Author: Amalia

Please refer to previous posts around Cruachan for background information if you are new to DCT: Cruachan and a path to affordable land? Community Survey (now closed) Opportunity at Cruachan Woods for Woodland Crofts and Community owned housing Cruachan Feasibility and Business Plan   We have been working towards bringing Cruachan woodland- an area of approx 8 hectares in Orbost, and Cnoc nan Craobh, or Bluebell hill, into community ownership, from the point of view of dividing Cruachan woodland into 2 woodland crofts, and maintaining Cnoc nan Craobh as an area of local recreational importance. We commissioned a feasibility study into the project and a business plan (link above) which recommended that DCT requests an asset transfer of the land from HIE for £18,000, a discount of £17,000 from the market valuation of £35,000 – on the basis that HIE perform an arboricultural survey on roadside mature ash trees suspected of Chalara die-back infection, and act on the recommendations. At the recent AGM in November, we held a vote on whether to pursue an asset transfer on that basis/adjust the discount to reflect the costs of acting on the recommendations of an arboricultural survey, and it was unanimously in favour of proceeding. HIE declined to perform the survey prior to sale, so we commissioned the survey with a well qualified and respected Arboriculturalist ourselves at the end of 2024. The findings of the Arboricultural survey (link below) show 45 mature ash and sycamore along the road within the boundary of Cruachan woodland and Cnoc nan Craobh which are either dead or dying, with the recommendation that they are cut to ground level ASAP.  This obviously won’t be a small job, and it will really alter the landscape and environment of a beautiful place we love, and which is home to some of our members – it will undoubtedly cause some disruption. DCT don’t own the land (yet) so for the time being this isn’t our ‘responsibility’ as such, but as we are pursuing an asset transfer we need to plan for the future and the actions we will need to take to ensure we’re acting in the best interest of the community, and that we can manage the work in a responsible way.  Felling infected ash is expensive, it requires expertise to be carried out safely, and as the trees are roadside, it would probably require road closures. We are seeking advice from various sources including the Woodland Trust and Forestry Scotland, as well as people in the community with expertise and local knowledge. If the trees are felled, the area would need to be replanted with native broadleaves and protected from browsing herbivores. We are also looking into potential local benefit from the felled timber itself- there would be a substantial amount suitable for firewood, but also potential to have some wood planked and used for woodworking workshops and training, or sold to contribute to the associated costs. In light of this, we have submitted an asset transfer request to HIE offering £1000 for the land (as opposed to the market valuation of £40000). We think this is fair considering the social value the project will bring, and the extra expense that we will be responsible for, at least partially as a result of a lack of woodland management at Cruachan over a long period of time. If this goes through, we would develop a small scale woodland management plan for the area, which would include re-planting a mixture of native broadleaves. It has been suggested that we include some more mature trees in the replanting, including perhaps slower growing trees like oak .  Please be assured, we’re seeking the best advice we can, and we don’t take any of these measures lightly! If you have any comments or queries please don’t hesitate to get in touch at [email protected]. We did only commission the survey for the roadside trees on the land we are hoping to acquire for community ownership – If you are concerned about any roadside trees on land owned by HIE and not part of this acquisition please contact us at [email protected] or HIE at [email protected].  Link to Arboricultural Survey

Link to more info on traffic in the DCC area.  Skye Traffic Stats A good community action plan should not only guide local action, but should also be a tool to hold public bodies to account. An interesting thing to come out of recent CAP research has been the official traffic stats for the DCC area. If official traffic counts are only conducted in the winter, they will not provide THC with an accurate picture of the volume of traffic on our roads! We’d like to include a local count in the CAP research – would you be willing to volunteer an hour or 2 in January and again at Easter?

This year we were supported by the Scottish Land Fund to look specifically at bringing Cruachan woodland- an area of approx 8 hectares in Orbost, and Cnoc nan Craobh, or Bluebell hill, into community ownership, from the point of view of dividing Cruachan woodland into 2 woodland crofts, and maintaining Cnoc nan Craobh as an area of local recreational importance.  The following study, which is long, looks into the short and long term cost implications and potential benefit for the area. It recommends that DCT requests an asset transfer of the land from HIE for £18,000, a discount of £17,000 from the market valuation of £35,000 – on the basis that HIE perform an arboricultural survey on some mature ash trees suspected of Chalara die-back infection, and act on the recommendations. HIE have declined to perform the survey prior to sale, so DCT have commissioned the survey, and would propose requesting the asset transfer with a discount that includes the cost to enact on the recommendations. (Depending on the condition of the mature trees, removing them safely can be expensive). Part of the brief of the study was also to identify potential sites for housing associated with the crofts. 2 options were identified, and we have commissioned site surveys and flood risk assesments – particularly necessary as one of the options is near the burn opposite the LSHA houses and HIE workshops. These should be taking place in the next month or so.  This is the first opportunity DCT has had to acquire land to address the barriers that prevent young people, families and residents being unable to acquire land on which to live and work.      We will be in Dunvegan Hall on Saturday from 2-4pm to discuss the plans and the wider issues of land and housing, and we will be holding a vote at our AGM at 4pm to give members the opportunity to vote on whether we should proceed. We’ll have a copy of the following study on the day – please come along to have a chat about it.  Cruachan Feasibility and Business Plan

While the population of Scotland as a whole is aging, NW Skye is experiencing as more dramatic shift in terms of demographics than the rest of Skye and the highlands and Scotland in general. NW Skye, North Skye and Raasay have been designated ‘fragile areas’ in recent Scottish government research, but NW Skye’s population is experiencing a greater shift than both of these other fragile areas. Please read our report: Census Analysis 2024

Thanks to everyone who came along last Thursday to talk about beginning to develop a community action plan for the area! We had some copies of other groups’ action plans on hand to look at, but if you would like to read them in full we have the Links to them here:  Lochlash Community Action Plan Lochalsh Community Survey Report Lochalsh Youth Survey Report Applecross Land Use Plan Applecross Community Company Action Plan Struan Community Action Plan Struan Community Action Plan Summary Raasay Climate Action Plan There were 37 people in attendance on Thursday and there were constructive concerns raised – how do we make sure the resulting plan is put to good use and drives genuine change- and it is our collective responsibility to make sure it does. Also comments about what improvements to the area folk would like to see, urgent areas like paths which need attention before they deteriorate , and how we can harness the momentum of positive developments in Dunvegan like the new school and the park to develop new projects. A few folk put their names down to join a CAP working group to talk about next steps and develop a survey. If you are keen to get involved, or discuss any aspect of the process please email [email protected]. Suggested topics to cover in the plan were:  Local Amenities, Biodiversity and Invasives, Deer, Public Transport, Population retention, health and fitness facilities – all ages indoor/outdoor, community pub, access to the sea, help the ages, improved pathways, land, housing for young people, community seating area, adapting to climate change, sports clubs, wraparound childcare, foreshore, nature walks/ paths/cycleways for all, village appearance and tidiness, social spaces, adapting to an aging population. SO many topics can be covered, let’s thrash them all out! 

  This year has seen a lot of behind the scenes action at DCT and as the projects we’re pursuing become more complex, we want to make sure we schedule regular updates to our members and the wider community, to make sure everyone can get involved in projects that interest them if they want to, and at least be kept informed of news. It’s easy to get stuck at the computer moving from task to task without communicating as much as we should! Become a member of DCT As a full resident member you can vote, receive newsletters, and run for the board. Becoming a member is a great way to get involved in your community and help use the SCIO as a vehicle to shape the area’s future. You can sign up online or Dunvegan PO has paper membership forms. Apply for Funding If you reside in the Dunvegan Community Council area, or have a project to benefit the area, you can apply for funding for various projects. The eligibility guidelines, criteria and application forms are on the DCT website. We offer funding for the following categories, and review applications at the end of every quarter: large projects (over £1,000) small projects (under £1,000) Skye charities grant applications (with a maximum award of £1,000) educational and employment development grant Cruachan Woodland and Cnoc nan Craobh DCT has been researching the options for creating two woodland crofts at Cruachan Woodland in Orbost, with the aim to making a Community Asset Transfer request to HIE for the acquisition of the land. Community Asset Transfers (CATs) allow community groups to request a substantial discount from market value when acquiring land from Public Bodies. A community consultation ran earlier in the year, which showed the majority of respondents in favour of the proposals, with 13 respondents either interested in the tenancy of a woodland croft, or with a family member interested in a tenancy. There was a lot of enthusiasm; however also some concerns about preventing speculation and the position of the associated croft houses. Included in this project is also the potential to acquire Cnoc nan Craobh (or Bluebell Hill) as an area of community woodland, to maintain, enhance and safeguard it. As an opportunity to discuss concerns and opportunities and logistics (like a locally developed allocation policy) we will be holding an open event in Dunvegan Hall later in the year. We are keen to have a clearer idea of the potential sites for the croft houses prior to the event, which requires commissioning flood risk assessments – so we expect to arrange the public event for sometime in October. We will be sharing the finalised proposals for the project prior to this event Gaeltec Building We are very grateful to the Scottish Land Fund for awarding the purchase costs for the Gaeltec Buildings to the Trust in March 2024. Since that time the conveyancing process has been continuing and we are all getting closer to these buildings being in community ownership! A Project Officer has been appointed and is now working on the plans for the buildings. Following the consultation in February, the designs have been tightened up with Rural Design and planning permission for the renovations has been applied for. This includes improvements to make the buildings more accessible and a change in use of the building near the road so that we can introduce a gym facility, childcare, a tool library and space for workshops and classes. It is important that the buildings are made more sustainable, so quotes are being gathered for adding solar PV and batteries for power generation and storage. Further improvements to the shell of the building and insulation are included in the renovation plans. Research is ongoing into how the services offered at the community hub will be managed, a tool library working group has been started up and we will soon be putting out a call for a childcare services working group. If you would like to contribute to either of these please contact [email protected] to register an interest. We are looking forward to celebrating with you all once the purchase is complete, watch this space for updates New Project Officer We would like to welcome Bryony Anderson to the DCT team. Though a hydrogeologist by training, Bryony has worked in the community and cultural sectors for fifteen years, starting off as an Oxfam steward at music festivals, then working as events manager for Manchester-based co-operative music imprint Debt Records and later at performing arts charity SEALL here on the Isle of Skye (where she has lived since 2017). Bryony now works alongside Dunvegan Community Trust as Project Officer for the Gaeltec Community Hub project where she is also part of the Tool Library working group. In addition to this she is a volunteer assistant at Skye & Lochalsh Archive Centre and part of a local textile art group creating works around marine ecology and climate change Shared Ownership Opportunity Ben Sca is an approved windfarm development between Dunvegan and Edinbane, and the developers, Wind2, have offered the option of shared ownership in the development. Alongside other communities, we have received support from Local Energy Scotland, who have also funded legal advice on an appropriate vehicle for such an investment. This is information gathering, and as yet there are no financial details , but as soon as we have information on the level of investment required, funding sources, and the potential return, we will share this with the wider community and facilitate a discussion and a community decision on whether DCT should pursue such a venture Dunvegan School Project and Masterplan It was recently announced that despite the disappointment of the Dunvegan Primary School Project not being included in the Highland Council Capital Budget, alternative funding sourced through The HIghland Investment Plan will hopefully result in the project proceeding within the next 5 years. The development of a Community Pitch is a key part of the project and we are speaking to Sports Pitch specialists about getting the proposed site assessed and a feasibility study into the costs and potential funders of a new pitch. Dunvegan Minibu The Minibus has been getting a bit grubby on occasion and we’re going to make a rota to clean it once a month to start off with, and increase that if necessary. We have a few volunteers so far for a monthly slot, but if you would be willing to volunteer one or two times a year to help keep the bus tidy, please email [email protected] Community Park The park equipment is due to be installed in September. There will be more landscaping of the site happening in the coming weeks, and we can’t wait to have the equipment installed and to hold an opening event! Huge thanks to everyone who turned out to the volunteer days clearing the site and barrowing and spreading soil – it was hard work and an impressive turnout of volunteers. Thanks again to all of the individuals and businesses who donated time and money to fundraisers and supplies and services to the park project – it’s been a great community effort Looking to the Future As an incorporated charity, DCT is now in a position to pursue more ambitious projects to further community development in a way it previously couldn’t as an unincorporated charity. We can see from the wide variety of projects being undertaken by groups all over Skye that community development is a hugely broad term, and whether the aim is enhanced recreational facilities, overcoming rural transport barriers, trying to address the lack of childcare facilities or building houses, they are all interlinked, and part of the bigger picture of trying to keep our unique community and culture sustainable and vibrant, and to improve the lives of folk who live here. At the end of May, there was a release of Scottish census data which shows that the demographic of NW Skye has is rapidly changing- a change which is perhaps less obvious when comparing NW Skye today to 10 years ago, but dramatic when comparing NW Skye today to 20 years ago. It shows both the need to adapt to an ageing population, but also to work to retain and include our younger population in future planning, so that those who want to live here, can, without missing out on those opportunities more readily available in more densely populated areas. This, the climate crisis and the ever prevalent squeeze on public spending is the backdrop against which all of us live, as children, teenagers, workers, the disabled, entrepreneurs, volunteers, carers, the elderly, and in order to try to direct work and funding in the right directions, we want to get together with local groups and anyone interested locally to develop a Community Action Plan for the Dunvegan CC area. In addition to helping direct local projects, Community Action Plans are an increasingly important tool as evidence of need and strategic thinking to funders and government. We have put an application into the Community Regeneration Fund to fund support from Community Enterprise and Skye and Lochalsh Archive Centre, to help guide us along the way to creating a plan which looks to the future within the context of what has changed and what we don’t want to, what has been here before and the culture that makes this part of the world unique. We’re hoping to hold a meeting in Dunvegan Hall in September (date TBC) for everyone who wants to get involved or just find out more.