Funding grows island garden and hub

The Isle of Luing Community Trust owns and runs the Atlantic Islands Centre and is leading the £87,320 improvement initiative.

Sustainable community development is one of the trust’s big goals and that includes providing access to recreational facilities and events, promoting the island’s heritage, improving training and employment opportunities and working on protecting the environment more.

The project includes a new community garden, where some of the fresh produce will be used to supply the Atlantic Islands Centre café. Work on this is underway.

HIE area manager for Argyll and the Islands Morag Goodfellow, said: “It’s great to see these latest improvements being taken forward on Luing. The Isle of Luing Community Trust has done a great job of furthering community development on an island that has a huge amount to offer visitors and residents, and this is an important extension of their efforts. I’m delighted we’ve been able to provide support and look forward to continuing our work with the trust.”

And Colin Buchanan, who is chairman of Isle of Luing Community Trust, added that HIE’s support in expanding the Taste of Luing programme is "a key step in maximising our resources".

"By incorporating fresh produce into our existing offerings of Luing baking, seafood and Luing beef, we can provide a truly unique local experience.

“The new garden will offer residents a space to gather, plan and work together, while the enhancements to our Atlantic Islands Centre will boost efficiency and elevate the visitor experience.”

Luing lies within one of HIE’s inclusive growth focus areas due to its limited amenities and services.

The island is 15 sq km and once supported a population of many hundreds, who were mostly employed in the slate quarries that closed 50 years ago. The population has since declined to about 164, but Luing is working  towards regeneration, including the eventual reopening of one of its quarries on a small scale.