Rural services

Scottish Rural Action (SRA) have announced a first for Scotland!

They are taking part in the Village Halls Week from March 17-23, 2025 together with the English village halls network run by Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) and are calling on rural and island Scottish village halls and community hubs to take part in the celebration.  

The Carbon Neutral Islands (CNI) Progress Report 2023-2024 has been published.

It highlights some of the exciting projects that have been taking place across the six islands which are part of the project (Barra, Cumbrae, Hoy, Islay, Raasay and Yell).

The Highlands & Islands Climate Hub are inviting expressions of interest from its members to support community spaces transition to becoming environmentally friendly.

They are offering its members who operate community spaces, support to implement sustainable practices and be part of a network of organisations committed to creating climate conscious communities across the region. 

Moray Pathways has launched a Community Space Fund to improve employability services within community spaces and improve digital connectivity and accessibility in the area.

Village halls and community hubs are often the heart of rural and island communities. They are places for people to gather, socialise, learn and crucially, to access services.

Scottish Government has updated its information about the Highland and Islands Veterinary Services Scheme.

The scheme is funded by the Scottish Government and its aim is to ensure the provision of an adequate veterinary service to prevent and eradicate animal diseases for all animals kept for agricultural purposes and belonging to crofters and others of like economic status, where no other provisions are available on the market.

Scottish Water has completed construction on a pioneering new type of hydro energy generation scheme at a reservoir in East Lothian, believed to be the first of its kind in Europe.

The Scottish Borders Council (SBC) is providing funding to support the development of the village halls in their area through their 'Federation of Village Halls Grant Scheme'.

Farmstrong has announced that it is expanding its board of trustees, with three new positions to fill.

Thirty tourism businesses, social enterprises and community groups have been supported to help the South of Scotland become one of the leading cycling destinations in the world.

The £300,000 South of Scotland Cycling Infrastructure Fund provided capital grants of £3,000 to £25,000 to the organisations who own visitor facing assets to invest in their cycling facilities.