Highlands

ENVIRONMENTAL charity Keep Scotland Beautiful is calling for Highland communities to register to take part in this year’s annual Beautiful Scotland awards, which bring communities together to help deliver local environmental improvements and recognise efforts Scotland-wide to enhance local areas.

The competition, which this year will focus on birds, bees and trees, is run in partnership with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). Its purpose is to bring communities together to help deliver local environmental improvements and recognise the efforts of volunteers across Scotland as they work hard to enhance local areas.

Beautiful Scotland celebrates and supports the achievements of entire villages, towns, cities, residential communities and Business Improvement Districts from across Scotland who help to improve the places they care for.

Smaller-scale projects, such as community allotments, friends of parks groups, after-school clubs and community gardens, can celebrate too by entering the noncompetitive It’s Your Neighbourhood campaign.

Derek Robertson, chief executive of Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: ‘Communities are doing their bit to keep local spaces in the Highlands clean, green and beautiful, and all too often these efforts are overlooked. Beautiful Scotland and It’s Your Neighbourhood are an annual celebration of the outstanding achievements of thousands of volunteers who enhance the areas they live in, and are an opportunity to put their efforts in the national spotlight.’

Online registration for the Beautiful Scotland awards and for It’s Your Neighbourhood is now open and further information can be found at www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/ beautifulscotland / www.keepscotlandbeautiful. org/ IYN.