We are thrilled to have been successful in our bid to purchase Broadford North Wood for the community. Below is the full press release issued by the Scottish Land Fund. To find out more about plans for the woodland see our earlier news article. We will share information about how to get involved soon on our news pages and social media.
SUPPORT FOR HIGHLAND COMMUNITY PROJECTS FROM SCOTTISH LAND FUND
Under embargo: 00.01 hrs, 9 December 2025
Three community projects from across the Highlands have shared in £452,631 of funding from the Scottish Land Fund.
Boleskine Community Care has been given £365,611 to purchase Foyers Stores, Cafe and Post Office in Foyers, on the southeastern side of Loch Ness, from a private seller. The group will lease part of the building to a Community Benefit Society, who will run the business providing a general store, cafe and post office. The upstairs accommodation will be leased to the business manager or a key worker within the community.
Broadford and Strath Community Company has received £29,620 with which it will purchase Broadford North Wood (and an additional small plot of land), in Broadford, Isle of Skye, from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). BSCC will manage and develop the woodland to deliver community benefit through increased access and volunteering opportunities. The woodland is adjacent to a 23ha site BSCC purchased in 2011 and will complement activities already carried out.
And Melness Community Church Organisation has received funding of £57,400 to acquire Melness Church in Talmine, Sutherland, through private sale from the Church of Scotland. The group plans to use the asset as a focal point for the community, an exhibition space, a seasonal cafe and space for life events.
The grants are amongst 16 totalling £2,164,121 for community asset projects across Scotland, announced today by the Scottish Land Fund.
The Scottish Land Fund is funded by the Scottish Government and delivered in partnership by The National Lottery Community Fund and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
Mairi Gougeon, Cabinet Secretary, Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, said: “These latest projects to be supported by the Scottish Land Fund show the incredible variety in the way community ownership can enhance an area, by preserving much loved land or buildings or maintaining vital services. I know this investment will make a real difference right across the country.”
Cara Gillespie, Scottish Land Fund Committee Chair said: “From saving iconic buildings and giving them a new purpose, to providing communities with the backing to take over village shops and to purchase land on which they can build essential housing, the Community Land Fund continues to support projects that enhance lives in both urban and rural areas of Scotland.”
Sandra Holmes, Head of community assets at HIE, said: “These projects highlight the incredible impact of communities taking charge of their own future. By securing vital assets, they’re safeguarding essential services while creating places that support jobs, attract visitors and bring people together. Community ownership is a powerful tool for lasting change, strengthening the local economy and building resilience for generations to come. We can’t wait to see what these inspiring ventures achieve next.”
Billy MacKenzie, Boleskine Community Care, said: “This grant represents a very significant level of funding towards our goal of retaining the only Shop/Café/Post Office premises on South Loch Ness, between Fort Augustus and Inverness, in the hands of the Community. It is a hugely significant investment in our rural area and its communities.”
Neil Hope, Chair, Broadford and Strath Community Company, said: “This is an exciting opportunity to develop the woodland for the benefit of local people and the environment. It will complement our current activities and support our shared ambition to create a strong, self-sufficient, inclusive and eco-friendly community here in south Skye. We look forward to working with people across Broadford and Strath and beyond to achieve this goal.”
And a spokesperson for Melness Community Church Organisation, said: “This is a case of a church, built by the people of Melness, being returned to that community. The award will allow us to pursue the many wonderful ideas that have been suggested for its use; adding to the cultural identity of our village and helping us to forge a more resilient community.”
Other groups receiving funding are:
Action Porty
Award £499,570
Action Porty (AP) will purchase the former Portobello Police Station, in Portobello, Edinburgh, through a Community Asset Transfer (CAT) from Police Scotland. The group will use the space to create new studios and workspaces for artists, community organisations and community activities in a central, high-street location.
Bute Community Land Company
Award £120,500
Bute Community Land Company (BCLC) will purchase the Winter Garden in Rothesay to operate as a community cinema and flexible events space. This will benefit the community by retaining a well-loved building that supports social interaction and it will provide meaningful activity through volunteering and employment for four local people. The group will purchase the asset through a negotiated sale from VisitScotland.
Clackmannan Development Trust
Award £117,750
The Clackmannan Development Trust (CDT) will acquire the Clackmannan Town Hall and Library building through a CAT(Community Asset Transfer) from Clackmannanshire Council. CDT will take over the ownership and management of the community hub, providing and hosting a range of existing and new services, support and opportunities for people.
Fintry Kirk Resilience and Community Trust
Award £20,910
Fintry Kirk Resilience and Community Trust will acquire Fintry Kirk, Stirling, through a negotiated sale with the Church of Scotland. The group, who have a registered CRtB Part 2 on the property, will operate a resilience hub from the building, in addition to providing a venue for culture, heritage, life events and youth wellbeing activities.
Friends of Tough Community Church
Award £89,400
Friends of Tough Community Church (FOTCC) will acquire the Category B-Listed Tough Parish Church and redevelop it into a community hub, providing a space to combat social isolation, with plans for future developments to ensure long-term sustainability.
Gatehouse Development Initiative
Award £157,345
Gatehouse Development Initiative will purchase, through a negotiated sale, a development plot in Gatehouse of Fleet, Dumfries and Galloway, from a private seller. The group will build seven community-led affordable homes for rent, which will be a mix of five two-bedroom terraced houses, and two two-bedroom flatter apartments including one accessible apartment.
Islay Development Initiative Ltd
Award £72,069
Islay Development Initiative Ltd (IDI) will purchase, through a negotiated sale, a retail building from VisitScotland in Bowmore, Islay. IDI will relocate their post office, zero-waste refillery and community fridge to the premises. This will provide enhanced physical access to essential services and a greater range of refill and food products. IDI will also incorporate a tourist information service point.
Keir, Penpont and Tynron Development Trust
Award £151,615
Keir, Penpot and Tynron (KPT) Development Trust will purchase the Glebe Field in Penpont from the Church of Scotland. They will develop nine affordable rental homes, allotments, a community green space and small business units.
Kinlochard Community Residents Association Ltd
Award £137,000
Kinlochard Community Residents Association Ltd (KCRA) will purchase an area known locally as ‘The Field’ from a private seller. The group has a Community Right to Buy Part 2 (CRtB2) registered interest in the site, which sits behind a group of cottages located on the western shore of Loch Ard. The group will use the land for recreation, food growing, learning, training and storage for local businesses.
Kirkmichael Ayrshire Development Trust
Award £87,197
Kirkmichael Ayrshire Development Trust (KADT), will acquire the McCosh Hall and its surrounding grounds for use as a community hub to combat social isolation in the area. A community shop will lease part of the building. The building will be acquired through Community Asset Transfer from South Ayrshire Council.
St Laurence Forres Trust
Award £110,250
St Laurence Forres Trust will acquire St Laurence Church, located in Forres town centre, from the Church of Scotland. They will use the building for musical events, exhibitions, community lunches and life events.
Swinton Community Hub (SCIO)
Award £53,274
Swinton Community Hub (SCH) will acquire Swinton Kirk in Swinton, the Scottish Borders, through a negotiated sale from the Church of Scotland. The group will develop the church for use as a community hub, arts and entertainment space, which will combat social isolation and provide an accessible meeting space.
The Brig Inn Community Pub & Hub Ltd
Award £95,110
The Brig Inn Community Pub & Hub will purchase, through negotiated sale, The Brig Inn in Brydekirk, Dumfries and Galloway, from a private seller. The group will refurbish the property into a community-owned pub and hub. They will offer a licensed cafe/bar serving food and drink, a small community shop, and a flexible space for community groups to use. A later development will be to refurbish the upstairs two-bedroom flat to provide accommodation for affordable rent.
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Notes to Editors
- The Scottish Land Fund (SLF) 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, both of which have extensive experience of helping communities to acquire and develop their assets.
- The SLF Committee was appointed following the normal procedures for public appointments.
- The National Lottery Community Fund distributes lottery funding to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK. It also uses its expertise in grant-giving to distribute non-Lottery funding. Full details of The National Lottery Community Fund programmes and grant awards are available on the website: www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk. National Lottery Community Fund Public Enquiries Line call: 0300 123 7110
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) delivers the Scottish Government Economic Strategy across more than half of Scotland – from Shetland to Argyll and from the Hebrides to Moray. It aims to support businesses and social enterprises; strengthen communities and fragile areas; develop key sectors, and create the conditions for a competitive and low carbon region. HIE has an annual budget of more than £75 million and employs around 300 people in locations around the Highlands and Islands. See more at www.hie.co.uk