We had  a surprise second visit from the Keewhit a fortnight after it’s first visit in three months (it’s like buses – you wait for ages for a bus to turn up, and then two come in succession).

To fulfil the island’s oil needs bearing in mind the depth restriction at the pier  meaning the tanker can only deliver 40% of it’s capacity, we need one  delivery at least every two/three  weeks.

I hear that the council have until 1/4/08 to appoint a  marine explosives expert  to remove the rock that prevents Keewhit from mooring  with anything like a full load. So with any luck, full loads can start from may onwards; it’s  will have only taken two years.

Meanwhile, one can’t help thinking that the Bomb Squad from Faslane are here in a jiffy to detonate WWII mines, NATO misiles, WWI bombs (gives a whole new meaning to collecting shells on the beach) so perhaps the council are missing a trick here: they should get the bomb squad to do their dirty work and we could have an operational pier in no time...