#Onthisday in 1988, DIY road-builder Calum MacLeod died in his native Isle of Raasay, aged 76.

The population of Raasay had been decimated during the Clearances, and continued to fall in the 20th century as successive governments neglected the island’s social and infrastructure needs.

As the population of Calum’s township of Arnish dwindled, Calum was adamant that a modern road could halt or even reverse this decline. For decades, the Inverness-based council refused one request after another - until finally, Calum decided to take matters into his own hands.

Armed with a pickaxe, a wheelbarrow, and a roadbuilding manual, Calum himself built a 2-mile stretch of road from Brochel Castle to Arnish. He did this over a period of 10 years (1964-1974), in between shifts as a lighthouse keeper and a postman.

His story became a sensation. Songs and plays were composed, and an embarrassed council promptly improved Calum’s Road. He was eventually awarded a BEM - ostensibly for his lighthouse keeping services, rather than for his challenges to authority.

By the time of Calum’s death, he and his wife Lexi were the only ones left in Arnish.

While rural communities across Scotland continue to face existential threats, Calum’s struggle against detached and indifferent authorities remains as resonant today as ever - and still inspires defiance and determination.