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Glendale Bothy

Proposal code: THC-2026-04-87

Build a small live/work contemporary bothy in Glendale to provide creative practitioners and researchers from Skye and beyond with opportunities to develop work and contribute to the local community.

Arts charity Bothy Project has experience over 10 years in Scotland’s culture, hospitality and tourism sectors by delivering more than 500 residencies for artists and creatives in the Scottish Highlands and Islands.

Building on our experience on the Isle of Eigg and in Cairngorm National Park, Bothy Project wants to extend our network of cultural live/work bothies to Glendale, Isle of Skye.

We have been working closely with the Glendale Trust and Skye arts organisation Atlas Arts to develop a contemporary live/work bothy space in Glendale. We have also consulted with a range of individuals and organisations in Skye and Lochalsh, from Sabhal Mor Ostaig to SEALL, Climavore to the Highland Archive Service.

The small, off-grid space, will sit light in the crofting landscape. Designed as a supportive and productive low-carbon energy-efficient workspace, the bothy will also provide simple overnight accommodation for up to two people.

Creative or research residencies of between one to four weeks in the Glendale Bothy will support professional development of creative practitioners, and social, environmental and cultural researchers from Skye and elsewhere. Operating for 48 weeks of the year, the residencies will include time for artists and researchers to work with the Glendale community in practical and useful ways, such as sharing skills, knowledge and ideas with local schools, voluntary organisations, and businesses. 

The invitation to build a bothy on a site leased from a local landlowner, responds to an expressed need for cultural and economic activities that explore Glendale’s priorities and concerns in an innovative way.

The Glendale bothy supports the work of the Glendale Trust and Atlas Arts. The land where the bothy will be built has been used by Atlas Arts as part of their School of Plural Futures. The Glendale Trust believe the bothy will contribute to their work in reversing depopulation and encourage young people to live and work in the community.

Over the years, we’ve learnt Bothy Project residencies work best when our bothies are a distinct and specific part of the local community infrastructure. The clearest example of this is Sweeney’s Bothy on Eigg, where visiting creatives and Eigg residents have both benefited from the connections Sweeney’s host has created and nurtured over its twelve years of operation.

Sweeney’s Bothy is occupied 48 weeks of the year. The host plays a vital role in its success by listening and absorbing the visiting artist or researchers’ aims and matching them with active or latent opportunities on the island, or vice versa. The time shared, the ideas explored and expanded upon, has enriched islanders’ lives and community creativity.

On Skye, Atlas Arts, the Glendale Trust, Sabhal Mor Ostaig and other charity, academic, professional and public sector organisations will have the opportunity to curate and lead residencies that strengthen their work and support the ambitions of those they work with.

Bothy Project has secured funds to employ a locally based host in Glendale for two years. Starting in early 26/27, they will work with the community pre-build, to determine how the bothy can best contribute to local interests, including Gaelic, archaeology, natural heritage, cultural and crofting history. Bothy Project is aware of the impact of the high number of holiday and second homes in Glendale. The host will work with people in Glendale to explore how public access to the bothy and the way it’s programmed can contribute positively to this question.

Bothy Project’s vision is in strong alignment with local and national strategic policies across creative industries, environmental sustainability, economic development, community empowerment, tourism, place-making and entrepreneurship.

Bothy Project has secured multi-year revenue funding from Creative Scotland to 2028, ensuring the organisation has the staff and operational capacity to develop, build and operate the Glendale Bothy. Our business plan demonstrates Bothy Project’s financial sustainability beyond that point, with income generated from multiple sources as our network of bothies grows.

The project costs are estimated at £180,000. This figure is based on our experience of building 19 private bothies via our trading arm Bothy Stores (2017-2025).  We propose to use the architect-designed “Studio Bothy” in Glendale. Tried and tested, taking this approach allows us to be confident of both the cost and build process, reducing the risk of unforeseen problems or delay.

Capital funding sources have been identified through research and in discussion with funders with an interest in the Highlands and Islands and Skye in particular.

 

The anticipated timescale is

October 2025 to May 2026

-       Community consultation

-       Site visits

-       Capital & Revenue Planning

June to September 2026

-      project costs identified

-      capital funding applications submitted

-      pre planning application submitted

-      local host employed

October 2026 to March 2027

-      Capital funding secured

-      Full planning application submitted

-      Planning approved

-      Programming Developed, including Local Host advocacy

-     Site infrastructure in place and build starts

April - June 2027

-      Completion of build

-      Bothy up and running

 

Skye and Raasay Future (SARF) - Area Place Plan The Glendale Bothy project contributes to three priorities listed in SARF through local employment, by attracting people to visit and contribute to Glendale in ways other than tourism, by building a low energy/carbon bothy, and by working with the Glendale Trust, Atlas Arts and other community and business organisations in Glendale and wider Skye to support their plans and ambitions.

The project contributes to

• eleven of the twelve Future Priorities & Responsibilities for a Diverse and Green Economy
• two of the three Future Priorities & Responsibilities for Strengthening communities - Gaelic Language and Culture
• all four Future Priorities & Responsibilities for Strengthening communities - Sustainable and Resilient Communities

 

• £ Capital
• Arts & Heritage

• Isle of Skye & Raasay