February 2026

Hello everyone, I hope this update finds you well.  As it has been a few months since we appointed Duncan, Calum and Faye to lead on developing a Vision for Badentarbet Estate, I wanted to keep you all informed about what has been happening to date.  As well as developing a vision for Badentarbet, work is currently underway developing a deer management plan. Jos Milner has been appointed by the Coigach and South Assynt Deer Management Group to lead on this process.

Vision Development update

Community and Stakeholder Consultation

Duncan and Calum visited Coigach on the 25th and 26th of September 2025 and met with several key stakeholders including crofters, grazings clerks, and community group representatives.  Calum met all the Primary school children and listened to their hopes for the future. An open event was held at the hall on the 26th of September, attended by about 20 people. Calum also met with Ullapool High School pupils from Coigach on the 12th of December. Duncan and Calum also had video/phone calls with representatives of:

• Coigach Community Council, Coigach Community Trust
• Achiltibuie Parents’ Council, Achiltibuie Primary School and Ullapool High School
• Heritage organisations Coigach & Assynt Living Landscape Partnership, NWH Geopark, Wester Ross Biosphere, and Coigach Heritage.
• Neighbouring landowners Summer Isles Enterprises and the Scottish Wildlife Trust
• Community Land Scotland
• Highland Community Energy Partnership
• Private business interests in the area

There was also a business space demand questionnaire circulated, and an online meeting with members of the Coigach Diaspora. 

At the same time, Boyd Alexander from the Highland Council has been working on a Local Place Plan for Coigach, and so Duncan has been following this closely, having regular conversations with Boyd and keeping up to date with progress. 

Views were listened to and captured, and opportunities identified by stakeholders were presented to CCDC Directors at the start of January. 

Economic Development Opportunities

The main opportunity is the resumption of part of the Badentarbat Special Grazings as this has been identified as the best area within the estate that would be suitable for development by CCDC. 

Directors have been asked to consider whether the following opportunities would be suitable to take forward on the special grazings:

• Housing
• Business units
• Visitor amenities
• Local amenities and services including a youth club and new business premises

Across the wider estate attention was drawn to the following opportunities for crofters (CCDC would be able to offer support as a willing landlord):

• Natural capital projects (in collaboration with crofters)
• Improving access and paths
• Creating crofts

There was also quite considerable call for improved Deer Management, and Old Dornie harbour upgrades were considered important, although outwith the Estate. Directors have been asked to consider a community stalking club and deer larder. 

Next Steps

We have asked Duncan to prioritise policy and governance development to help us manage day to day decision making and we must now consider which of the opportunities we would like to take forward into a Vision for the Estate.

Deer management Plan Update

Jos Milner has been meeting with all the members of the Coigach and South Assynt Deer Management Group, including CCDC representatives to understand the governance, and the land owned by each. She will be working with us all over the coming months to establish a collective plan to manage deer across the whole area.  We are looking forward to agreeing a way forward with fellow estate owners such as Inverpolly, Eisg Brachaidh, Assynt Foundation, Summer Isles Enterprises and Scottish Wildlife Trust. Jos hopes to complete the process by the end of May 2026.

Wind Turbine update

The Coigach Community CIC directors have been working incredibly hard over the past  nearly ten months to establish the cause of the breakdown, work with insurers as they conduct forensic investigations, calculate losses, navigate legal contracts, organise repairs and work with insurers, maintenance contractors and solicitors to get the turbine back up and running.  The good news is that the turbine is insured for loss of earnings as well as the kind of breakdown which has been identified and agreed by forensic engineers, and this is now being finalised.  

On Friday we signed the repair contact for the turbine.  Due to the level of damage caused at the breakdown we are going to change the entire nacelle.  It will take a couple of months to identify and overhaul the replacement, but we hope to be up and running again by the end of April / early May.  The insurers have confirmed the way the loss of earnings are to be calculated and we expect to be receive the last 9 months’ lost earnings in time to pay the Bond payment at the end of March 2026.