... Working For The Community
Church Hill Woodland
In 2009 Lairg & District Community Initiative were asked on behalf of the War Memorial Committee to purchase Church Hill Woods through funds which had been previously raised for this purpose.
It is rare to find mature woodlands in the centre of a community in Northern Scotland, especially one so rich in biodiversity and wildlife. Church Hill Woods, as it is known locally, is a great community asset for the village to own. Our aim is to increase its usage as a social and environmental focal point within the community.
Our plan for the woodlands is to upgrade the existing network of paths, create a nearly all abilities access to the War Memorial (from the Church of Scotland), introduce signage, and introduce a unique seating area overlooking Loch Shin. The seating area will be multifunctional, not only used to rest weary legs, but also to stage educational, cultural and community events.
LDCI are delighted to announce that we have been granted £14,000 from Forestry Commission Scotland and a further £3,000 from Comic Releif through the Scottish Community Foundation.
We would like to thank both of these charities for their donation.
We will be working with the North Highland Forest Trust on this project and look forward to getting the work underway. We will be looking for a band of volunteers to become involved with this project, and if you feel this is something you would like to contribute to then please get in touch with us.
Click here for a link to the North Highland Forest Trust.
It is rare to find mature woodlands in the centre of a community in Northern Scotland, especially one so rich in biodiversity and wildlife. Church Hill Woods, as it is known locally, is a great community asset for the village to own. Our aim is to increase its usage as a social and environmental focal point within the community.
Our plan for the woodlands is to upgrade the existing network of paths, create a nearly all abilities access to the War Memorial (from the Church of Scotland), introduce signage, and introduce a unique seating area overlooking Loch Shin. The seating area will be multifunctional, not only used to rest weary legs, but also to stage educational, cultural and community events.
LDCI are delighted to announce that we have been granted £14,000 from Forestry Commission Scotland and a further £3,000 from Comic Releif through the Scottish Community Foundation.
We would like to thank both of these charities for their donation.
We will be working with the North Highland Forest Trust on this project and look forward to getting the work underway. We will be looking for a band of volunteers to become involved with this project, and if you feel this is something you would like to contribute to then please get in touch with us.
Click here for a link to the North Highland Forest Trust.
Take a Road Trip Down Memory Lane
Following the succsess of the two community ceilidh and photograph evenings LDCI has produced a DVD. Copies are available from the Ferrycroft Visitor Centre during the summer season and also from Directors. Contact the Project Officer for more details.
Tel: (01549) 402843 or e-mail: projectofficer@lairginitiative.co.uk
Tel: (01549) 402843 or e-mail: projectofficer@lairginitiative.co.uk
The Eco Croft Project
The Eco Croft project is possibly the most exciting and engaging proposal for the redevelopment of our community. You may have heard, seen or read information relating to the Eco Croft Project and wondered what this is all about and how it can help develop Lairg? Well here is your chance to find out more about this initiative!
There are many elements to this project, but in its basic form the Eco Croft is a tourism attraction which aims to support a different approach to land management within the Lairg area. Based on the principals of permaculture and a local supply chains, the Eco Croft has a long term vision to support crofters through a cooperative scheme based within Lairg. The roots of the project lie within simple economics, matching local supply with local demand.
What the LDCI aim to achieve is a prototype that could supply a vision toward the future of crofting within the Highlands of Scotland. We aim to support and encourage our crofting community in making small steps towards more viable land management. The proposal encourages diversification in some areas, integration in others and the introduction of a new generation into crofting.
You may not be familiar with the term permaculture, but it is a movement which takes natural ecosystems as its model in its approach to growing food. Permaculture is as much about culture, as it is about agriculture, but most importantly it is about recognising the potential to grow food organically with as little effort as possible.
It is not a lazy way of land management, but one where careful planning and zoning of crofting land could produce a variety of crops/livestock for the local community, therefore shifting local consumer dependency from the supermarket giants to the local crofter. In return the crofter has guaranteed income, through producing affordable food for the community.
Communities such as Stroud, have achieved an incredible relationship between consumer and producer, coming to the point where the producer is seen as 'king' within the community – after all they are producing good wholesome food!
Many critics of permaculture in the Highlands would argue that our land is not as arable as other places and couldn’t grow enough variety of food for communities. However, if we were to stop and make a list of all the crops, fruits, flowers, vegetables, herbs, salad leaves and livestock that can survive in the Highlands, you would be surprised. They may not be ‘traditional’ crofting crops, but if they could provide an income without damaging the environment, why not try them out!
The other important element of the Eco Croft is to build an attraction which will preserve important crofting and crafting skills while encouraging the use of new technologies. There are many plants which grow in abundance in the Highlands which contain important substances which could be extracted for the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Facilities within the Eco Croft will be used to extract creative imaginations and create a new brand of Highland made products.
This is a social enterprise on a most exciting level, involving tourism, education and community. It is a project which will be transferrable to other communities throughout the Highlands who face similar social and economic problems as Lairg. Due to the many elements included in this project, it is going to take time to develop, however the Lairg & District Community Initiative own an eight acre site within the village which has been provisionally earmarked for this development.
We realise that the Eco Croft will not solve the many issues surrounding crofting in the twenty first century, however we feel through testing a new approach to this traditional industry, we are stepping onto the boundaries of the unknown and possibly the growth of a new era within Lairg. The LDCI are continuing to gather support from many public agencies on this project and are also in the process of setting up a working relationship with the University of Anglia Ruskin.
If you feel that this project is of interest to you, or you would like to comment on the idea, please get in touch using the contact details on the website.
There are many elements to this project, but in its basic form the Eco Croft is a tourism attraction which aims to support a different approach to land management within the Lairg area. Based on the principals of permaculture and a local supply chains, the Eco Croft has a long term vision to support crofters through a cooperative scheme based within Lairg. The roots of the project lie within simple economics, matching local supply with local demand.
What the LDCI aim to achieve is a prototype that could supply a vision toward the future of crofting within the Highlands of Scotland. We aim to support and encourage our crofting community in making small steps towards more viable land management. The proposal encourages diversification in some areas, integration in others and the introduction of a new generation into crofting.
You may not be familiar with the term permaculture, but it is a movement which takes natural ecosystems as its model in its approach to growing food. Permaculture is as much about culture, as it is about agriculture, but most importantly it is about recognising the potential to grow food organically with as little effort as possible.
It is not a lazy way of land management, but one where careful planning and zoning of crofting land could produce a variety of crops/livestock for the local community, therefore shifting local consumer dependency from the supermarket giants to the local crofter. In return the crofter has guaranteed income, through producing affordable food for the community.
Communities such as Stroud, have achieved an incredible relationship between consumer and producer, coming to the point where the producer is seen as 'king' within the community – after all they are producing good wholesome food!
Many critics of permaculture in the Highlands would argue that our land is not as arable as other places and couldn’t grow enough variety of food for communities. However, if we were to stop and make a list of all the crops, fruits, flowers, vegetables, herbs, salad leaves and livestock that can survive in the Highlands, you would be surprised. They may not be ‘traditional’ crofting crops, but if they could provide an income without damaging the environment, why not try them out!
The other important element of the Eco Croft is to build an attraction which will preserve important crofting and crafting skills while encouraging the use of new technologies. There are many plants which grow in abundance in the Highlands which contain important substances which could be extracted for the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Facilities within the Eco Croft will be used to extract creative imaginations and create a new brand of Highland made products.
This is a social enterprise on a most exciting level, involving tourism, education and community. It is a project which will be transferrable to other communities throughout the Highlands who face similar social and economic problems as Lairg. Due to the many elements included in this project, it is going to take time to develop, however the Lairg & District Community Initiative own an eight acre site within the village which has been provisionally earmarked for this development.
We realise that the Eco Croft will not solve the many issues surrounding crofting in the twenty first century, however we feel through testing a new approach to this traditional industry, we are stepping onto the boundaries of the unknown and possibly the growth of a new era within Lairg. The LDCI are continuing to gather support from many public agencies on this project and are also in the process of setting up a working relationship with the University of Anglia Ruskin.
If you feel that this project is of interest to you, or you would like to comment on the idea, please get in touch using the contact details on the website.
