Funders SCVO, North Highland Initiative, Highland Council , The Woodland Trust and Awards for All

Location; The Doctors’ Park purchased from Scourie Estate by the community with funding from the Scottish Land Fund

Spread over three years, the project aims to help mitigate the negative effects of climate change by creating a suitable habitat for biodiversity and wildlife, in particular for pollinators, whilst simultaneously acting as a buffer zone for Scourie Rocks and as a community growing area. Funding in support of Phase One allowed us to fence off from herbivores an area of the site and with help from volunteers, some 840 native hedgerow saplings, fruit trees, and 440 wildflower plugs have been planted, small tools purchased and a tool shed and polycrub erected, the wildflower meadow now part of the Highland Councils’ Wildflower Mosaic Project,.

With funding provided by Awards for All, a part time Growing Active Facilitator was appointed. Phase Two now provides opportunity for experienced and aspiring growers to utilise the polycrub and outdoor plots with produce doing well albeit challenging at times due to the windy and exposed location above the beach 

Scourie Primary School and Nursery group sessions take place on a Friday with planting, weeding, watering and a gardening quiz with new words like sowing, drilling and germinating, puzzles and a treasure hunt to find and name different vegetables and plants. Nursery age children helping to plant and harvest tatties and strawberries

Benefits – Social benefit and increase in physical activity for volunteers and growers