Landslide community pleads: 'Don't forget about us'

The community is still going ahead with this year's Christmas market, despite the disruption caused by the landslip

A community in Argyll left isolated following a landslide has issued a "don't forget about us" appeal.

Heavy rain and flooding last month saw 6,000 tonnes of debris collapse onto the A816, cutting off access to large parts of the Craignish peninsula.

Travellers to the area now face a 90-minute road diversion - and many weeks before other routes are re-established.

Businesses have banded together as they face weeks of unprecedented disruption, urging people to shop locally.

Many were still feeling the after-effects of the Covid pandemic combined with the current cost-of-living crisis - and, following the recent extreme weather conditions, some are now fighting for survival.

A group, led by the Craignish Community Company charity, is aiming to help local business get through the "unprecedented disruption".

Chairperson Vicki Burnett told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme there was a perception Craignish was "lost to the rest of the country".

She added: "We are very much not. We are very much open for business.

"We have a lot of really amazing businesses on the peninsula. Many of these businesses won't survive six weeks with no income."

Although access to the area is still available from the north, via the A816, it could be weeks before specialist engineers make the main route safe.

Ms Burnett said the perception that the region was still completely inaccessible had resulted in lower footfall than usual.

And she admitted some businesses were struggling to get staff to work.

One local woodsman had been left short-staffed because his worker lives on the other side of the landslip, she said - while a nearby yacht club has had to use a boat to bring their staff to work.

Local children have been left separated from friends for a month due to the landslip

Ms Burnett also said local children have been separated from friends who live south of the landslide.

She said the Craignish Community Company was taking a two-pronged approach to deal with the problems caused by the landslip.

"We want to keep this issue in the spotlight to encourage the local authority and their contractors to get this work done as quickly as possible, and to make sure any additional support we're entitled to comes here," she added.

"But we're also pleading with the wider Argyll and West of Scotland community - 'don't forget about us'."

The annual Craignish Christmas market is due to go ahead on the 18 November weekend and information about local businesses can be found online.

Argyll and Bute Council said it has made good progress clearing debris from the A186.

On the council's website, it said it is looking to open up an emergency diversion route which it expects to have in place by "mid-December, before the landslip-affected part of the A816 is open".