Ground control

This is the main runway at the community owned  Machrihanish Air Base,  which is one of the contenders to become the UK's official Spaceport.

Machrihanish is , in fact, the only place on the present short list  of six which is already approved for space shuttle landings and it has the longest runway of any of the places presently being considered.   

Add to that the fact that it has sea on three sides,, that it has a huge range of accommodation for space related businesses on the site and that there are many  first class facilities available locally and it is and should be a very serious contender.

The Mac Airbase team , who run the community buyout of what was previously a military base, have also put together the most entertaining video of any of the campaigns to date.   

This afternoon I visited with the new Argyll & Bute MP Brendan O"Hara who has agreed to press the UK Government regarding Machrihanish's strengths.  Earlier we had hosted our first joint surgery and then visited the Campbeltown Creamery, owned by First MIlk, which is crucial to the survival and recovery of the dairy industry in Kintyre and Gigha.