The Highland Strategic Local Action Group met last month to consider and agree funding for the projects submitted to the Community Led Local Development Fund (CLLD), which makes up part of the Highland Council Community Regeneration Funding (CRF) programme.

Chair of the economy and infrastructure committee, Councillor Ken Gowans, said: “It is the third year in a row that we have been successful in securing a large allocation of CLLD funding from the Scottish Government. With this year’s approvals, over 150 projects are benefitting from the CLLD programme in Highland, representing an investment of £2.8 million in our rural communities. This funding is essential to support grassroots economic regeneration, allowing communities to grow and develop new opportunities.”

CRF is an umbrella term used to cover multiple external funding programmes administered by the Highland Council. Decisions on which projects are to receive CLLD funding are taken by the Highland Strategic Local Action Group. This decision-making group is made up of third-sector representatives, public agencies, and private organisations.

This latest round of CRF was heavily oversubscribed which evidences the level of innovation and dynamism of Highland rural communities. A total of 100 applications were received with grant request amounts far exceeding the amount of funding available to award. 49 applications were approved funding totalling just over £827,000 of revenue and capital investment for rural areas across Highland.

A wide range of projects were approved for funding, including feasibility studies and development phases for capital projects as well as development support to improve community facilities and amenities.

In 2024/25 the Scottish Government made a budget commitment to invest £12.2m in rural and islands communities to continue to support CLLD. This funding has been released in tranches with tranche one totalling £6.65m distributed to Local Action Groups across Scotland. A further announcement is expected later this year to determine an equitable distribution of remaining funding across rural and island Scotland within the financial year.

The projects approved for funding can be found here.