Arisaig Community Trust

29/05/2026

Quick update tonight. We have a few deliveries of sleepers for carrying out much needed work at the orchard. To whoever may have taken 6 sleepers can you please return as these are much needed materials and have been allocated to a really tight community budget to make this project work. Thanks 🙏

24/05/2026

Did you catch the heatwave this weekend? Perhaps it’s stuck behind a camper van on the A82 and will get here eventually. It makes me laugh when the UK weather forecast is full of scorching heat and at the end, as an afterthought they say something like “I suppose we have to mention Scotland - it’s still wet, windy and freezing in the north but who cares”, that is what I hear anyway! Regardless of the weather, it is all go at the Community Trust. Jenni, our new Business Development Manager is getting up to speed quickly, she has a lot to be getting on with.

There are several exciting projects underway - Chris P has been bravely battling the brambles and couch grass around the playing field and orchard, Sarah and Jenni have redesigned reprinted all the local walk leaflets, Bills Shed is nearing completion, we applied for a grant to fund a part-time Museum Development Manager, we have new tap and go donation terminals for the Land, Sea and Islands Centre and Toilets, Zoe and Jenni have been updating all the Health and Safety processes, we’ve had a really successful acoustic gig at the Land, Sea and Islands Centre - phew! And that’s just a few of the things that are happening. I do feel the Trust has turned a corner and we are in a position many community trusts would love to be in.

When we start letting Bill’s Shed (around July) and with the annual gift from Arisaig Partners, we will have around forty thousand pounds every year to invest in the village. The Trust has never had unrestricted funds like this and I’m very proud of that achievement.

So what do we spend it on? What would you like to see improved? We hope to make an announcement soon about more affordable housing and are going to look at parking, but what else is important to you? Is it running events? Youth club? Making active and safe travel ways for cyclists, walkers and most importantly our kids? I could list a heap of things, but we need to know what the community wants. Previous surveys are well out of date, so time to formally collect more feedback. Jenni is going to work on this over the summer and will collect input in a variety of different ways which we collate and publish. It helps steer the board decisions and contributes to the future sustainability of the village.

Before I go, remember - there is a Special General Meeting on Thursday at 6pm in the Land, Sea and Islands Centre. This meeting is to vote for a change to the Trust's Articles of Association. This document sets out how the trust is governed and if you have difficulty sleeping at night, do have a read. It is as dry as an old crust that’s been down the back of a settee for years. But I’ve battled through and updated all FORTY pages of it. In a nutshell, we have had to update it, to simplify and modernise. The key change is increasing the size of the board, if we have more Directors, we can spread the work and not overburden people.

And last but not least, we would be nowhere without our dedicated volunteers. Thank you! To join the Volunteers WhatsApp group, drop us an email, or go old-skool and have a chat with one of the Directors. Zoe can add you to the list, just email [email protected].

This is my last blog for a wee while, as I am taking a break for a couple of months. Thanks everyone for all your kind words and for reading my ramblings!

Cheers Anne

13/05/2026

Another busy day of volunteering, and rays of sunshine!

We have a group of youngsters visiting on Saturday to help out in the orchard, so if anyone is free to join in, please come along — and bring your secateurs! 🌳✂️

Huge thanks to today’s volunteers:

* Maggie, Judy and Kate tackled the glamorous task of weeding around the flagstones at the Land, Sea and Islands Centre. A horrid job, but someone has to do it!
* Sarah has completely redesigned the local walk leaflets and they’ll soon be on sale in the shop.
* Peter and Steve are still hard at work on Bill’s Shed, which is looking absolutely amazing.
* Chris, Zoe and Jenni have been busy planning upcoming projects and keeping the ideas flowing.

It’s brilliant to see so many people giving their time, energy and enthusiasm to help make things happen. Thank you all! 😊

13/05/2026

10/05/2026

Is volunteering a route to happiness? Apparently so. I heard it on an actual radio, remember them? If you’re under 30, you probably think they belong in a museum! The piece was on BBC radio, so it must be true (or at least it used to be…).

Out of sheer nosiness, I looked up the happiest places in Scotland. Stirling came out top, then Kirkcaldy, with Inverness getting a mention further down the list. Arisaig? Not even a hint - I think we woz robbed. But it did get me thinking, what really motivates people to volunteer?

Everyone I know who gives their time does it for a mix of reasons - community, companionship, and a genuine desire to make our small corner of the world the best it can be. And I think it shows. A thriving Highland village doesn’t just happen, it is built on countless small acts: litter picking, keeping the Land, Sea and Islands Centre open, painting buildings, cutting grass, transforming Bill’s Shed, tidying the orchard, creating signage, shaping marketing, pulling together information for visitors… the list is surprising and longer than you’d think. And the best bit? People do it all for free.

But, isn’t there always a “but”, volunteering can be a double-edged sword, particularly if you stick your head above the parapet and take on a trustee role. Most people are generous, thoughtful and supportive. A small minority, however, prefer not to get involved but are quick to criticise those who do. That can be disheartening. We’re all human and I’ll be honest, it does sting sometimes. What’s frustrating is that criticism rarely comes with solutions, it’s often just noise.

That said, in ACT’s case, this is very much the exception. Lately, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and rightly so. Just take a moment and imagine the village without a new playpark, without a well groomed playing field, without community toilets, without a heritage centre, without affordable housing, with an unkempt shorefront. It would be a very different and by far poorer place.

None of this happens without people stepping forward. Not just once, but again and again. Volunteering isn’t always easy, and it isn’t always thanked as much as it should be, but it matters more than most things we do.

So I say, three cheers for everyone, past and present, who have worked since 2009 to build the Trust to the amazing organisation it is today. Every one of you deserves a pat on the back and should feel valued and happy, no matter how large or small your contribution.

And this isn’t the end of the story. As ACT looks to the future, we genuinely need to hear from you. Our new Business Development Manager, Jenni, will be gathering views on your priorities for the village.

Join the Volunteers WhatsApp group, drop us an email, or go old-skool and have a chat with one of the Directors. Zoe can add you to the list, just email [email protected].

So do join me in those three cheers... Ready? Hip Hip Hooray for the volunteers in Arisaig.

Thanks for reading, Anne.

03/05/2026

Don’t you feel just a tiny bit sorry for those who’ve jetted off abroad in search of sunshine, while Arisaig has been showing off with another glorious week of spring weather? We’ve been basking in temperatures nudging twenty degrees (so I’m told), soaking up blue skies only occasionally streaked with those high wispy clouds.

And the best bit? No midgies… don’t tell them what they are missing!

The village has burst into life almost overnight. Trees that were bare last week are now adorned in fresh, vibrant green, and everything feels a bit more like summer is coming. Of course, the bracken and brambles have also taken this as their cue to stage a full-scale comeback, but we’ll deal with them later.

It’s been a big week on the people front too. We’ve have our very first Business Development Manager. We’re not ones to hang around, we interviewed, appointed and started Jenni on the 1st of May! Please give a warm welcome to Jenni O’Connor, a local face who brings plenty of experience, energy, and enthusiasm. Do say hello when you see her out and about.

Meanwhile, Gordon Stewart has been fighting valiantly on our behalf and secured an incredible £18,000 annual donation from our Arisaig partners in Singapore. A very loud cheer, please! An unrestricted gift like this gives us real flexibility, and there’s no shortage of things to tackle. From broken benches and tired planters to buildings crying out for a fresh coat of paint, and windows needing replaced at the Land, Sea and Islands Centre… Zoe wasted no time producing a list long enough to keep us all busy for a while.

You may have spotted Chris S hard at work on Bill’s Shed. Great progress is being made there. Less encouraging, however, is our brand-new wastewater and sewage pump. After an installation that involved excavating what felt like half the car park… it isn’t working. Yes, really - it’s brand new. (Apologies to anyone navigating the current obstacle course to reach the chargers.). Peter F has met with an engineer all the way from Edinburgh, so we’re hopeful for a fix soon. Still, it does make your blood boil - spending thousands only to have something repaired before it’s even been used, “making it good,” they say. I’ll let you supply your own swear words here…

But let’s end on a high note. Have you seen the installation has started of a new zip slide? Pamela K has been an absolute superstar in getting the playpark project over the line. I’ve also had a fantastic response to the Nature Restoration project, and one of Jenni’s first missions will be to get that up and running and rally our brilliant volunteers.
And speaking of volunteers, it’s not too late to get involved! Whether it’s this project or anything else, we’d love to have you. Join the Volunteers WhatsApp group, drop us an email, or go old-skool and have a chat with one of the Directors. Zoe can add you to the list, just email [email protected]

With the weather still holding, I’m off to take the plunge into the (definitely warming… allegedly) sea near Traigh with the local open water swimmers. It’s a fantastic group, very welcoming, lots of laughter, and just a bit of shouting as you hit that critical point of immersion. Is it worth it? Absolutely, you feel amazing afterwards.

Hope you all like the new banner, thanks Sarah F for working her magic and Mungo O for designing the logo and branding for ACT, which is brilliant!
Honestly, I can’t think of a better place to live. A friendly, supportive, hard-working community in one of the most beautiful spots in the world. How lucky are we?

Thanks for reading—now, where did I put that swimming costume?

Cheers, Anne

27/04/2026

Come along tomorrow night to find out more and get involved

26/04/2026

What a difference a week makes. The weather has been so warm that the seals basking at the skerries had their sunglasses on and were liberally applying sun cream. Arisaig’s beaches have been shimmering in the sun, looking distinctly Caribbean. Accompanied by breathtaking sunsets and sunrises, there is nowhere better in the world.

The major highlight of the week was a community day out on the Sheerwater, hosted by Arisaig Marine (thanks Catherine!). Ashley, Rachel, Ronnie and Duncan were on top form and the boat was packed. Everyone needs to go for a trip in the Sheerwater, it is THE best day out. What a treat to enjoy a flat calm sail to Eigg and Muck with the vistas of Ardnamurchan, Skye and the inner and outer Hebrides to marvel at. The sea was crystal clear and lured Jill and I for a swim at Eigg. Arriving at Muck, Ashley was determined to get in, so on with the wet, sandy cozies again. Yeech. As the 3 women eased themselves gently into the water, with Cassie looking on, Bob decided to strip off to his pants and jump straight in off the pier! Definitely a prize to him for that, wow, it was cold! It was such a great day and everyone had a fabulous time.

We have been planning of the Nature restoration project and wandered round the Playpark and orchard with Pam, Alan and Zoe. Alan, our resident botanist of some repute, has been curating Larachmore Gardens for decades, and I’ve just discovered Ali is a local ecologist and happy to help. A meeting is arranged for Tuesday at 6pm in the Land, Sea and Islands Centre - hoping for a good turnout of people interested in helping design and plant pollinator friendly plants around the village.

Work on Bills Shed continues and whew, the new door is in, it took 4 able bodied men to squeeze it into the space and it just fitted and no more.

It’s been very quiet at the Land, Sea and Islands Centre but thanks to the dedicated band of volunteers, it is open and welcoming visitors. Do pop in and have a look at the great new collection of books, cards and stock Diane is trialing. We are hoping to ramp up publicity. Sarah has been working hard on the plan and Mungo has finished working on a brand new logo for ACT, which you can all see for yourselves.

We had a packed agenda at the board meeting this week talking about things ranging from Housing, Playpark zip slide, Grants, Finance, Museum exhibitions, repairs and maintenance, improving Donations, Nature project, community resilience and my personal favourite - Articles of Association. Sarah presented a plan for Marketing, which was brilliant!

Next week we are interviewing for the business Development manager and have a few great applications. I can’t wait to get someone in post! It is all go at the Trust.

And, as ever … Please volunteer!

If you haven’t done so yet, join the Volunteers WhatsApp Group, drop us an email, or if you prefer the old-skool approach - have a chat with one of the Directors. Zoe can add your name to the list; just email [email protected].

See you all on Tuesday at 6pm?

Cheers Anne

24/04/2026

🎉 Exciting News for Our Community! 🎉

Big things are happening at the playpark! 🚧 From 28th April, we’ll be installing a brand-new zip slide — we can’t wait for everyone to enjoy it. There may be a little disruption around the playing field area for a couple of days while the work is underway, so thanks in advance for your patience.

🌿 Get Involved!
On the same day at 6pm, we’re hosting a meeting to introduce the Nature Restoration Project at the Lands, Sea and Islands Centre. It’s a great chance to learn more, share your ideas, and be part of something really positive for our local environment.

We’d love to see as many of you there as possible — come along and get involved! 💚

23/04/2026

A huge thank you to Arisaig Marine for a wonderful day out to Eigg and Muck with many friendly faces from our community aboard the MS Sheerwater. Sea swimming, sunshine and salty sea dogs - what could be better?! If ever you get the opportunity to go aboard for a trip, do not miss it!