Inspired by the efforts of Calum MacLeod of Raasay (his exploits were featured in the 2006 book entitled Calum's Road), the people of the villages near Kuntaur in the Gambia are building their own road supported by The Gambian Horse and Donkey Trust.

Read on for how you may be able to help:

DO YOU PLAY TRADITIONAL SCOTTISH MUSIC?
DO YOU KNOW THE TUNE CALUM'S ROAD BY DONALD SHAW?
WILL YOU HOLD ONE SPONSORED EVENT TO HELP RAISE MONEY FOR THE GAMBIANS TO BUILD THEIR OWN CALUM'S ROAD?
WOULD YOU LIKE TO ATTEND AN OPENING CEILIDH IN THE GAMBIA (TBA)?

If the answer any of these questions is 'YES' please join us by e mailing Hazel MacAulay your details and ideas for Fundraising events to hazelmacaulay@hotmail.com The hope is to create a ceilidh trail from Raasay to the Gambia. Further information can be found at: http://www.gambiahorseanddonkey.org.uk


Please see below further information about Calum's Road:

For 20 years, Calum MacLeod toiled alone to build a road to his croft
on the island of Raasay, near Skye. He began the arduous job in the 1960s after failing to win public funds for an upgrade, and his exploits featured in the best-selling 2006 book Calum's Road by the Raasay-based author Roger Hutchison.

Now that story has inspired the building of a four-mile lifeline road for an impoverished part of Africa, cut off by rainwater for six months of the year.

Villagers in Gambia also failed to win state funding for their project, and once they have built their road it will be named after the Raasay crofter, who died in 1988. Mr Hutchison said it was a wonderful tribute to Mr MacLeod, who built the road in an attempt to revive his local community.

"The fact that his achievement has now inspired people in similar circumstances far away in Africa would, I'm sure, have pleased him immensely," he said.