First steps to making Carloway a better place to live and work

Carloway Community Association are on course to buy the former Carloway Primary School from Comhairle nan Eilean Siar at a cost of £9,000 and kick-start a re-development of the site.

Funding to spur on the project is courtesy of a £74,758 grant from the Scottish Land Fund. It is early days for the project - the grant will enable the aquisition of the building, initial surveys and design work to take place - but more funding will have to be found to drive the project forward to completion.

However ambitions for the site include the development of a Rural Life Centre, a Community shop, space for new enterprises to grow and perhaps a childcare facility.

In addition, a development officer post has been funded for 12 months by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), to support the project and aspirations of the community.

Welcoming the award Mairi Steele, Secretary of the Carloway Community Association said: “Carloway Community Association is thrilled that our application to the Scottish Land Fund has been successful. The funding will enable us to buy the former school on behalf of the Community and deliver much needed facilities for local people – making the Carloway area a better place to live and work.”

She added: “In very many senses this will help bring the heart back to the Community which was dealt a major blow when the school closed in 2013.”