Crofter's road inspires Africans

By Iain MacDonald
BBC Scotland

Gambia is one of the smallest countries in Africa

An African community of subsistence farmers is to take a leaf out of a Highland crofter's book - literally.

The late Calum Macleod built his own two-mile road across Raasay when no-one else would, and his story was told in a recently published book.

Now a UK charity is to join forces with locals in the town of Kuntaur, in the Gambia, to do the same thing.

And they are going to call it Calum's Road, as a tribute to the Raasay crofter's achievement.

Glasgow-based university professor Max Murray got the idea after reading the book.

He said: "I thought wow. I was powerfully moved and it was just the other morning there I phoned Roger Hutchinson, the author of the book, to say how much I enjoyed the book and also would he have any objections to us calling it Calum's Road.

I wanted to build the road because my sister asked me, in fact, it was one of her last requests she made to me was to make sure the road was built Heather Armstrong Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust

"It is a road I can assure you we are going to build."

Heather Armstrong, who heads the charity Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust, which uses the animals for jobs which women and children previously had to do, said Calum's Road had been an inspiration.

She said she had promised her sister, Stella Marsden, who died recently, that the road would be built in the Gambia - but Prof Murray helped reinforce her determination.

Ms Armstrong said: "I wanted to build the road because my sister asked me, in fact, it was one of her last requests she made to me was to make sure the road was built.

"I felt a little daunted at the task, although I obviously promised her I would.

"I was discussing it with Max Murray and he told me about Calum's Road and how it could be done and he got me going again and inspired me."

Mr Macleod built his road by hand with a Victorian-era book on road building as a guide.