On this day in 1999
Prince Charles opens Berneray causeway
Prince Charles travelled to Berneray to open a £6.6m causeway that replaced the ferry link to North Uist. The last ferry had run in the middle of December the year before, although work on the land bridge had by then been in progress since October 1997. It had been developed with the local ecology in mind and the road, which is just less than 1km from end to end, incorporated culverts so that otters would not be prevented from passing from one side to the other.
The prince was already familiar with the area, having spent time there in previous years learning the skills of a crofter, and the opening of the causeway formed part of a larger series of events that he undertook during a tour of Scotland.
Yesterday…
Campaigner Willie McRae dies after being shot in the Highlands
Campaigner Willie McRae was found barely conscious in his car in April 1985. He was later discovered to have a gunshot wound to the head.
The Scottish National Party is founded
The SNP came about through a merger between the Scottish Party, formed in 1932, and the older National Party of Scotland.
Tomorrow…
Scottish MPs call for an independent BBC Scotland
MPs from across Scotland argued for improvements to the BBC’s output in Scotland, and the setting-up of a separate board of governors in Edinburgh.
Princes Street Station’s foundation stone laid
The foundation stone of Edinburgh’s Princes Street Station was laid in April 1847, but the building took another 13 years to complete.
