Communities on the eastern side of Loch Linnhe are the latest to benefit from a successful completion of another Forestry and Land Scotland community asset transfer.

Through the Nether Lochaber Community Association (NLCA), residents from Inchree to North Ballachulish have taken ownership of the Inchree Barn, that they plan to renovate and develop as a new community hub.

With plans to use the barn as a café and gallery/workshop space, and as a venue for performances, lectures, ceilidhs or weddings, the project will create local employment, boost local tourism and present business opportunities to local residents.

Iain Jenner, NLCA Chair, said:

“After several years of work it’s great to finally be at this stage.

“This has already brought the local communities together through public consultation, and can reinvigorate an area that has suffered from the social impacts of the decline in crofting over the last fifty years.

“Having purchased the Barn we can now roll our sleeves up and really start making our plans a reality.

“It’s exactly the sort of stimulus we needed to rebuild some of that lost cohesion and galvanise everyone involved into helping to take us in a new direction.

“I would strongly encourage people in other communities like ours to take a good look at FLS asset transfer scheme and explore their own opportunities.”

As well as being a focal meeting place for local residents and small businesses, the Inchree Barn will be used as a place where local heritage, history and ecology can be promoted to school groups and visitors.

The hub will also be an added bonus to visitors to Inchree Forest, and plans to expand the local path network and formalise a multi-user link to ‘the Caledonian Way’ cycle path will further help to boost tourism.

The NLCA’s longer-term vision includes developing a community market garden and orchard, establishing a community herd of cattle and a further asset transfer of land to develop a visitor cabin site.

Notes to editors

1. Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) manages forests and land owned by Scottish Ministers in a way that supports and enables economically sustainable forestry; conserves and enhances the environment; delivers benefits for people and nature; and supports Scottish Ministers in their stewardship of Scotland's national forests and land.

2. forestryandland.gov.scot | twitter.com/ForestryLS

3. Media enquiries to Paul Munro, Media Manager, Forestry and Land Scotland Media Office 07785 527590 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.