Pupils at Raasay Primary School undertook a ‘Week of Work’ whereby they had the opportunity to learn about and experience different jobs and what skills would be required in each. Thanks to Raasay Distillery, Norman Gillies (Torr), Iona Gillies (Fitness session), Raasay Stores, Walled Garden, Hector Nicolson (Dry Stone Walling), Raasay Ferry Crew, John Gillies (Finlaggan), Raasay Fire Service, Raasay House and Sound of Raasay craft shop – the boys had amazing experiences from learning how to make a bed to hotel standard to driving a digger, crewing a ferry, learning how to make whisky and everything in between!

The pupils have written reports below which show the impact these experiences had on them.

Raasay Distillery – “On Monday we went to the Distillery and made whisky. Firstly, we looked at all the rooms and some of them were a bit dirty, so we cleaned them up. I stripped the bed first and put some new pillow cases, duvet dover and sheet on. We went on a tour of all the whisky making equipment and learnt what they did. Some of the machines were over three hundred degrees Celsius. Afterwards we put five kilograms of yeast into water that was at exactly thirty-six degrees Celsius and then we mixed it up with a large electric stirrer. We went up to the warehouse and signed a barrel with our names on it. After that, we were able to fill it with two hundred litres of whisky, but we had to be careful not to put too much in it. We practise measuring at school so this helped us to weigh all the yeast. When I am older I would like to work at the Distillery. I would like to say a big thank you to all the people who helped make this visit amazing.”

The Building Site – “On Monday 9th June the entire school of Raasay Primary went to a building site to see how everything worked. At the building site we were taught about all the trades, there were: architects, glazers, tilers, engineers, bricklayers, electricians, plumbers, roofers, surveyors and vehicle drivers. We were shown all the blueprints and drawings and where the wires and pipes would be placed because we needed to know how the huts were built to understand the technique. After that, we went outside to drive an excavator. The excavator was equipped with a rotatable bucket which could turn three hundred and sixty degrees which allowed you to dig sideways. I loved moving gravel and digging holes. I leant the skills needed to drive a digger such as: being focussed, teamwork and being observant. I can see myself driving large excavators in mines and building sites in the future. At the end we said thank you for such an exciting experience, and then we went back to school. Thank you to Norman and the builders for giving us such a fun day!”

MV Hallaig – “On Thursday 12th June we visited the Hallaig where we learnt all about the machinery. On the ferry we learnt about how all the engines work. We saw all the tools used to fix the engines as well as a touchscreen to control the engines. We also met both of the engineers, along with the Skipper. Furthermore, we saw how to get the cars off and on as well as seeing the lifeboat and liferafts. They even showed us what controls the anchor and what holds it up. We learnt about the hydraulics for the ramps. It was very interesting to see the hydraulics in action. To work on a Calmac ferry you have to be focussed, organised, have good teamwork and be calm and friendly. Excitingly, we went to the wheelhouse where we learnt how to use the radar and binoculars. We learnt how to spot other boats in the area. When I am older I would like to work on a Calmac ferry until I am fifty-five years old. Thank you for letting us do this. The best crew and best ferry ever!”