Leader - Friday July 28 2023

The memorandum of understanding between Tayvallich Initiative and Highlands Rewilding is, as well as fronting this week's Advertiser, grabbing immediate national headlines.

 

And while it has turned heads this month, it is with the long-term picture in mind that the two organisations are embarking on a mission to restore economic vibrancy to Tayvallich - hoping to bring jobs to the area and Tayvallich people back to live there and work them, living in secure and affordable homes - and amongst the coastal and wooded surrounds, preserving the wild spaces and promoting biodiversity of both plants and animals.

 

Young people like Joe and Rowan spoke passionately on video, on the shores of the Sound of Jura, about reversing the mindset that has put many on a self-fulfilling path to the cities for opportunities.

 

It is hoped that the collaboration will prove a model way of acting to reinvigorate other places in the region.

 

Juxtaposed with the current coverage around other Scottish villages, and the gutting out of their identities to be replaced with large-scale, largely self-contained compounds, it is a breath of fresh air for Tayvallich, and hopes for the community's future there.