In general, how do you think this place copes with hazardous weather events?
Fairly well - Would say changes in resilience as a result of human impact rather than climate. eg. cut off due to snow not been cleared on steep road out of village as result of cuts in winter maintenance. more flooded ground due to crofts land being less well maintained than historically.
What features (physical, economic, social) make this place vulnerable or resilient to hazardous weather conditions?
single road in / out
Beach and coastal erosion
Are there environmental or weather conditions which make this place feel unsafe (flooding, air quality, busy roads, ice, high winds, storm surges, etc.)?
Remoteness,
services in event of severe event are now more remote than in the past. No phonebox if lines/mobile down. Less winter maintenance etc.
Are there delays or cancellations due to the weather? What do people do?
missed appointments if roads not kept in good condition
Are outdoor spaces safe and pleasant to walk, meet, or socialise in all weather? Do people go elsewhere?
no. there is a lack of basic provision. Settlement pattern in west coast in general is not conducive to being resilient. Communities are spread out with neighbours often long distance away with no footpaths. We are literally designing communities to be less resilient!!
Have you noticed the species of plants and/or animals have changed here over time?
maram grass brought in to reduce coastal erosion at the beach has changed topography around beach and now almost hidden prehistoric hut circle
Has there been damage or increased maintenance needs due to the weather? Are repairs carried out?
increased costs to repairing car as result of damage from potholes.
Would you describe the community as strong, cohesive, and integrated?
small local population. on very rare occasion a house site that becomes available sells very quickly. Like almost every crofting community it is almost impossible for people to move into the community because it s so difficult to create land for new housing.
How could people better support each other during extreme weather events?
increase resource for maintaining existing assets - roads, ditches, bridges, cutting trees by pylons, etc etc
How do you think this place can be made more resilient?
more people living permanently. For this there needs to be means of accessing land and access to local services improved - health and social care, education etc are all in retreat within this area.
Do you have a vision for what you would like this place to look like in the future? Does it include how it might adapt to climate change?
Climate is undoubtedly changing but i would say in this area the impact of reduced services and good maintenance of existing assets are the reason for reduced resilience more than any impacts from changing climate. This simple fact should not be overlooked and climate change used as the excuse.
*Originally submitted to the Highland Weather & Climate Story Map Commonplace Platform on 5 April 2023.
