Community land-buy and cinema project in Badenoch hit the jackpot
A community land buy-out at the heart of Insh two decades in the making and the transformation of part of the former site of the Highland Folk Museum in Kingussie have both hit the jackpot in the latest £3.6m Scottish Land Fund pay-outs.
Am Fasgadh Regeneration Company (ARC) has been awarded £85,500 to buy the old telephone exchange in the Badenoch capital to provide a hub for a possible community cinema, space for events and meetings, an office and a kitchen.
Insh Community Holdings has been granted £23,500 to purchase community woodland in the village which the group currently leases from Forestry and Land Scotland.
It is believed to be the first community to take over land in the strath since the creation of the Cairngorms National Park in 2003.
The trust submitted an asset transfer request to buy the 6.3 hectares of woodland and grazings to bring 'greater benefits, flexibility, and resilience to the community'.
Trust chairman John McGhee is delighted that the buy-out has finally come to fruition after a lot of hard work by a hard core of volunteers over two decades.
He said: "We have done quite a bit of work over that time putting in an access path and community walkway linking up with the Badenoch Way.
"There are all sorts of ideas with people interested in putting in polytunnels and establishing orchards and wild meadows," said Mr McGhee.
A total of 29 projects across Scotland have received funding in the latest round of SLF grants.
The money will allow rural and urban groups to take ownership of local assets and put them to use for their local communities.
The SLF programme is funded by the Scottish Government and delivered in partnership with the National Lottery Community Fund and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
Land Reform Secretary, Roseanna Cunningham said: “The coronavirus pandemic has continued to set us all unprecedented challenges throughout 2020, acutely affecting local communities right across Scotland, and beyond.
“But despite these challenges – in fact, because of them - communities up and down the country are playing an increasingly vital role in maintaining and building our resilience, our spirit and local support networks.
“I commend the latest recipients of Scottish Land Fund grants for driving forward plans to support and enhance their local areas as part of our Green recovery, in what are clearly difficult circumstances.
"I am particularly pleased that, through what is the final round of funding for this year, the Scottish Land Fund is supporting such a high number of unique and diverse projects, and I look forward to these projects delivering on their ambitions in the new year.”
Sandra Holmes, Head of Community Assets at HIE, said: “These successful projects announced today are all great examples of people taking control of local resources for the long-term benefit of their communities...
"Ownership will give these communities greater control over important assets and will help ensure their long-term future. We wish all the successful groups the very best in their new ventures.”
John Watt, Chair, Scottish Land Fund Committee, said: “The wide range of groups across urban and rural Scotland who are sharing in £3,660,370 of funding are now in a unique position to take control of land and property assets that will reap rewards for people now and for generations to come.”
The Scottish Land Fund reopened to applications in April 2016.
The programme is funded by the Scottish Government and delivered in partnership by the National Lottery Community Fund and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
More local reaction to this story in today's Strathy now on sale.
