[Dòmhnall Angaidh Moireasdan - Preseantair] Feasgar math agus fàilte oirbh chun na phrògraim. Tha eas-aonta a’ leantainn ann an Uibhist a Tuath mu phlanaichean cead-dealbhachaidh airson port-fànais aig Scolpaig. Tha còrr is còig cheud gu leth neach a-nis air ainm a chuir ri athchuinge na aghaidh, ach tha ceistean gan togail san coimhearsnachd mu cò dìreach a th’ air cùlaibh na h-iomairt airson stad a chur air a’ phort-fànais. Tha an aithris seo aig Shona NicDhòmhnaill.
[Shona NicDhòmhnaill – Neach-aithris] Buidheann Ghlèiteachais Uibhist a Tuath, Sabhail Scolpaig, sealladh uabhasach na rocaidean, làrach-lìn agus cunntasan meadhanan sòisealta ag iomairt gu làidir an-aghaidh leasachadh phort-fànais ann an Uibhist a Tuath, ach cò th’ air cùlaibh an iomairt?
[Raghnall MacAonghais] Dh’ fhaighnich mi outright, chuir mi brath gu Save Scolpaig fhèin, direct question “Who are you?” No response . Ach fhuair mi response à chuideigin a tha a’ faighneachd dè gnothach a bh’ agamsa ri bhith air an site a bha seo?
[Shona NicDhòmhnaill – Neach-aithris] ’S ann air aithisg le beachd gum biodh co-dhiubh dà rocaid gach seachdain ga losgadh à Scolpaig a thog deannan dhaoine, a tha a’ fuireach anns a’ choimhearsnachd, a’ cheist: cò th’ air cùlaibh an iomairt? Chan eil sgeul air an aithris neo na ceistean sin a-nis.
[Shona NicDhòmhnaill – Neach-aithris] Cha robh oifis na comhairle seo ann am Baile a' Mhanaich ach air brath fhaighinn bho dhithis gun robh iad an-aghaidh an cead-dealbhachaidh airson a’ phort-fànais mus do thòisich an iomairt seo. An ceann seachdain ge-tà, bha sin air èirigh gu còrr air ceud. Agus a-nis, tha còrr mòr air còig cheud duine air fios a chuir gu bheil iad na aghaidh.
[An Comh Ùisdean Robasdan] Mar a tha mi a’ tuigsinn tha e ainmeil air feadh an t-saoghail, tha sinne caran air a bhith eòlach gu h-ionadail air cò an fheadhainn poblach às a sgìre fhèin agus mar a h-uile coinneamh poblach, tha beachdan air leth ann ach tha seo air sgaoileadh a-mach air feadh a h-uile h-àite a th’ ann, ann an dòigh.
[Shona NicDhòmhnaill – Neach-aithris] Tha seo a’ togail dà cheist cudromach agus chuir BBC Radio nan Gàidheal iad sin air a’ bhuidheann. Ma tha iad cho daingeann am beachd gur e droch rud a th’ ann san leasachadh seo, carson a tha iad airson an ainmean fhèin a’ cumail dìomhair. A’ cheist eile; a bheil iad a’ dèan strì eadar co-phàirtean?
[Shona NicDhòmhnaill – Neach-aithris] Tha sinn aig a’ BhBC a’ tuigsinn gun e càraid a tha gu mòr air cùl an iomairt seo gu bheil iad a’ cur seachad pàirt den ùine aca ann an Uibhist a Tuath agus an còrr dheth air falbh bhon Eilean. Ach tha iad airson na h-ainmean aca fhèin a chumail dìomhair. Shona NicDhòmhnaill. BBC An Là ann an Uibhist a Tuath.
[Dòmhnall Angaidh Moireasdan - Preseantair] Nise, ann an uair a thìde a dh’fhalbh, fhuair sinn freagairt bho bhuidheann Ghlèiteachais Uibhist a Tuath a thuirt gu bheil tòrr bhuill aca le mòran dhiubh a’ fuireach anns an Eilean. Thuirt iad nach eil ball sam bith air innse gu bheil a’ strì eadar co-phàirtean co-cheangail ris an leasachadh ’s a tha iadsan a’ moladh aig Scolpaig. Agus thuirt iad cuideachd gu bheil an t-eagal air buill a tha a’ fuireach san Eilean bruidhinn a-mach is dragh orra gun tèid an càineadh no nas miosa agus gur ann air sgàth ’s sin a tha iad airson ’s nach tèid an ainmeachadh.
[Donald Morrison - Presenter] Good evening and welcome to the programme. There is continuing disagreement in North Uist about planning permission for Scolpag Spaceport. More than five hundred and fifty people have put their name to a petition against it, but questions have been raised about who exactly is behind the campaign to stop the spaceport. Shona MacDonald has this report.
[Shona MacDonald – Reporter] North Uist Conservation Group, Save Scolpaig, an awful view of rockets, websites and social media accounts strongly campaigning against the development of a spaceport in North Uist, but who is behind the campaign?
[Ronald MacInnes] I asked them outright, I sent them a message to Save Scolpaig themselves, direct question “Who are you?” No response. But I got a response from someone who asked what business it was of mine whose site it was?
[Shona MacDonald – Reporter] It was with a statement that at least two rockets a week would be launched from Scolpaig that made many people from the community ask the question; who exactly is behind the campaign? There is no sign of the statement or the questions now.
[Shona MacDonald – Reporter] The council office here on Balivanich only got notice from two people who said they were against planning permission for the spaceport before this campaign started. Within a week, though, this rose to more than a hundred. And now, more than five hundred people have sent notice that they are against it.
[Councillor Hugh Robertson] As I understand it, it is famous throughout the world, we, kind of, know locally who are the ones who are publicly against it from the area itself and as with every public meeting, there are exceptional opinions, but this has been broadcast to every area there is, in a way.
[Shona MacDonald – Reporter] This raises two important questions and BBC Radio nan Gàidheal put them to the group. If they are so steadfast in their opinion that this development is a bad thing, why do they want to keep their own names secret? The other question, are they making trouble between participants?
[Shona MacDonald – Reporter] We at the BBC understand that it is a couple who are largely behind the campaign and they spend part of their time in North Uist and the rest of their time away from the Island. But they want to keep their name secret. Shona MacDonald. BBC An Là, North Uist.
[Donald Morrison - Presenter] Now in the past hour, we received an answer from the North Uist Conservation Group who said that they have many members and lots of them live on the Island. They said that no member has told them that there is a dispute between the participants related to the development and what they are recommending in Scolpaig. But they said that the members who live on the Island are scared to speak out and they are worried that they will be criticised or worse and as such they do not want to be named.
[Dòmhnall Angaidh Moireasdan - Preseantair] Feasgar math agus fàilte oirbh chun na phrògraim. Tha eas-aonta a’ leantainn ann an Uibhist a Tuath mu phlanaichean cead-dealbhachaidh airson port-fànais aig Scolpaig. Tha còrr is còig cheud gu leth neach a-nis air ainm a chuir ri athchuinge na aghaidh, ach tha ceistean gan togail san coimhearsnachd mu cò dìreach a th’ air cùlaibh na h-iomairt airson stad a chur air a’ phort-fànais. Tha an aithris seo aig Shona NicDhòmhnaill.
[Shona NicDhòmhnaill – Neach-aithris] Buidheann Ghlèiteachais Uibhist a Tuath, Sabhail Scolpaig, sealladh uabhasach na rocaidean, làrach-lìn agus cunntasan meadhanan sòisealta ag iomairt gu làidir an-aghaidh leasachadh phort-fànais ann an Uibhist a Tuath, ach cò th’ air cùlaibh an iomairt?
[Raghnall MacAonghais] Dh’ fhaighnich mi outright, chuir mi brath gu Save Scolpaig fhèin, direct question “Who are you?” No response . Ach fhuair mi response à chuideigin a tha a’ faighneachd dè gnothach a bh’ agamsa ri bhith air an site a bha seo?
[Shona NicDhòmhnaill – Neach-aithris] ’S ann air aithisg le beachd gum biodh co-dhiubh dà rocaid gach seachdain ga losgadh à Scolpaig a thog deannan dhaoine, a tha a’ fuireach anns a’ choimhearsnachd, a’ cheist: cò th’ air cùlaibh an iomairt? Chan eil sgeul air an aithris neo na ceistean sin a-nis.
[Shona NicDhòmhnaill – Neach-aithris] Cha robh oifis na comhairle seo ann am Baile a' Mhanaich ach air brath fhaighinn bho dhithis gun robh iad an-aghaidh an cead-dealbhachaidh airson a’ phort-fànais mus do thòisich an iomairt seo. An ceann seachdain ge-tà, bha sin air èirigh gu còrr air ceud. Agus a-nis, tha còrr mòr air còig cheud duine air fios a chuir gu bheil iad na aghaidh.
[An Comh Ùisdean Robasdan] Mar a tha mi a’ tuigsinn tha e ainmeil air feadh an t-saoghail, tha sinne caran air a bhith eòlach gu h-ionadail air cò an fheadhainn poblach às a sgìre fhèin agus mar a h-uile coinneamh poblach, tha beachdan air leth ann ach tha seo air sgaoileadh a-mach air feadh a h-uile h-àite a th’ ann, ann an dòigh.
[Shona NicDhòmhnaill – Neach-aithris] Tha seo a’ togail dà cheist cudromach agus chuir BBC Radio nan Gàidheal iad sin air a’ bhuidheann. Ma tha iad cho daingeann am beachd gur e droch rud a th’ ann san leasachadh seo, carson a tha iad airson an ainmean fhèin a’ cumail dìomhair. A’ cheist eile; a bheil iad a’ dèan strì eadar co-phàirtean?
[Shona NicDhòmhnaill – Neach-aithris] Tha sinn aig a’ BhBC a’ tuigsinn gun e càraid a tha gu mòr air cùl an iomairt seo gu bheil iad a’ cur seachad pàirt den ùine aca ann an Uibhist a Tuath agus an còrr dheth air falbh bhon Eilean. Ach tha iad airson na h-ainmean aca fhèin a chumail dìomhair. Shona NicDhòmhnaill. BBC An Là ann an Uibhist a Tuath.
[Dòmhnall Angaidh Moireasdan - Preseantair] Nise, ann an uair a thìde a dh’fhalbh, fhuair sinn freagairt bho bhuidheann Ghlèiteachais Uibhist a Tuath a thuirt gu bheil tòrr bhuill aca le mòran dhiubh a’ fuireach anns an Eilean. Thuirt iad nach eil ball sam bith air innse gu bheil a’ strì eadar co-phàirtean co-cheangail ris an leasachadh ’s a tha iadsan a’ moladh aig Scolpaig. Agus thuirt iad cuideachd gu bheil an t-eagal air buill a tha a’ fuireach san Eilean bruidhinn a-mach is dragh orra gun tèid an càineadh no nas miosa agus gur ann air sgàth ’s sin a tha iad airson ’s nach tèid an ainmeachadh.
[Donald Morrison - Presenter] Good evening and welcome to the programme. There is continuing disagreement in North Uist about planning permission for Scolpag Spaceport. More than five hundred and fifty people have put their name to a petition against it, but questions have been raised about who exactly is behind the campaign to stop the spaceport. Shona MacDonald has this report.
[Shona MacDonald – Reporter] North Uist Conservation Group, Save Scolpaig, an awful view of rockets, websites and social media accounts strongly campaigning against the development of a spaceport in North Uist, but who is behind the campaign?
[Ronald MacInnes] I asked them outright, I sent them a message to Save Scolpaig themselves, direct question “Who are you?” No response. But I got a response from someone who asked what business it was of mine whose site it was?
[Shona MacDonald – Reporter] It was with a statement that at least two rockets a week would be launched from Scolpaig that made many people from the community ask the question; who exactly is behind the campaign? There is no sign of the statement or the questions now.
[Shona MacDonald – Reporter] The council office here on Balivanich only got notice from two people who said they were against planning permission for the spaceport before this campaign started. Within a week, though, this rose to more than a hundred. And now, more than five hundred people have sent notice that they are against it.
[Councillor Hugh Robertson] As I understand it, it is famous throughout the world, we, kind of, know locally who are the ones who are publicly against it from the area itself and as with every public meeting, there are exceptional opinions, but this has been broadcast to every area there is, in a way.
[Shona MacDonald – Reporter] This raises two important questions and BBC Radio nan Gàidheal put them to the group. If they are so steadfast in their opinion that this development is a bad thing, why do they want to keep their own names secret? The other question, are they making trouble between participants?
[Shona MacDonald – Reporter] We at the BBC understand that it is a couple who are largely behind the campaign and they spend part of their time in North Uist and the rest of their time away from the Island. But they want to keep their name secret. Shona MacDonald. BBC An Là, North Uist.
[Donald Morrison - Presenter] Now in the past hour, we received an answer from the North Uist Conservation Group who said that they have many members and lots of them live on the Island. They said that no member has told them that there is a dispute between the participants related to the development and what they are recommending in Scolpaig. But they said that the members who live on the Island are scared to speak out and they are worried that they will be criticised or worse and as such they do not want to be named.