Moray servicemen help build lifesaving helipad on remote Scottish island
Engineers from Kinloss Barracks have helped built a helicopter pad on a remote Scottish island for the air ambulance service.
The Isle of Gigha, which sits off the Kintyre peninsula, has a population of 163.
Previously the inhabitants relied on a grass landing strip which often became waterlogged and muddy, causing delays in transferring patients for lifesaving treatment at a mainland hospital.
However the new helipad build by 39 Engineer Regiment ensures that specialist help can be accessed within the ‘golden hour’ when medical care is most essential.
It was a first-time collaboration between the Corps of Royal Engineers and the HELP Appeal, which donated £245,000 to cover the entire cost of materials and lighting.
Simon Jones from the HELP Appeal said: “We are incredibly proud to have worked alongside the Royal Engineers to make this emergency helipad a reality on Gigha. This marks the first of multiple collaborations together building helipads across the country.”
Staff Sgt Curtis Noble oversaw the construction in conjunction with local contractors.
He said: “It has been a remarkable team effort. Despite a challenging three-week schedule, which was further tightened by bad weather conditions, myself and 16 members of 39 Engineer Regiment worked closely with local contractors to complete the concreting phase of the project back in March.
“Throughout our time on Gigha, we were overwhelmed by the hospitality of the locals, who couldn’t have been kinder to us. Many visited the site to deliver hot drinks and sweets to my team. Their support made a challenging project much more achievable.”
“When we left Gigha, the helipad was still very much a construction site. To return today and see it fully completed has been incredibly rewarding.”
Maggie Wilkieson, a Queen’s Nursing Institute nurse said: “I’ve been involved in transferring patients off Gigha for over 30 years and the difference having the landing pad is just amazing.
“The comfort, privacy and safety it provides makes such a difference to those unfortunate enough to have to be airlifted off Gigha.”