Scotland community activism news
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Keep updated with, and share the latest news from, about and of interest to community agency networks (CANs) and community groups' activism for climate, environment and many other sustainability topics across Scotland.
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| Location | Scotland, United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 56° 47' 10.00" N, 4° 6' 50.59" W |
2026
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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
- Back to the Song: Cultural Repair in a Time of Ecological Crisis [Mairi McFadyean/Hopeful Futures], Daily Alternative (Mar 18, 2026)
- Community Wealth Building and the Future of Scotland’s Economy, By Neil McInroy, bellacaledonia.org.uk (Feb 21, 2026)
- “How do you build support for energy transition, through a scheme that structurally excludes the communities carrying the biggest burden?” [Voar], thealternative.org.uk (Feb 15, 2026)
- A New Generation of Community Wind-Wealth, scottishleftreview.scot (Feb 06, 2026) — The Danish model demonstrates how Scotland’s communities could co-own wind farms, writes Calum MacDonald.
- Swift bricks to be installed on all new buildings in Scotland as MSPs back law, theguardian.com (Jan 28, 2026)
- Power Shifting In Scotland, Alternative Editorial (Jan 11, 2026)
- Scotland Writes Community Wealth Building Into Law—A World First, connectioning.substack.com (Jan 07, 2026) — World's first legislation mandating democratic economics at scale—and what it means for the movement, Jessica Friday
2025
[edit | edit source]- The roof over Lochaber: Community Wealth Building in Fort William, scottishcommunityalliance.org.uk (Dec 16, 2025)
- The Power Shift: Lessons from communities already making renewables work for them, scottishbeacon.com (Dec 05, 2025)
- Manifesto for People, Place and Power [Community Land Scotland], Daily Alternative (Nov 30, 2025)
- Community Wealth Building isn’t new – Scotland’s communities have been doing it for years, scottishcommunityalliance.org.uk (Nov 18, 2025)
- A view on Scottish land reform: vast estates remain feudal in scale [The Guardian], Daily Alternative (Nov 03, 2025)
- Building a Connected Scotland, scottishcommunityalliance.org.uk (Oct 30, 2025) — Why Local Hubs Matter
- What if dinner was public infrastructure?, Sower (Oct 29, 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)
- Taiwan Film Festival in Scotland—"connecting inward truths with outward visions, creating a vibrant shared space for reflection and inspiration”, Daily Alternative (Oct 21, 2025)
- ‘Much fairer’: all profits from new Orkney windfarm to benefit locals, theguardian.com (Oct 21, 2025) — Construction due to begin in 2027 on what is expected to become UK’s largest publicly owned windfarm
- Funding marks step forward for community-led renewable energy in Scotland, gov.scot (Oct 01, 2025) — Community and Renewable Energy Scheme’s (CARES) Community Energy Generation Growth Fund will enable 46 community groups to install local renewable energy schemes such as wind turbines and solar panels, to meet local needs.
- ‘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)
- Scottish Community Coalition on Energy release a Manifesto for Community Renewables [Scottish Beacon], Daily Alternative (Sep 12, 2025)
- How Japanese 'tiny forests' are sweeping Scotland, BBC Future (Sep 11, 2025) — Grown using the Miyawaki method, fast-growing miniature forests in the middle of cities can bring surprisingly big benefits for people and the environment.
- "Shetland is ideally placed to spearhead a green transition... commensurate with net zero aspirations" [Democracy Collaborative], Daily Alternative (Sep 06, 2025)
- What Denmark’s Folkemødet can teach us about rebuilding trust in democracy, electoral-reform.org.uk (Sep 01, 2025)
- Net-zero not "a platitude or a soundbite" but presents significant commercial benefits - regulator, BBC News (Sep 01, 2025) — "There are real, very significant, commercial benefits for the UK from the projects around net-zero."
- Scotland’s first community-led marine conservation network, scottishcommunityalliance.org.uk (Aug 28, 2025)
- The Pylon, the Turbine and the Black Black Blade [Bella Caledonia], Daily Alternative (Aug 26, 2025)
- A tiny Scottish island, a digital participation platform: the spirit of Comhairle [CrownShy], Daily Alternative (Aug 25, 2025)
- Why the Arthur’s Seat burn is a cautionary tale for the UK’s wildfire management strategy, theconversation.com (Aug 19, 2025)
- “We need renewables to be something *for* communities, not something done *to* communities”—the Scottish Beacon reports on the “Power Shift”, Daily Alternative (Jul 03, 2025)
- Fife Council welcomes Scottish Government's commitment to local democracy, fife.gov.uk (May 15, 2025)
- 'We saved a 200-year-old pub in a forgotten part of Scotland', BBC News (Apr 13, 2025)
- Direct Access To Power, Alternative Editorial (Mar 23, 2025)
- Creating Community Wealth Through Scotland's Energy Revolution [Brian Connolly], Daily Alternative (Mar 19, 2025) — "why should society continue accepting profits going primarily to shareholders rather than communities?"
- The Living Mountain: why a second world war meditation on nature’s fragility and wonder is still relevant today, theconversation.com (Mar 17, 2025)
- When communities own renewable energy generation, the benefits are enormous [The National], Daily Alternative (Mar 11, 2025)
- The rewilded golf courses teeming with life, BBC Future (Feb 16, 2025)
- Restoration is helping native raptors thrive in Scotland, report shows, positive.news (Jan 28, 2025)
2024
[edit | edit source]- People already live alongside predators in India and Kenya – here’s how it could work in Scotland, theconversation.com (Dec 19, 2024)
- SPRING: From its ambition to create an "urban croft" (or food producer) in the heart of Leith, Earth In Common is becoming a powerful CAN, Daily Alternative (Nov 21, 2024)
- Ecocide Bill lodged in Scottish Parliament, stopecocide.earth (Nov 12, 2024)
- Legal challenge to Rosebank oil field given go-ahead, BBC News (Sep 25, 2024)
- SPRING: Community Wealth-Building looks like it’s flourishing in Scotland - at all levels of power, local and national, Daily Alternative (Sep 23, 2024)
- Flour to the people: the Scottish collective working to democratise better bread, positive.news (Sep 23, 2024)
- Profits from community windfarm to fund a million native trees in Hebrides, theguardian.com (Aug 31, 2024)
- The idea of a "public diner" has much historical precedent - and leads the way to a better food culture for the future, Daily Alternative (Aug 29, 2024)
- SPRING: “We radically re-imagine the piano in today’s throw away culture”. Edinburgh’s Pianodrome is the essence of a circular economy, Daily Alternative (Aug 28, 2024)
- A community food supply, wickedleeks.riverford.co.uk (Aug 14, 2024) — Urban farms are bypassing supermarkets to create their own local food systems and connect communities. Robbie Armstrong reports
- Scottish oil-town plan for green jobs sparks climate campers’ anger over local park, climatechangenews.com (Jul 19, 2024)
- Kelp help? How Scotland’s seaweed growers are aiming to revolutionise what we buy, theguardian.com (Jun 13, 2024)
- Making an exhibition of yourself: the gallery where anyone can add to the walls, positive.news (Jun 04, 2024)
- Edinburgh Council bans advertising for fossil fuel companies, airlines, airports, fossil-powered cars, SUVs, cruise ships and arms manufacturers on council-owned advertising spaces, badverts.org (May 29, 2024) — across England, one-third of local authorities now have some form of restrictions on harmful advertising
- ‘The fear has properly set in’: how it feels to watch my home town disappear into the sea, theguardian.com (May 21, 2024)
- Becoming Independent, Alternative Editorial (Apr 21, 2024)
- In Scotland, the circular economy is more than an occasion for eco-virtue. It’s ingenious and fun too, Daily Alternative (Mar 21, 2024)
- A mecca for rewilders: the community-led project restoring Scotland’s southern uplands, theguardian.com (Mar 20, 2024)
- Rewilding Nation declaration call for Scotland as Charter launched, scotlandbigpicture.com (Mar 15, 2024) — More than 2% of Scotland’s land now rewilding according to new figures
- All hands to the pumps: the colourful rise of community-owned pubs, positive.news (Mar 05, 2024)
- Launch of a new political project from the Alternative Global— SPRING, Alternative Editorial (Mar 01, 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)
- The Real Front Line, Alternative Editorial (Feb 04, 2024)
- Renewables produce more than 100% of Scotland's electricity demand for first time, news.stv.tv (Jan 26, 2024)
- The community buyout projects leading Scotland’s self-help revolution, theguardian.com (Jan 01, 2024)
2023
[edit | edit source]- St Andrews Men's Shed, Now officially based at Craigtoun, friendsofcraigtoun.org.uk/news (Nov 29, 2023)
- "Is that a doughnut or a meringue?" No, you were right the first time... Doughnut Economics makes its arrival in Glasgow, The Daily Alternative (Nov 26, 2023)
- Only shop on Lismore saved after community buyout, BBC News (Nov 26, 2023)
- River Dee Trust’s Million Trees Campaign, a project to save threatened salmon in the River Dee, wins one of the country’s most prestigious nature restoration awards, riverdee.org.uk (Nov 23, 2023) — More than 460,000 trees have already been planted.
- Stop Climate Chaos Scotland publishes largest ever Climate Manifesto, stopclimatechaos.scot (Oct 11, 2023)
- Self-driving buses that go wherever you want? How the UK is trying to revolutionise public transport, theconversation.com (Sep 29, 2023)
- 'This could be the holy grail to replace palm oil' - research team, BBC News (Sep 18, 2023)
- Orkney islands to trial electric ferries to cut carbon emissions, theguardian.com (Sep 11, 2023)
- The world’s first rewilding centre has opened in Scotland, positive.news (Apr 17, 2023)
- Edinburgh is a hotbed of community self-empowerment - with the Edinburgh Tool Library showing the way, The Daily Alternative (Mar 14, 2023)
2022
[edit | edit source]- Mussel Farming Is Healing the UK’s Coastal Food Chain, reasonstobecheerful.world (Dec 22, 2022)
- Glasgow’s Urban Transport Revolution, bellacaledonia.org.uk (Nov 11, 2022)
- Carbon-busting hemp could help transform Scottish agriculture to zero emissions, The Conversation (Nov 09, 2022)
- A community-buyout in the South of Scotland has taken land from the Duke of Buccleuch, and pointed it towards rewilding, The Daily Alternative (Oct 17, 2022)
- Local Groups Celebrate Achievements In Community Land Week, Community Land Scotland (Oct 07, 2022)
- When Edinburgh's Canongate community resisted a crass urban development, they deployed a "working-class cosmopolitanism", The Daily Alternative (Jul 28, 2022)
- These Scottish villagers bought a nature reserve - now they are fundraising to double its size, euronews.com (Jun 10, 2022)
- Protein from gorse bushes could feed millions of people, says expert, The Guardian (Jan 10, 2022)
News sources
[edit | edit source]- Scottish Beacon, collaborative network of independent local and hyperlocal newsrooms serving urban and rural communities. "Together we’re working to strengthen the voice of the community-based media sector and bring to light real stories from Scotland’s communities." added 15:57, 31 January 2025 (UTC)
- Source, news analysis from Common Weal, added 16:43, 11 April 2021 (UTC)
Blogs
- Greener Together Blog, Greener Scotland
News archive
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| License | CC-BY-SA-3.0 |
| Cite as | Philralph (2019–2026). "Scotland community activism news". Appropedia. Retrieved May 29, 2026. |