Argyle & Bute: Oban, Lunga & Erraid

RUA FIOLA LECTURE    09 JANUARY 2009

RUA FIOLA LECTURE AND SLIDE SHOW
All of the children in Forms 5 to 8 sat down in the gym to listen to Torquil Johnson-Ferguson, the owner and director of Rua Fiola Island Exploration Centre. The children were entertained by the stories and the fantastic photographs of climbing, speed boats, mud pits, beautiful wildlife and scenery which Torquil had brought with him. At the end of the talk the question and answer session could have gone on for another hour, the children were so enthused, but sadly they had to return to their afternoon lessons. I am sure that the children who join me in the summer on Rua Fiola will return with many stories of their own. Many thanks to Mr. Johnson-Ferguson for once again coming to talk to us and fill us with ideas and plans.

Charlie Reynolds.  SOURCE

Torquil Charles Johnson-Ferguson was born on 5 April 1949. He is the son of Major Brian Charles Johnson-Ferguson and Daphne Louie Stirling. He married Margaret Finlay. He was educated at Stanbridge Earls School Hampshire  

Pupils ‘abseiled naked as teachers watched’ in latest saga to hit boarding school behind ‘Lord of the Flies’ abuse claims http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2351515/Stanbridge-Earls-School-Pupils-abseiled-naked-teachers-watched-latest-saga-hit-boarding-school-Lord-Flies-abuse-claims.html

• Three male pupils ‘abseiled naked’ on Stanbridge Earls School trip to Oban
• Police investigation was already underway into separate sex abuse claims
• Special needs school announced it will close in December after allegations
• One mother compared behaviour at school to novel Lord of the Flies
• Tribunal found pupil suffered ‘appalling abuse’ at hands of another student

Pupils at a school which is the focus of ‘Lord of the Flies’ abuse claims abseiled naked while teachers watched, it has been reported.

Stanbridge Earls School, which is currently embroiled in a police investigation into alleged sexual abuse of pupils, announced yesterday it will close in December and another school has been lined up to take over the site.

But today it was revealed that Ofsted inspectors carrying out emergency visits to the school were told three male pupils had been naked during a school trip to the Rua Fiola Island Exploration Centre in Oban.  

Inspectors heard two female members of staff watched while the boys abseiled and allegedly took photographs of them during the May half-term trip.

The incident has been reported to police by the special needs school’s headteacher Maggie McMurray, the Sunday Times reported.

The Department for Education confirmed the county council and police were investigating the situation at the school, where a 15-year-old girl was sexually abused by fellow pupils.

A spokesman said:  ‘We have just received advice from Ofsted following an inspection that took place last week. Ministers are studying that advice and will announce their decisions about regulatory action very soon.  It would be wrong to take any decisions until we have studied their findings, but all options remain open. This was an awkward and very regrettable incident but there was certainly no harm done to the children.’

• Letter to parents from head Maggie McMurray reveals Stanbridge Earls to close 29 Jun 2013
• Two police and crime commissioners under investigation  25 August 2013
• Hampshire Chief constable Andy Marsh accused over investigation into Stanbridge Earls School  9 Apr 2014
• Businessman accused of abusing boys got haircut before identity parade Jan 2015
• Stanbridge Earls School ‘failed to protect vulnerable girls’ 2 October 2015
• Stanbridge Earls School sold for £10 mill and could be turned into retirement village 29 Jan 2016

Johnson-Ferguson, of Canonbie in Dumfries and Galloway, owns Rua Fiola Island in the Firth of Lorn and until recently operated an activity centre on the island.

From 1976, the centre ran week-long courses during the summer months, offering kayaking, rock climbing and survival skills targeted at nine to 14-year-old boys from private schools throughout the UK. UKDatabase  March 2015

Lunga wiki is one of the Slate Islands in the Firth of Lorn in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The “Grey Dog” tidal race, which runs in the sea channel to the south, reaches 8 knots in full flood. The name ‘Lunga’ is derived from the Old Norse for ‘isle of the longships‘, but almost all other place names are Gaelic in origin. The population was never substantial and today the main activity is an adventure centre on the northern headland of Rubha Fiola. The surrounding seas are fished for prawns and scallops and there is a salmon farm off the south eastern shores. The National Scenic Area of which the island is part, hosts a growing number of outdoor leisure pursuits.^[5]

The island is owned by the family of Torquil Johnson-Ferguson^[15]who runs the Rua Fiola adventure centre which caters for parties of school age children. The activities, which include rock climbing and canoeing, also make use of the nearby islets including Eilean Dubh Mor and Eilean Dubh Beag.^[16]The rest of Lunga itself, where there are only three houses, is primarily used for grazing animals.^[3]In 2001 the island had a population of 7^[17]but in 2011 there were no “usual residents” living there as recorded by the census.^[18]

Surrounding area  Argyll and Bute