical island visit
Top Birdwatching on the north of the islands Centre The ‘ Starfish Enterprise ’ returning from Little Cumbrae Bottom One of the two book tables ( All Kevin Sene )
With the Cumbrae event now in the past , both members and guests seem to have enjoyed the weekend and the chance to catch up with colleagues .
The Field Studies Council ( FSC ) centre at Millport turned out to be a great venue with the weather reasonably kind ( most of the time ) and fine views toward Arran , Bute and the mainland . Our star guest , Rhiane Fatinikun , the Golden Eagle Award winner , stayed on both Friday and Saturday nights , taking part in the events programme too .
The weekend got underway on Friday evening with a presentation by Elke the centre manager on the history of the FSC and insights into the wildlife on the island and the centre ’ s ecological credentials . Following Jetta ’ s introduction to the book table , Mary-Ann gave a short talk on her publishing journey with a chance to then chat with authors who had books on display .
On Saturday morning , Jason from Wreckspeditions made the one-hour-plus boat trip south from Dunoon , hugging the coast to shelter from the Force 5-6 winds . That also made for a bouncy ride for the group who did a full circuit of Little Cumbrae while the other group had an enjoyable time exploring the island on foot . We then met up for coffee and tea with the caretakers at the island ’ s stately home , with some taking a quick trip up the nearby castle for the views .
Felicity ’ s hillwalking group took a different tack , taking a bus from the centre to the ferry slipway at the other end of Cumbrae and walking back over the hilly central part of the island , with the views only marred by the occasional heavy shower . Julia ’ s presentation skills workshop was in the morning too .
In the afternoon , Josephine led a
6 outdoor focus / winter 2023