Work starts to remove causeway
Work has started on totally removing a causeway built without permission between Luing and Torsa, writes Kathie Griffiths.
Rock has been removed from the top of the causeway following an instruction by Marine Scotland to reinstate the passageway flowing between the two islands to what it was.
A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said: ‘Work is continuing on the Luing Torsa causeway. The person responsible is carrying out remediation works which are monitored by the Scottish Government’s Marine Scotland directorate officials, to ensure the site is restored to the condition in which it was before the activity occurred.’
Marine Scotland visited the site after receiving objections from boating and island communities who complained the 1.4m structure was blocking a well-used route, popular and well-known with water-users including kayakers – the sheltered route features in Argyll’s Sea Kayak Trail.
There were also concerns the new causeway could change tidal times, silt up the passage area and affect seaweed growth and wildlife in Ardinamir Bay and Cuan Cove, as well as force kayakers and boats out into rougher waters in bad weather on the outer side of Torsa.
Campaigners lobbying for its removal said work carried out recently had made only a ‘nominal change’.
Calls from some island residents and water-users who regularly navigate the passage repeated demands for Marine Scotland to use its powers to call for immediate complete restoration of the natural seabed by removing the newly quarried stone obstruction before a serious incident occurred.
Some stone was removed from the top of the causeway last month and deposited on the Luing bank towards Ardinamir below the high water mark but at that time had made no significant difference to navigation over the obstruction, except narrowed the passage at high water, said campaigners.
Archie Cadzow from the landowning Cadzow family on Luing said: ‘Everything is being done with Marine Scotland and NatScot approval.’