A pioneering community group in the Highlands has launched a bid for funders to help them deliver a sustainable new eco-tourism destination in the area.
Conscious that many rural communities can face a fragile and uncertain future, the team behind the project in Glengarry hope it will not only create jobs but offer the area a sustainable future.
The group has been supported by Community Shares Scotland and has set up Glengarry Community Benefit Society (GCBS) to run the eco-tourism business.
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It has now launched a bid to raise £250,000 to fund Glengarry Forest Cabins (GFC) with the aim of building a development of up to six off-grid forest cabins and a shared amenity building, using larch from the community woodland.
It is hoped the Glengarry Forest Cabins will have a low carbon footprint and will be sensitively sited and secluded within the woodland, allowing visitors a chance to unplug and reconnect back with nature. Visitors will need to reach the cabins on foot after a brief walk into the forest, offering a genuine off-grid forest experience in the heart of the Scottish Highlands.
Glengarry Community Benefit Society believe the cabins will create new jobs and all the profits generated will be used to fund the charitable activities of Glengarry Community Woodlands (GCW), including a forest school, woodfuel business, the management of the woodland and the purchasing of land for community benefit. Further long term projects of GCW include the development of develop much-needed affordable housing and woodland crofts at Ardochy on the shores of Loch Garry.
Ross Lynn, from Glengarry Community Benefit Society, said: “Like many rural communities in Scotland, Glengarry is fragile and faces a number of significant challenges, ranging from access to affordable housing and employment opportunities to managing tourism in a sustainable way. The community share offer with Glengarry Forest Cabins will appeal to those who want to invest in a project which has environmental and social sustainability at its heart. This is also an excellent example of empowered communities developing innovative ways of addressing local issues and ensuring they have a sustainable future.”
Investment in Glengarry Forest Cabins starts at £500 (£25 for people living in the local community). Each investor will become a member of Glengarry Community Benefit Society and will have a say in how the forest cabin business is run. Residents of Glengarry will always make up a majority of members and all members receive an equal vote regardless of the scale of their investment. They will also be eligible to be elected to the board where they can help to set the strategic direction of the business.
Morven Lyon, Community Shares Scotland Programme Manager said Glengarry Community Benefit Society (GCBS) joins a growing number of communities across Scotland using community shares to kickstart pioneering, sustainable community led businesses.
She added: "It is inspiring to see the group demonstrate what can be achieved through community ownership and in particular how community-owned land can be managed and developed to provide wider benefit to the local community. It’s been a fantastic project for the Community Shares Scotland team to work on and we’re already looking forward to visiting the cabins when they’re up and running.”
More details about the share offer can be found at https://www.ethex.org.uk/invest/glengarry.
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