The Highlands Small Communities Housing Trust’s AGM and Annual Conference is being held on Friday 8th September 2017 at the British Legion Club in Inverness. This will be an exciting opportunity to hear from a variety of speakers about rural housing and related subjects, like community empowerment and land reform. Community organisations that are members of HSCHT are eligible to claim expenses for one person to attend the day. There will be exhibitors from partner organisations – you’ll be able to hear from them what other communities around rural Scotland are doing to access their own affordable, cost-effective and secure housing and related benefits.

Our keynote speaker Kate Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, represents a vast constituency. Affordable housing is a topic raised frequently with Kate during surgeries, and many of HSCHT’s projects are in areas Kate represents.

Our second speaker, Megan MacInnes, is a Land Commissioner with the new Scottish Land Commission. Formed only six months ago, the Commission has a broad remit including land ownership, rights, management and use.

Our final speakers, Bernard Planterose and Ewan Young of Leckmelm Wood near Ullapool, recently planned and registered a woodland croft in the forest. Bernard is also an expert in micro-housing and hutting, and is a member of the Forest Policy Group.