What are we doing?

Community Company

We have drafted our Memorandum & Articles and are about to set up a new community company, (July 2008) with the name Camuscross Community Initiative.  This was chosen following various suggestions from the community during the Open Day in March 2008. 

The current committee will continue as interim directors until we are registered with Companies House, and we will then call a public meeting to elect the first directors.  We will also be asking for as many community members as possible to become members of the company.

HIE Startup grant

With this grant, we have visited a number of different communities who have all managed to achieve success with the sorts of community developments we want for Camuscross. 

We have visited: the Isle of Eigg, to see their shop-cafe-community space and renewable energy schemes; Appin Community Cooperative to see their community shop and housing development; Staffin to see the Staffin Community Trust Ecomuseum interpretation and paths and the community shop.

House sites

We have been working with Camuscross Common Grazings and Highland Small Communities Housing Trust to investigate the possibility of creating affordable house sites on the Common Grazings.  A piece of common grazings has been seperated from the rest of the hill by the new road, and the grazings committee is willing to release the land for housing - despite having an area of common grazing which is a tenth of the size, and more shareholders than any other township in Sleat.

We have conducted a lot of research into the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 and crofting legislation, and sought advice from the Community Land Unit and the Scottish Crofting Foundation in working out how we could acquire the land and release it from crofting tenure for development.

The Highland Small Communities Housing Trust conducted a successful Housing Needs Surgery in November 2007 and the next step is to conduct a feasibility study - they see our plans for developing affordable housing sites on the common grazings in partnership with the shareholders as very exciting potentially for other areas in the crofting counties of the Highlands and Islands. 

Paths

The Paths Sub-group is working with Donald Kennedy, Highland Council's Access Officer to develop a plan for a network of footpaths to link the village of Camuscross with the proposed new housing development, and with the existing paths in the forest at Brae Ord.  The group also hopes to develop interpretation about the heritage and history of the village to complement the paths. 

If you would like to see a copy of the draft plan, or if you have any good ideas for the historical interpretation - such as a good story to tell, get in touch with any of the group.

We are planning a Paths & History Day to develop our ideas for interpretation.  We will have a walk, led by local guides and will then convene to pour over maps, with a pile of Post-its and a lot of tea and cakes to kick some ideas about!  Look out for posters.

Shop-cafe

Members of the group have visited 3 community shops or shop-cafes in communities of a similar size and now have sample accounts from 3 similar businesses.  We have also had the services of HIE business advisor, Douglas Hamilton.  So far, the indications are that the business would be a success, but would need to be sited somewhere on the main road, rather than in the village, so that it could catch passing tourist traffic.

We are also investigating whether heritage displays, linking to the network of heritage paths would be a good idea.

This is an ambitious plan, and will take a lot of work, but if other communities can do it, we can too!

Renewable Energy/Our Carbon Footprint

We have had initial discussions with Rab Lees of HICEC, the renewable energy arm of HIE.  We would be keen that any building be as carbon neutral as possible.  And if we build a shop, just think of all those miles that people wouldn't have to drive, just to get some milk or a loaf of bread....!

Speed limit

We have also written to Highland Council, asking them to consider measures to encourage drivers to slow their speed while driving through Camuscross.  There are now a number of very young children in the village, and more people walking and cycling and since the clearing of the drains, the already narrow verge has almost disappeared in places.  Already two cats and a cockerel have been killed on the road.

Trip to Appin Donnie and Gavin outside the Appin Community Cooperative shop, with our hosts	Inside Appin shop We, too, could have a shop like this!
Historical displays A local cafe had historical displays about the Appin Murder, the Red Fox and other relevant local history	Appin displays more....