Highlands sustainable cabins project launches bid to raise £250,000 funding
A PIONEERING community group in the Highlands has launched a bid for funders to help it deliver a sustainable new eco-tourism destination in the region.
Conscious that many rural communities could face an 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 to run an eco-tourism business.
It has now launched a bid to raise £250,000 to fund Glengarry Forest Cabins with the aim of building a development of up to six off-grid forest cabins and a shared amenity building, using larch from 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 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 Highlands.
Members of Glengarry Community Benefit Society believe the cabin business will create jobs and all the profits generated will be used to fund the charitable activities of Glengarry Community Woodlands – including a forest school, a wood-fuel business, the management of the woodland and the purchasing of land for community benefit.
Further long-term projects of Glengarry Community Woodlands include the development of much-needed affordable housing and woodland crofts at Ardochy on the shores of Loch Garry.
Ross Lynn, from Glengarry Community Benefit Society, said: “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.”