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Community Powered-Scoraig Community Centre Refurbishment
Proposal code: THC-2026-02-43
Main project: To refurbish the Community Centre building on Scoraig so that it meets modern building standards as a year-round, welcoming, well resourced facility for residents' and visitor use.
Estimated Price
Not yet known
1. The Scoraig Community Centre Group (SCCG) - Charity Number SC001711 - is seeking grant funding to meet professional fees for the remaining pre-construction phase to include the key appointment of a Quantity Surveyor and for all the various aspects of the detailed design and tendering process that are required up to the appointment of a Main Contractor and Construction and Project Management providers for the construction phase.
2. The Community Centre building was a ruined church, then a school until closure in 2002 and has since been a valued venue for celebrations, education and training activities and community group meetings despite its old school layout and decor; poor internal access for people with mobility issues; lack of effective space heating and ventilation allowing condensation to develop in the roof and ceilngs; and its elderly plumbing system and outdated sanitary facilities (building Survey Report August 2022 referenced in 4. below). We want to provide a modern centre environment which is accessible and welcoming to all, is easy to use and maintain, and is altogether 'fit for purpose' as a valued space helping to facilitate community activities and events which support the health and well-being of residents and visitors.
Our vision relates to the area place plan as we want to;
+ support the well-being of residents including those who are vulnerable by helping to sustain the 'social infrastructure' on the peninsula and continue to provide a community space for celebrations, entertainments, regular meetings, education and training sessions, music sessions and fitness-related activities. This includes use of the building by the Primary School and a range of community groups and for spontaneous gatherings. Getting together in a shared space promotes social connections and community cohesion, supports physical/mental health and well-being and enables us all to better manage the shared challenges we face as a remote coastal community adapting to economic changes, climate change and shifting weather patterns.
+ increase the buildings overall insulation and its thermal efficiency by upgrading the power system to further develop our current use of wind and solar energy and battery storage, updating building heating and ventilation systems so they are more efficient and easy to control, and reduce to near zero our current reliance on fossil fuel for back up heating and so minimise building carbon emissions.
We believe that the planned refurbishment will encourage regular continuing and new use of the building and, given the remote and off-grid context, that it will justify funding investment by helping to maintain and further develop resilience and the well-being, retention and perhaps expansion of Scoraig's population and links in the area. The building and its power supply needs significant work so that the Centre can continue as a valued venue and an ongoing legacy for the whole community.
3. Outcomes - we anticipate that the whole project will have:
- provided a more welcoming building environment 'fit for purpose' for all to access and use, that continues to help facilitate regular activities and events including elements of the Primary School curriculum; and a space that can accomodate larger numbers of the community together that residents and visitors continue to value and use;
- increased the building's overal thermal efficiency to facilitate year-round use, with upgraded power, heating and ventilation systems that significantly reduce the frequency of having to resort to a fossil-fuelled backup supply (generator) and so having minimised the building's carbon emissions;
- developed a valued community facility which clearly helps to (sustain ) retain the population in a rural, remote coastal area.
4. Milestones achieved so far include:
Local Consultation - carried out during May- June 2022 with Scoraig residents about the future of the Centre, culminating in a household survey to gather residents' comments for a report (Scoraig Community Centre Group, August 2022) back to them as well as crucially informing funding applications. Written support for the upgrade was also received from - the Scoraig Community Association, Scoraig Primary School,the Parent's Council and a Councillor from Ullapool in 2024;
Centre building survey and Survey Report (North Woods Construction Ltd., Augist 2023) with funding from the Highland Council's Community Regeneration Fund (CRF) has informed continuing design and specification leading to the granting of Planning Permission (27.07.2024) and the Building Warrant (obtained 18.07.2025) with further CRF funding;
An options assessment for an upgraded power and heating system for the proposed refurbished building is currently running to the end of March 2026 funded by The Pebble Trust and by the North Highland Initiative. Much has depended on the feasibility of an upgraded off-grid power and heating system to run the proposed refurbished building as per the Building Warrant designs and specifications. We will circulate the report for Scoraig residents' views and more widely in the area where it may provide useful information for similar contexts.
Next steps: to assemble updated estimates of professional fees to inform further grant funding applications for completion of this Tender phase.
5. Current activity on options for an upgraded power and heating system is due to be completed by the end of March 2026. We are also taking advice about start and completion dates for work related to the rest of this tender phase. Much depends on the funding conditions of further successful applications.