Welcome to Alastair, Heather and Hamish!

Alastair Grier

 Alastair Grier is our new Harbour Master. He has had such a long list of jobs, it takes him a while to bring them all to mind but by far, he confirms, this is his favourite.  “I think I’ve found my calling,” said Alastair. “Being Harbour Master suits me so well. It’s a great mix of meeting interesting people, being outside and being practical.”

Alastair began working at the harbour in April, alongside colleague Heather Fyfe. Between them, they manage the harbour building, the e-bikes, the sauna and the pontoons. It is more than enough to keep them busy, working opposite shifts, seven days on and seven days off.
“It’s a great system,” said Alastair. “It’s full-on while we are working but then having seven days off means I have plenty of time to pursue my hobbies and to be with my family.”

Family for Alastair is wife Veronique, son Indigo and daughter Terra. He met Veronique while working at one of his many past endeavours, driving a truck in the tulip region of the Netherlands. “I had seen Veronique the year before and eventually summoned up the courage to ask her out. We went to see Four Weddings and a Funeral on 30th July 1994 and the rest, as they say, is history. We’ve been together ever since and still celebrate the anniversary of our first date.”

As well as being a truck driver, amongst other professions, Alastair has worked in Israel milking cows on a kibbutz, was part of the “road squad” and drove the snow plough for Highland Council, was a commercial diver and also worked for the sand mine here in Lochaline but his real passion outside work lies in jewellery making and blade smithing. “It all started with watching a You Tube video and I thought to myself that I could do that,” said Alastair. “It took me months to make my first knife and it is full of flaws but to me it’s priceless. I’ll never sell it. Now I make knives which are top quality and each one is individual. I also make jewellery and I have the opportunity to sell my designs in the café.”

From trucks and tulips to sailboats and saunas, Alastair has had quite a journey but he is content to have found his niche in the harbour. “Being Harbour Master is the right role for me and I couldn’t be happier helping to contribute to the future of our community.”                                                                                          Interviewed by Gill Hart.

Heather Fyfe

Living in a truck may not be everyone’s choice but for Heather Fyfe and husband, Quinten, it means the freedom to go where the road takes them and luckily for us, that means Lochaline. “Last year, I was fortunate to be offered the Assistant Harbour Master role,” explained Heather. “When the Harbour Master job was advertised for this season, I didn’t hesitate to apply and of course, having the truck meant Quinten and I could just pack up and head here to start work in April. Our converted truck is the perfect home for us and we have no worries about finding accommodation in the village.”   

Heather is working alongside our other Harbour Master, Alastair Grier, and there is plenty to keep the two of them busy. In addition to their regular harbour duties, there is the new sauna to manage and maintain as well as acting as an unofficial tourist information service. As a community resource, Heather thinks the sauna will be a welcome draw for guests and local people alike and will contribute to helping to grow the popularity of the harbour. “It is such a pleasure to be here on the loch,” said Heather. “My favourite type of work is dealing with people and helping them. We have lots of lovely and interesting visitors, many of whom have returned this year so it is great to recognise and catch up with them.”

When she isn’t at the harbour, Heather describes herself as the outdoors type, enjoying walking, cycling, nature and gardening. She is also one of a growing number of people who take part in WWOOFing, the Willing Workers on Organic Farms, where she helps out on a local croft in exchange for parking her truck on the land. At the end of the summer season, Heather will head home to Dumfries & Galloway to be near her three children and grandchildren. “I’ve really got the best of both worlds,” said Heather. “I spend half the year here doing a job I love, surrounded by the most amazing scenery and then I spend the other half of the year with my family. How lucky am I?”                                                                                                                                          Interviewed by Gill Hart. 

 Hamish Kennedy

 The final person to join the harbour team for this season is Hamish Kennedy. Home from Edinburgh’s Heriot Watt University for the summer, Hamish was keen to find a part-time job which would use both his practical and people skills. As a third-year student of Sports and Exercise Science, he knows the value of putting people at their ease and so he is a good fit as front of house at the harbour, working alongside our two Harbour Masters Heather Fyfe and Alistair Grier.

“The social aspect of working at the harbour is what prompted me to apply,” said Hamish. “I like meeting new people and I enjoy welcoming them to our lovely village. I’m really enjoying the job. I’ve never worked at the harbour before so it has been great learning new skills.”

In his spare time, as you’d expect for someone studying a sports-related degree, Hamish is a keen sportsman and likes nothing more than to represent the university and Lochaber RFC in rugby, especially “for the socials that go with it.” He is also currently getting ready to run a marathon in September and tries his best to fit in some serious training between his role at the harbour and his other part-time job at CalMac. “I’m training hard and working hard and I’m pleased to say I’m enjoying both,” said Hamish. “There is so much to do at the harbour, no two days are the same and it is great experience for when I leave university and enter the job market.”

On that front, Hamish is thinking about a future career as a performance analyst for a sports organisation, of course a rugby club would be his first choice and he’s also hoping to fit in some travelling at some point too. In the meantime, summer at Lochaline harbour is a good choice for Hamish. “I consider myself lucky to have found this job. What a place to spend the summer.”                                                                             Interviewed by Gill Hart.