£800k funding to revitalize Highland communities.

The Highland Council has given the green light to over £800,000 in funding for 49 projects that will bring benefits to local communities. This decision was made during a meeting of the Highland Strategic Local Action Group, where funding proposals from the Community Led Local Development Fund (CLLD) were reviewed and approved as part of the broader Highland Council Community Regeneration Funding (CRF) programme.
Councillor Ken Gowans, who chairs the economy and infrastructure committee, expressed his satisfaction with the ongoing success in securing substantial CLLD funding from the Scottish Government for the third consecutive year. Thanks to this year’s approvals, more than 150 projects in Highland are reaping the benefits of the CLLD programme, receiving a total investment of £2.8 million to drive economic regeneration at the grassroots level and foster growth opportunities within communities.
CRF encompasses various external funding programmes managed by the Highland Council, with decisions on CLLD funding allocations being made by the Highland Strategic Local Action Group. This collective decision-making body comprises representatives from the third sector, public agencies, and private organisations.
The recent CRF funding round saw a significant oversubscription of applications, underscoring the high level of innovation and dynamism present in rural Highland communities. Out of 100 applications received, only 49 were selected for funding, with a total allocation of slightly over £827,000 for revenue and capital investments in rural areas across the region.
A diverse array of projects received funding approval, ranging from feasibility studies and development phases for capital projects to support for enhancing community facilities and amenities.
In 2024/25, the Scottish Government committed to investing £12.2 million in rural and island communities to further bolster the CLLD programme. This funding has been distributed in tranches, with the initial tranche amounting to £6.65 million dispersed among Local Action Groups throughout Scotland. Further details regarding the equitable distribution of the remaining funding across rural and island Scotland within the current financial year are expected to be announced in due course.
For a comprehensive list of the projects approved for funding, please visit here.