The Portree Allotments are a combined initiative between Portree & Braes Community Trust and Lochalsh & Skye Housing Association who intend to transfer an area of ground at Home Farm to PBCT.  The trust has begun developing the site to provide 28 community allotments and communal growing spaces for local residents and community groups. Many residents will remember the progress made previously, almost a decade ago, with the proposed allotments project in Portree. Detailed plans were produced, works were costed and initial ground preparation works were carried out before legal complexities stalled the land transfer to the community indefinitely.

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The hard work and dedication of the volunteers previously involved has not been wasted however. A newly formed group, with the support of local Councillors, original group members, The Scottish Land Fund and the Lochalsh and Skye Housing Association have been revisiting this project and have made significant recent progress. The previous legal issues encountered have now been overcome, the trust is in discussions with the Scottish Land Fund and The Highland Council about how they could support the project and the site becoming a community owned space is now, once again, a realistic prospect.

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While the land is in the process of being transferred to the community, volunteers have been busy fundraising, planning and working together to overcome the many challenges that are involved in starting a community allotment project. Recently almost £20,000 has been raised through the support of local businesses, charities, the local authority, residents and other supporters. The trust are grateful to The Pebble Trust, Organic Sea Harvest, MOWI, William Wilsons, Muirhall Energy, Howdens and the Highland Council for supporting this project as well as all of the individuals who have either carried out fundraising on behalf of the project or helped in other ways with their professional services.

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A new Project Officer, Alec McLeod, has been put in post to assist the development of the site. Funding for this position was provided by the Scottish Land Fund.

 

 

Want to get involved?

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1. If you are interested in an allotment (either full size, half size or even a quarter size), then please contact us get your name on the list - first come, first served.

2. If you are interested in joining the steering group for the allotments, get in touch. 

 

Contact details:

Harriet - 01478 612766 or harrietforrest@gmail.com

Alec - alec@portreeandbraes.org

 

Thank you again to everyone who is supporting this project and especially to the Lochalsh & Skye Housing Association for working with the trust to secure this land for the community.

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