Scottish Land Fund to support new island affordable homes

New affordable homes and a site for new affordable business units are to be developed on Colonsay thanks to funding of £390,000 from the Scottish Land Fund.The island, with a population of 135, which lies off the west side of Jura, is one of the most remote communities in Scotland and the money will be used to buy two areas of land around the settlement of Scalasaig as part of a project to build homes for island residents.Other projects receiving funding include a grant of £177,500 to Carbost Community Shop on Skye to allow the community to buy their local shop, which sits close to both the Talisker distillery and to the Fairy Pools, a renowned natural attraction.Meanwhile, the sum of £292,481 awarded to Tullibody Community Development Trust for the purchase of the town’s community centre in order to provide sports and recreation facilities, is the first Scottish Land Fund award in Clackmannanshire.Other projects receiving Scottish Land Fund cash are:Kilmaurs Community Association – £12,500This award will allow Kilmaurs Community Association to purchase and upgrade its current home in the former Kilmaurs library, to allow it to continue providing a community centre for facilities and services for local groups.Glengarry Community Woodland – £25,189Glengarry Community Woodland has been awarded £25,189 to buy three acres of land in order to improve access to the community woodland, provide space for events and to set up a tourist accommodation business.Glen Urquhart and Strathglass Rural Community Association – £88,225This group will purchase the local tourist information office and develop it to include a baggage transfer service for tourists and to create a green transport hub, including EV charging points and e-bike hire for the local community.Forres Area Community Trust – £116,365This group will purchase its current home of Forres Town Hall in order to provide community facilities, meeting rooms, study and workshop areas, training facilities and co-working hot desks.Carsphairn Community Woodland – £209,000This award will allow Carsphairn Community Woodland to buy 120 acres of Muirdrochwood Forest in order to deliver long term benefits to the community including employment, recreation, education and training.Arkaig Community Forest SCIO – £36,088The Scottish Land Fund award will allow this group to purchase an area of woodland, including Clunes Forest School, in order to create opportunities for conservation, recreation and outdoor education.Tomintoul & Glenlivet Development Trust – £183,800This group will buy the site of the former Tomintoul secondary school, which closed in 2000 because of a falling roll, and demolish the building in order to create plots for 12 affordable homesPortree & Braes Community Trust – £55,241With money from the SLF, this group will purchase The Lump, an area of ground overlooking Portree bay and two other areas of land close within the town in order to maintain these facilities and create woodland space within the town.