Looking out over Camuscross Bay and the Sound of Sleat to Beinn Sgritheil and the hills of Knoydart          Photo © Gwen Culbertson

CAMUSCROSS & DUISDALE INIATIVE 

ALL PULLING TOGETHER

Our vision is to develop and support social, cultural, economic and environmental initiatives and to create a resilient, sustainable community where everyone feels welcome and valued            

Our community is situated in the Sleat peninsula in the South of the Isle of Skye and includes the crofting townships of Camuscross, Cruard and Duisdale and includes Isle Ornsay.    In 2011, our population is approximately 180, including 37 children.

Camuscross & Duisdale Initiative took over from the work of Camuscross Community Steering Group, which was set up in February 2007 to develop various projects for community benefits.  It then became a community company, becoming incorporated on 22nd December 2008, with the name of Camuscross Community Initiative.  When the company decided to add the neighbouring crofting township to its area of benefit, we became Camuscross & Duisdale Initiative.

The projects it is working on are: affordable house sites, developing a micro hydro scheme using our community-owned reservoir, a network of heritage paths with interpretation, and a long-term aims are to build a local shop-cafe with community activity space and improve opportunities for local people to access homes or house sites.

First the steering group and now the Initiative have organised a number of very successful events including a community meal, a Camuscross Boat Day, New Year dances, Crofters Olympics and an Open Day.  

It publishes a newsletter called An Lianag approximately quarterly-  The newsletter is named after the 'green' in the middle of the village, which is where the crofters traditionally met to discuss township matters.

The crofts and houses of Camuscross, from Baravaig