Community action/Argyll and Bute

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| Location | Argyll and Bute, Scotland |
| Coordinates | 56° 27' 37.26" N, 5° 51' 42.63" W |
The aim of this page is to recognise, celebrate and encourage the self-empowerment of community agency networks (CANs) and community groups' activism for climate, environment and many other sustainability topics across Argyll and Bute.
News
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Stop Climate Chaos Scotland reports on community ownership of renewables, and how data-centres might knock us off our climate targets, Daily Alternative (Feb 01, 2026)
‘You don’t get to aim big when you are somewhere small’: A teenager’s fight to end single use plastics on her Scottish island, theguardian.com (Sep 24, 2025)
Green jobs contributing £10.2bn to Scotland's economy, says CBI report, BBC News (May 26, 2026)
Rewilding project aims to restore peatland near Loch Ness, BBC News (Apr 15, 2026)
Who Owns Scotland 2025, andywightman.scot (Mar 23, 2026) — 83% of rural land is possessed by private entities - and a tiny fraction by communities and non-profits
Met Office issues rare red weather warning for Wednesday and Thursday, theguardian.com (Jun 22, 2026)
Rights of Nature movement grows, with the Wye and Ouse subject to new protection charters, wickedleeks.riverford.co.uk (Jun 18, 2026) — Nature sits at the heart of several new sets of rights and charters; it’s even headlining a festival this summer. Is the way that we view and value Nature within our political and cultural frameworks at a turning point? asks Hannah Marsh
This city had a flooding problem. So it turned to an animal that had been extinct there for 400 years, edition.cnn.com (Jun 18, 2026)
Amsterdam, along with other major European cities, bans public adverts for meat and fossil fuels [BBC], Daily Alternative (May 22, 2026)
How reindeer herds, nature and Sámi culture can thrive when forests are restored across northern Europe, theconversation.com (May 15, 2026)
Rewilding giants: captive elephants rehomed in Europe’s first sanctuary, theguardian.com (May 07, 2026)
Collaborative Finance (CoFi): rethinking finance for the commons, growingcommons.substack.com (Jun 07, 2026) — What finance looks like when communities build and govern it themselves, Michel Rauchs
Radical change can lead to a fairer and greener world, says new report, positive.news (Jun 04, 2026) — A major new study argues that rising living standards, shorter working hours and a liveable climate are not competing dreams, but parts of the same future – if the world is willing to tackle extreme inequality
Dutch kids declared the world’s happiest (again). Here’s why, positive.news (Jun 02, 2026) — Dutch children are consistently ranked the happiest kids in the developed world. What is the Netherlands getting right? And does the humble bike have something to do with it?
Networks and sustainability initiatives
[edit | edit source]- Isle of Gigha, community website about the Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust, community groups, projects, events, volunteering and local news. added 09:49, 1 January 2025 (UTC)
- Mull and Iona Community Trust, dedicated and passionate locally based organisation focused on improving the quality of life for the residents of Mull and Iona.
UK and international events
[edit | edit source]UK events
Jul 1 - 14, 2026 (Wed - Tue) — Community Energy Fortnight, communityenergyengland.org
Jul 02, 2026 (Thu) — Cycle to Work Day, cyclescheme.co.uk
Jul 17 - Aug 9, 2026 (Fri - Sun) — Big Butterfly Count, bigbutterflycount.butterfly-conservation.org
Jul 19 - 25, 2026 (Sun - Sat), The theme for 2026 is JOY — Community Centre Week, octopuscommunities.org.uk
Jul 24 - Aug 2, 2026 (Fri - Sun) — Love Parks Week, Keep Britain Tidy
Global or international events
July 2026 — Plastic Free July, plasticfreejuly.org
Jul 04, 2026 (Sat) — International Day of Cooperatives (CoopsDay), 1st Saturday of July. The celebration aims to showcase co-operatives’ role in building ‘inclusive, resilient, and sustainable communities’, coopsday.coop
Jul 18, 2026 (Sat) — Mandela Day, global celebration 18 July annually, to honour the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela. A call to action for individuals, communities, and organisations to take time to reflect on Mandela's values and principles and to make a positive impact in their own communities, mandeladay.com
2021-2030, UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, International community action events
Each week 3 different short videos from across the UK or world.
Rural sustainability UK, Community energy UK, Community action/Argyll and Bute / ...This week's featured Global videos / ... read more about Cosmolocalism
Argyll and Bute video
[edit | edit source]Land activism
[edit | edit source]- Tayvallich Initiative, Community ownership for affordable housing, local jobs, sustaining land and community
Gigha community buy-out
The problems created by private landlords came to an end in March 2002 when, with help from grants and loans from the National Lottery and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the islanders purchased the island for £4 million. They now own it through a development trust, the Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust. 15 March, the day when the purchase was finalised, is celebrated as the island's "independence day". £1 million of the financial support was in the form of a short term loan. The money to pay this loan back was largely raised by selling Achamore House (but not the gardens) to Don Dennis, a businessman from California. Dennis operates a flower essences importing business and a boat tours company from the house, which is also rented out as a bed and breakfast business.
An additional £200,000 was raised by the islanders through various fundraising ventures, allowing the loan to be paid back to the Scottish Land Fund on 15 March 2004. Since the community buyout, several other private businesses have opened, providing a boost to the local economy. The island's population and economy have begun to recover as a result of these activities.
Community energy
[edit | edit source]Gigha wind turbines
The Heritage Trust set up Gigha Renewable Energy Ltd. to buy and operate three Vestas V27 wind turbines, known locally as The Dancing Ladies or Creideas, Dòchas is Carthannas (Gaelic for Faith, Hope and Charity). They were commissioned on 21 January 2005 and are capable of generating up to 675 kW of power. Revenue is produced by selling the electricity to the grid via an intermediary called Green Energy UK. Gigha residents control the whole project and profits are reinvested in the community. In 2016 two batteries were added to the system.
Trees, woodland and forest
[edit | edit source]- Bute Forest, owned by Bute Community Land Company, added 20:48, 23 December 2024 (UTC)
- Ardura Community Forest, Mull and Iona Community Trust, mict.co.uk
Coastal community activism
[edit | edit source]- Seawilding, based at Loch Craignish, Argyll, the UK's first community-led native oyster and seagrass restoration project. Video: Seawilding channel on youtube.com
About Argyll and Bute
[edit | edit source]Argyll and Bute (Scots: Argyll an Buit; Scottish Gaelic: Earra-Ghàidheal agus Bòd, pronounced [ɛrˠəˈɣɛ:əlˠ̪ akəs̪ ˈpɔ:tʲ]) is one of 32 unitary council areas in Scotland, and covers the second-largest administrative area of any Scottish council. W
See also
[edit | edit source]UK news, Cosmolocal news, UK topic, Global topic
- UK community network news, Community network news, Community networks UK, Community networks
- Land activism UK news, Land activism news, Land activism UK, Land activism
- Community energy UK news, Community energy news, Community energy in Scotland, Community energy UK, Community energy
- Trees, woodland and forest UK news, Trees, woodland and forest news, Trees, woodland and forest Scotland, Trees, woodland and forest UK, Trees, woodland and forest
- UK Coasts news, Coasts news, Coastal community activism UK, Coastal community activism
| Authors | Phil Green |
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| License | CC-BY-SA-3.0 |
| Cite as | Philralph (2024–2026). "Community action/Argyll and Bute". Appropedia. Retrieved June 24, 2026. |








