News

Five cadets have just returned from a week away at their Northern Area Sea Cadet Camp at the Garelochhead Training Camp. Courses included powerboating, sailing, kayaking, archery, shooting, adventure training and rowing. Inevitably there is much time partying and the BBQ is always a winner! The picture shows Cadet First Class Aaron Aitken on our RIB off Rhu.

Hannah Calder has been appointed the Unit's first ever Lord-Lieutenant's Cadets. The event was covered in the Lochaber Life Magazine, the cover of which is shown here! Full story below!

We were delighted to welcome cadets from all over the highlands to our annual Commando Speed March Competition. During the second world war, soldier would come to Achnacarry Castle, near Spean Bridge for training to become a Commando. Our way of commemorating their efforts while also having a great time and getting together is to have our own version of their speed march. The route we use is identical to those original commandos except that our cadets don't have to jump onto the railway track risking their ankles, and we only carry 16lb packs, instead of the 36lb packs that they carried. This years fastest cadet was AC Iain Cameron from Campbeltown who won with a time of 57mins 17 seconds. Our first cadet was CFC Connor Aitken who came in with a time of1:46:10.

The trophies were presented by Coln Kevin Lane of the Lochaber Branch of the Royal British Legion Scotland and Coln Brian Hume of the Highland Reserve Forces and Cadets Association. The whole event was finished of with an excellend BBQ provided by our Unit Management Committee. We'd like to thank the Commando Veterans Association for presenting us with our main trophy and Donald Cameron of Locheil for letting us use the grounds of 'Castle Commando'!

The picture shows the cadets at the start of the race.

For the first time in our 63 year history, one of our cadets had been granted the honour of being Lord-Lieutenant's Cadet. Lord Lieutenant Donald Cameron of Locheil made the investiture of Leading Cadet Hannah Calder took in front of an audience which included Northern Area Officer Captain Peter Adams, VIPs, parents and her ship mates in the cadet unit, Fort William.

In a surprise report, Captain Adams also notified the unit that it had been recommended for the award of an efficiency burgee, the highest level of award made to units which recognizes their excellence over the previous year. This too is the first time that the unit has received this award in its history! No pressure for the coming year, then!

Picture courtesy Capt Adams

We were delighted to be able to welcome Mr. John Stafford, the Manager of the Southern section of the Caledonian Canal who came along to our prize-giving evening to award medals to the team of cadets who won the rowing races at last years 'Go wild on the canal' event.

We really value this relationship and it was great to see John in our Unit. Hopefully the relationship will develop over the coming years