South Ford openings

Davey Macpherson - father of Archie who died in the tragedy and grandfather to the two children - said he was pleased the council has agreed to argue the South Ford causeway improvements should be treated as a special case.

Grandfather “pleased” council will lobby for South Ford openings

22 April 2015

Councillors all agreed to lobby the Scottish Government for cash to cut openings in the roadlink running over the ford between Iochdar and Benbecula.

Initial estimates put the full cost at £20 million and the council would have to pay at least 20% of the sum.

His family were just a few hundred yards away from the safety of his home when they perished in a flood which swept over the low-lying district in January 2005.

Mr Macpherson said: “This is a step in the right direction. I am pleased about this. At least there is some movement.

He added it is “my dream to see openings in the causeway” so a similar tragedy will not happened to another family.

He said: “We are scared of it happening again. Every time there is a storm forecast people here are on edge.”

Davey Macpherson studies a design plan of the causeway