Rural Housing Service - Case Study: Strathmashie

Case Study: Strathmashie Cottages - Laggan Community Trading Company

Partners:
· Laggan Community Trading Company
· Laggan Community Association
· Albyn Housing Society
· Badenoch & Strathspey Enterprise
· Highland Council
· Rural Housing Service
· Triodos Bank

Background
The Community
The Strashmashie Initiative
Background to Initiative
The Houses
The Initiative
Highland Council
The Options
The Empty Homes Initiative
The Bank Loan
The Management Agreement
The Renovation Work
Links

Strathmashie on the Map

Image produced from the Ordnance Survey Get-a-Map service, with permission from Ordnance Survey and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland .

Background
Laggan is a small community in the heart of the Highlands of Scotland. It is surrounded by mountains, the Monadhliath Range, Cairngorms and Grampians. The community consists of a number of settlements the largest of which is Laggan Bridge on the River Spey. Other settlements include Strathmashie, Kinlochlaggan and Cat Lodge. Laggan is 52 miles from Inverness, 65 miles from Perth and 40 miles from Fort William. The nearest town and railway station is Newtonmore (8 Miles). The BBC TV series 'Monarch of the Glen' is filmed in the village and the surrounding area.

The Community
Laggan has a vibrant and active community working to improve the social and economic well being of the community. The Laggan Forestry Trust, working in partnership with Forestry Enterprise has taken over the management of the forests which surround Laggan and is developing initiatives linked to the forest such as an interpretation centre and guided walks.

Laggan Community Trading Company was established in the mid 1980's to take over the ownership of the local shop, Laggan Stores, when it was threatened with closure. It is run by a management committee which stands for re-election annually. The shop functions as the local sub-post office.

The Trading Company also derives some income by leasing out office space above the shop to community organisations - Laggan Forestry Initiative and Laggan Community Partnership. When the Trading Company was established, a condition attached to the funding it received was that it should generate other initiatives. In 1986 the Trading Company took over the running of the petrol station at Kinlochlaggan.

Laggan Stores

Laggan Stores, Laggan

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