A Village Reawakened

The village of Kildonan has always been a veritable jewel in Arran’s crown. As our local councillor and long-time island worthy, Charles Currie, once proclaimed, it is the only village on Arran with its own bypass.

Whether descending towards the glorious shoreline from the heights of Dippen or from those of Church Brae, the views are simply to die for. Kildonan is absolutely stunning.

When we first moved here some 18 years ago, the village boasted two very good hotels and a local shop, the latter having served Kildonan for 125 years. In more recent times, one of the hotels was sold and asset-stripped, the shop closed, and the sole remaining hotel was left to cope alone and on a part-time basis.

One day some four years back, I was walking my two dogs up the very steep steps from Silversands, one of the most beautiful beaches on Arran. As I puffed my way up to the top step, there stood a very distinguished-looking blonde-haired lady, who smiled at me. (As most vivacious blondes tend to do, I tried to convince myself.)

‘Hello!’ she said, before adding a rather searching question. ‘And who are you?’

‘My name is Ian,’ I replied. ‘And I’ve been here for seventeen years. So, who the hell are you?’ (I was always a real smooth-talker.)

‘I’m Jenny,’ she announced, as cheerily as if the latest CalMac sailing had just arrived in port on time for once. ‘And I’ve been here for twenty-five years.’

Smart-arse, I thought. However, once we got past our comparative indigenous longevities, we started chatting. Within a matter of minutes, we had sorted out the world’s problems (or at least insofar as those pertaining to Kildonan were concerned).

We hit it off immediately. So quickly, in fact, that our whirlwind relationship had blossomed exponentially within just a few minutes. To gin & tonic, would you believe?
And that was when we began our ‘big discussion’. A few minutes later, her husband Steve had joined the party. The conversation went something like this.

Jenny … ‘Isn’t it ridiculous that you and I have lived in this village for all those years and we don’t even know each other?’

Me … ‘Absolutely.’ (I can actually be a man of few words at times, you know.)

Steve … ‘I agree with Jenny.’ (A wise philosophy, if you ask me.)

All … ‘So, let’s build a community café and shop, where local people can meet.’

Trust me, several gins & tonic have a lot to answer for.

A few days later, we enlisted the not inconsiderable skills of a formidable local worthy called Alistair and sentenced ourselves to three-and-a-half years of hard labour, in raising the very substantial capital required to build the new facility and getting all the necessary permissions under our collective belts.

Our community café & shop eventually opened on 24 April of this year and it has already been an outstanding success, mainly thanks to the superhuman efforts and perseverance of the aforementioned Steve & Jenny, and the skills of the two wonderful guys who have been charged with the responsibility of running the facility, Harry & David.
Gaun yersels, guys, you have been amazing.

Kildonan has now been totally rejuvenated. So many more people are walking along the beach, scores of children are paddling & netting aquatic creatures in the rockpools, the road is much busier, the car park at ‘Yellow Port’ is now jam-packed … and all mainly because of our new café and shop.

After many years of living in the shadow of the closures of the much-loved Breadalbane Hotel and Cook’s Stores, the village has found its heart again. It has discovered a new vibrancy and soul to complement its magnificent south-facing setting, in a coastal location which boasts almost thirty-percent more sunshine than anywhere else on the entire island.

And not only because of the dubious vision of four ageing Arranachs with a collective propensity for gin & tonic … but because the community of Kildonan really bought into the dream that has now become a reality.

Most of the local people who worked their butts off to oversee the whole project and make it such a success have now properly passed the responsibility onto the shoulders of their successors to continue to support Harry & David to deliver the goods.

Go Kildonan!