The Tarbat Community Council (TCC) area covers 23.7 sq. km. at the eastern end of the Tarbat peninsula, and includes the communities of Portmahomack, Rockfield, and New Geanies. It forms part of the Highland Council Ward 7, Tain & Easter Ross.
The main purpose of the Community Council is to act as a voice for its local area. This involves articulating the views and concerns of local people on a wide range of issues and making representations to The Highland Council, other public sector bodies and private agencies. TCC has a role in planning and licensing applications, and it is also empowered to take such action in the interests of the community as appears to be expedient and practicable.
TCC has a maximum of seven voting members. Elections take place on a four year cycle, and casual vacancies may be filled by co-option or, in certain circumstances, by interim elections. Meetings are at present normally held on the first Thursday of February, April, June, August, October and December. Members of the public are welcome to attend and to participate.
The three elected Highland Councillors for Ward 7, are ex officio members of TCC, and some or all of them usually attend TCC meetings.
See links to Highland Council for further area information and links to the TCC area map and Highland Council’s Scheme for the Establishment for community councils.
A national commemoration called “Light a Lamp of Peace” is being held on 6th June, the 80th anniversary of D-Day. The involvement of the Tarbat area in the training for D-Day makes it appropriate that events should be organised in Portmahomack.
Portmahomack villagers turned out to celebrate the launch of the new skiff built by the local coastal rowing club members. They were joined by others from the wider Easter Ross area as well as members of other local rowing clubs from Golspie, Strathpeffer and Cromarty. The boat was piped to the slipway by local piper Murdo MacLeod. The club chair, Doug Gordon, then made a short speech thanking all the sponsors and members for their donations and fundraising efforts.
The Portmahomack Coastal Rowing Club are pleased to announce that the build is complete and our first skiff is due to be named and launched on Saturday the 14th at 1:30pm, from Portmahomack harbour. Everyone is welcome to attend and we would like to thank all those who have helped in any way to make this a reality. Please come along if you are able and toast the launch and have a row in our fantastic new skiff!
Nominations are invited from people seeking election to all Community Councils. This is your chance to help represent the views of your community to The Highland Council and other public agencies.
The Portmahomack Coastal Rowing Club started up in Spring 2022 by a group of enthusiastic folk from the Port and further afield. The club is affiliated to the Scottish Coastal Rowing Association. The Scottish Coastal Rowing Association was formed on 29 May 2010 to encourage boat building and rowing and racing of coastal rowing boats around the Scottish Coastline. Communities are encouraged to become involved in the building of new boats to be rowed, principally the St Ayles skiff.
The new recycled plastic bench seats replaced wooden ones, which have given good service, but had reached their use by date. Also recycled plastic is a more environmentally friendly alternative to wooden seats. With some regular maintenance wooden seats will last about 12/15 years whereas plastic seats will, according to the manufacturer, last at least twice as long.
