Community action/Highland

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 Highland.
News
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Rewilding project aims to restore peatland near Loch Ness, BBC News (Apr 15, 2026)
The roof over Lochaber: Community Wealth Building in Fort William, scottishcommunityalliance.org.uk (Dec 16, 2025)
Impactful new alliances boost rewilding in the Affric Highlands, rewildingeurope.com (Nov 21, 2025)
“We believe our communities should be benefiting from the transition to renewable energy, not being left behind”, says Highland People’s Power, Dailt Alternative (Oct 22, 2025)
The Pylon, the Turbine and the Black Black Blade [Bella Caledonia], Daily Alternative (Aug 26, 2025)
Denmark’s three-day democracy festival that attracts over 65,000, electoral-reform.org.uk (Jul 30, 2026)
The five quick wins to the Land Reform challenge in Scotland [Community Land Scotland], Daily Alternative (Jul 29, 2026)
How to make the sun shine at night, Craig Dalzell, commonweal.scot (Jul 16, 2026) — Upcoming battery technology may well finally eliminate the last disadvantage of renewable energy and turn what has been an intermittent power source into a fully dispatchable one.
National Trust asks public to join call for urgent Government action after hundreds of wildfires break out, and full extent of nature loss at Dunwich Heath emerges, nationaltrust.org.uk (Aug 07, 2026) — “The climate crisis long predicted by scientists is happening here and now. Ferocious wildfires, unprecedented temperatures and record-breaking droughts are already hitting communities and nature across the UK – they are not a distant threat. Tackling this emergency must be a cross-Government priority because it touches every aspect of our lives, our society and our economy. So we’ve launched a petition to demonstrate to Ministers the strength of public feeling on this issue." National Trust Director-General Hilary McGrady. To sign the petition, visit: nationaltrust.org.uk/wildfire-petition
All of England's rivers and lakes polluted with chemicals, officials say, BBC News (Aug 06, 2026)
Firefighting aircraft aren’t enough – Britain needs to build a wildfire‑resilient society that involves everyone, Komal Raj Aryal, Lecturer in Crisis and Disaster Management, Aston University, theconversation.com (Aug 06, 2026)
Europe’s rivers are running dry, and the knock-on effects are disastrous, Yiannis Baboulias, theguardian.com (Aug 05, 2026)
How Australia combines modern tech and Indigenous knowledge to fight wildfires, BBC News (Aug 01, 2026)
May and June heatwaves killed about 2,700 people in England and Wales, data suggests, theguardian.com (Jul 13, 2026) — Extreme heat led to 440 deaths a day during June peak, say scientists, with climate crisis ramping up temperatures
South Korea's president orders all-out response to heatwave, reuters.com (Aug 06, 2026)
Young activists in the Maldives confront climate threats to their island nation, seattletimes.com (Aug 06, 2026)
Philippines steps up solar transition as Iran war hikes energy costs, eenews.net (Aug 06, 2026)
Networks and sustainability initiatives
[edit | edit source]- Eigg community action
- Kyle & Lochalsh Community Trust, aiming to achieve the sustainable regeneration of our community, managed by the local community and organised on democratic principles, independent but seek to work in partnership with other public, private and voluntary organisations. Kyle & Lochalsh Community Trust on youtube.com, added 15:29, 5 November 2025 (UTC)
- Knoydart Foundation, Community run charity with a mission to develop a sustainable model based on Community, Climate Action and Biodiversity
The Knoydart Foundation was established in 1997 to take ownership of the 17,500-acre (7,100 ha) Knoydart Estate which makes up much of the peninsula, including the village of Inverie. The Foundation, which is a registered charity under Scottish law, bought the estate in 1999. It is a partnership of local residents, the Highland Council, the Chris Brasher Trust, and the John Muir Trust. The foundation aim is to "manage the Knoydart Estate as an area of employment and settlement on the Knoydart Peninsula without detriment to its natural beauty and character and to seek and encourage the preservation of its landscape, wildlife, natural resources, culture and rural heritage."
- Transition Black Isle, part of the worldwide Transition movement helping Black Isle communities thrive in the face of climate change and disruption to global resources, added 16:20, 14 February 2024 (UTC)
Each week 3 different short videos from across the UK or world.
Community action/Manchester, Community action/Essex, Community action/West Sussex / ...This week's featured Global videos / ... read more about Cosmolocalism
Events
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Jan 18, 2026 (Sun) — (hashtag)PowerShift: The Real Energy Question (at Celtic Connections), Glasgow, thealternative.org.uk
UK events
Aug 10 - 16, 2026 (Mon - Sun) — National Allotments Week, 2026 theme is “Grow to Learn.”, thenas.org.uk
Global or international events
Aug 09, 2026 (Sun) — International Day of the World's Indigenous People, observed on 9 August each year to raise awareness and protect the rights of the world's indigenous population, un.org
Aug 12, 2026 (Wed) — International Youth Day, awareness day designated by the United Nations taking place on Aug 12 each year, un.org
2021-2030, UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, International community action events
Highland video
[edit | edit source]Community energy
[edit | edit source]- Highland People’s Power, "We want to create a better energy industry in the Highlands and Scotland, one that works for everyone – communities, workers, businesses and the environment." added 14:54, 29 October 2025 (UTC)
- Dingwall Wind Co-operative, link checked Philralph (talk) 12:04, 19 October 2023 (UTC)
Community resources
[edit | edit source]- Velocity, social enterprise based in Inverness since 2012, combining three worlds; a vegetarian café, bicycle workshop and range of projects to promote health, wellbeing and sustainability.
Cycling activism
[edit | edit source]- Black Isle Bicycles, part of Transition Black Isle
Biodiversity
[edit | edit source]Aigas Field Centre is a nature centre based at the home of naturalist and author Sir John Lister-Kaye, House of Aigas. The centre was opened in 1977 by ecologist Sir Frank Fraser Darling, and provides nature-based holidays for adults and environmental education services for school children. It is located at Aigas, next to the River Beauly, 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) west of Beauly and 20 kilometres (12 mi) west of Inverness, in the Scottish Highlands.
House of Aigas, once a Victorian sporting estate, was owned by the Gordon-Oswalds, who added the Victorian extensions to what was an 18th-century Tacksman's house. The house was then owned by Inverness County Council as an old people's home, before Lister-Kaye persuaded them to sell it to him.
Aigas began a beaver demonstration project in 2006. Two Eurasian beavers were released into a 200-acre enclosure, which includes a loch and surrounding woodland. The beavers have since built lodges and had a number of kits.
Aigas was host to a series of the BBC's live-action nature documentary, Autumnwatch in October 2012 and Winterwatch in January 2013.
House of Aigas and Field Centre's charitable arm, The Aigas Trust for Environmental Education, hosts over 5,000 school children a year.
Rewilding
[edit | edit source]- Affric Highlands, Making Scotland a wilder place. added 17:40, 28 November 2025 (UTC)
Affric Highlands is a 30-year collaborative initiative by Trees for Life and Rewilding Europe who are working to restore woodland, peatland and riverside habitats in the Scottish Highlands.
In June 2022, Affric Highlands was recommended for UN flagship status by the Scottish and UK governments. W
- Dundreggan Rewilding Centre, treesforlife.org.uk
In August 2008 Trees for Life purchased the 10,000 acre Dundreggan Estate in Glenmoriston, in the Scottish Highlands – one of the largest areas of land in the UK to be bought for forest restoration.
Dundreggan, lying on the north side of Glenmoriston to the west of Loch Ness, is home to declining species such as black grouse and wood ants. It contains areas of ancient woodland, including one of Scotland's best areas of juniper as well as significant areas of dwarf birch. It was previously managed as a traditional sporting estate for many years, and heavy grazing by sheep, goats, and deer has prevented the healthy growth of woodland and other natural habitats.
Trees for Life's long-term plan will see Dundreggan restored to a wild landscape of diverse natural forest cover, with the return of native wildlife. In 2020, golden eagles, a spectacular bird of prey, returned to breed at the estate for the first time in 40 years. Trees for Life also engages a larger, more diverse audience with the natural and cultural heritage of the Highlands through their Dundreggan Rewilding Centre, a world-class, environmentally sensitive facility that serves as a gateway to the wider landscape. W
News archive
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Kelp help? How Scotland’s seaweed growers are aiming to revolutionise what we buy, theguardian.com (Jun 13, 2024)
All hands to the pumps: the colourful rise of community-owned pubs, positive.news (Mar 05, 2024)
The Scottish Gaelic concept of Dúthchas urges that people and nature are deeply entangled. Let it guide the path to land reform, Daily Alternative (Feb 25, 2024)
About Highland
[edit | edit source]Highland (Scottish Gaelic: Gàidhealtachd, pronounced [ˈkɛːəl̪ˠt̪əxk]; Scots: Hieland) is a council area in the Scottish Highlands and is the largest local government area in both Scotland and the United Kingdom. It was the 7th most populous council area in Scotland at the 2011 census. It has land borders with the council areas of Aberdeenshire, Argyll and Bute, Moray and Perth and Kinross. The wider upland area of the Scottish Highlands after which the council area is named extends beyond the Highland council area into all the neighbouring council areas plus Angus and Stirling.
The Highland Council is based in Inverness, the area's largest settlement. The area is generally sparsely populated, with much of the inland area being mountainous with numerous lochs. The area includes Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isles. Most of the area's towns lie close to the eastern coasts. Off the west coast of the mainland the council area includes some of the Inner Hebrides, notably the Isle of Skye.
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands in the north of Scotland. Long regarded as the de facto capital of the Scottish Highlands, it is the administrative centre for The Highland Council region where its headquarters are located close to the city centre. A regional hub for healthcare, education and research, business and economic services, public administration, culture, music and entertainment, media, communications, transport and leisure, the city provides a range of services for the wider Highlands and Islands Region, a large hinterland encompassing a population of around half a million people and an area of some 39,911 km² or 51% of Scotland's total landmass.
The population of Inverness grew from 40,969 in 2001 to 46,969 in 2012, according to World Population Review. The Greater Inverness area, including Culloden and Westhill, had a population of 56,969 in 2012. In 2016, it had a population of 63,320. Inverness is one of Europe's fastest growing cities, with a quarter of the Highland population living in or around it. In 2008, Inverness was ranked fifth out of 189 British cities for its quality of life, the highest of any Scottish city.
See also
[edit | edit source]- Topic overview: Networks, Community energy, Community resources, Cycling activism, Community action on biodiversity, Rewilding
- UK and Scotland context: Networks UK, Community energy UK, Community energy in Scotland, Community resources UK, Scotland community resources, Cycling activism UK, Community action on biodiversity UK, Rewilding UK, Rewilding Scotland
| Authors | Phil Green |
|---|---|
| License | CC-BY-SA-3.0 |
| Cite as | Philralph (2024–2026). "Community action/Highland". Appropedia. Retrieved August 12, 2026. |







