National Park Proposal for Skye, Raasay and Rona
In mid-December 2023 The Portree and Braes Community Trust and the Broadford and Strath Community Company were approached by the Highland Council’s Isle of Skye and Raasay Ward Committee and asked if they would help to facilitate a community consultation on the proposal to apply for National Park status for Skye, Raasay and Rona. National Park status is something that has been mooted over the years and both groups felt it was appropriate to support a consultation to gather the views of residents. The Highland Council issued funding via The Ward Discretionary Fund to Portree and Braes Community Trust, who, with the support of Broadford and Strath Community Company, engaged the services of Skye based consultant Angus Murray to work with communities across Skye, Raasay and Rona on the consultation process. Angus has a strong background in community consultation and development and has worked with community trusts locally most notably the Staffin Community Trust.
A series of online and offline community consultation events took place throughout January and early February before an interim report was compiled and submitted to local members from the Eilean a’ Cheò ward on the 19th of February. The report showed that the majority of those consulted were opposed to the proposal and it was therefore agreed by members that an application from Skye, Raasay and Rona to become a national park would not be taken forwards.
The final report can be viewed here.