The island of Raasay has received a welcome boost to its housing stock after a substantial sum was granted by the Scottish Land Fund to help secure two acres of land to build affordable homes.
An award of £68,230 has been made to purchase the land at Cottages Park in the village of Inverarish, with local groups hailing the announcement as going some way to addressing issues relating to an ageing population.
It is hoped the addition of more affordable homes will attract more young people to flock to, or remain living and working on the island.
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Raasay Development Trust local development officer, Elizabeth Macleod, said: “Raasay Development Trust are delighted to be one step closer to our aim of providing affordable housing on Raasay and we are truly grateful for the funding and support provided by the Scottish Land Fund.
“Through providing affordable housing we hope to address the issues highlighted in the Raasay Housing Needs and Demands assessment undertaken by the Highland Small Communities Housing Trust. We hope to encourage families and younger people to join, or remain within, our vibrant and close-knit community while also supporting our ageing population.”
The area of land is to be divided into seven plots of land, with four of the plots available for the community to develop to create affordable homes for rent. Two plots will be made available for self-build, with the final plot set to be sold to the local housing association for the development of two further homes.
John Gillies, chairman of North Raasay Sheep Stock Club, owners of the land, said: “This will provide much-needed housing for the island and we hope our contribution to the project has helped move this forward.”