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THE DISPUTE over the future of out-of-hours nursing care in a remote Lochaber community is expected to be a topic of discussion on Radio Scotland’s phone-in show ‘Call Kaye’ on Monday morning.

Residents of West Ardnamurchan have been fighting to keep hold of their 24-hour district nursing cover for the last year. One of the two district nurses who currently provide cover for the area retires next month. NHS Highland and the Scottish Ambulance Service want her replacement to join a team covering all of west Lochaber,whereas locals want the nurses to be based in Kilchoan.

The latest in a series of meetings between locals and health bosses will be held in Kilchoan Community Centre on February 21.

SCOTTISH Water has been criticised for not acting quickly enough after receiving a call that an elderly Oban woman’s home was being flooded.

Anne Lennox,who turned 79 this week,was in tears after discovering a burst water pipe in her kitchen at 2pm,causing gallons of water to pump into her kitchen every minute.

With the internal stop-cock useless -- as the leak preceded it -- the family and a local plumber hunted for the main stop-cock to the property.  Unfortunately,it couldn’t be found so Anne’s daughter,Fiona Fraser,contacted Scottish Water to ask for assistance but it was two hours before  an engineer was sent out.

For the full story see The Oban Times,January 26 2012 or on line from the same date at www.obantimes.co.uk/digital

THE normally calm and tranquil Singing Sands at Kentra had an explosive start to the week after three World War II mortar rounds were found on the famous beach.

Salen coastguard team member Tom Jackson came across three of the unexploded shells while walking on the Singing Sands,Kentra Bay,Acharacle,late on Sunday afternoon.

The beach was cordoned off at first light on Monday so coastguard members could carry out a detailed search.

By Tuesday morning,14 finned mortars,each around 18 inches long,had been located. It is believed recent violent storms stripped sand off the beach,exposing the ordnance.

For the full story see The Oban Times,January 26 2012,or on line at www.obantimes.co.uk/digital