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West Ardnamurchan Community Garden
Proposal code: THC-2026-02-51
Close down the existing community garden and move to a new site closer to the centre of the village. The existing garden lease has come to an end necessitating a move.
Estimated Price
50000
To put this proposal into its historical context:- The existing garden was originally set up with funding from the climate challenge fund to reduce food miles. It has run very succesfully for approximately 15 years with no further funding required. It supplied much needed fresh fruit and vegetable from an honesty shop on site. Over the years many training days were run and a number of full time volunteer gardners have gone on to run their own commercial enterprises. Weekly volunteer days were run throughout the year. The garden provided a much need place for a lot of community engagement for all ages. Unfortunately it proved difficult to engage the primary school long term due to the distance from the village.
It is out of our control that the existing garden has to move, the 10year lease is long expired and the land owner now has their own use for the plot. A new site adjacent to the Kilchoan Community Centre belonging to Ardnamurchan Estate has been kindly offered at a peppercorn rent to the community. The site is part of a large area of shrubby hill land and the proposed garden site requires about 150m of deer fencing before any planting can commence. The proposal is to offer indoor (polytunnel) and outdoor growing spaces to members for the growing of vegetables. There will be a soft fruit area, blueberries, black currents, goosberries and suchlike for communal use and sale to the public. A mini orchard with a few top fruit trees like apple and plum will also be included. The new site is within walking distance from the school and they are keen to be involved with a growing space and communal/teaching area to be included into the plans. Some equipment including the large polytunnel will be salvaged from the old site but there is much to be done.
The proposal is to promote home grown vegetables for healthy eating and community engagement in a an area very much on the edge. The recent closure of the only food shop in the village makes this even more imperitive than it was. Winter ferries to the Coop in Tobermory are subject to weather cancelation at frequent intervals and the next nearest shop in Acharacle is and hours drive each way which is unsustainable. The continued provision of locally grown fresh fruit and vegetables is essential for a sustainable future.