Scourie Community Development Company and Assynt Development Trust secured funding from the Crown Estate Scotland Community Capacity Grants Programme. They commissioned the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) to ascertain the feasibility of a Seaweed Farm (or multiple farms) in the NW2045 area. The report was received in December 2022 and indicated at least three potential seaweed farm sites along the NW2045 coastline between Lochinver and Kinlochbervie. Both the ADT and SCDC Boards agreed to proceed with further development of the project.
More recently and with funding support we were able to appoint marine consultants Stevie Jarron from Argyll Aquaculture and Cait Murray from Strategic Scientific to produce a Business Plan for the NW45 / RLUP area, therefore including the coast from Durness to Bettyhill and Coigach, as well as Lochinver to Kinlochbervie. The Plan identifies potential locations, licensing requirements, farm models, seaweed species, quantity and scale, potential funding sources, markets, build requirements, company structure, and whether to focus on all farmed seaweed or possibly wild-harvested seaweeds.
The group has also been in touch with several established companies working in the seaweed industry to explore routes to market. Their approaches have been well received, and communications with them are actively moving forward.