A HIGHLAND community is celebrating a major funding milestone in its bid to build the first affordable housing development in the area in more than 50 years.
Coigach Community Development Company (CCDC), a community-led charitable organisation, is set to build 10 new homes for social rent in the peninsula just north of Ullapool.
The development, named Achagarry, meaning “place of the garden”, will see new, energy-efficient homes built on the brownfield site of the former Achiltibuie Hydroponicum and will cost around £3 million to build.
CCDC is now set to break ground in the coming days after receiving £1,840,950 from the Scottish Government's Rural and Islands Housing Fund, £575,920 from the Highland Council, and £95,000 from SSE Renewables.
Ben Walton, chair of CCDC said: “This is an exciting time for Coigach. The last social housing was built in 1974, where I grew up myself, and it took nearly 15 years to get this site but finally, we are well on the way to a whole new chapter.”
CCDC bought the site in 2023, funded by the Scottish Land Fund and its own community-owned wind turbine.
After acquiring the site, there were several months of pre-development work, but the organisation was granted planning permission in July last year.
Local firm Ullapool Construction Ltd has been appointed to build the houses at Achagarry and will be on site by the end of June.
CCDC CEO Laura Hamlet said: “The good news about funding was on hold due to the election, and our team has been itching to share this, now we can finally put our hard hats on and crack on.”
The organisation said that this summer promises to be an “exciting time for everyone” in Coigach as they look forward to the place that once grew bananas, to now housing families and growing the community.
