Patron: - John Macleod, Chief of the Macleods of Raasay

Raasay House Community Company Patron: - John MacLeod, Chief of the MacLeods of Raasay NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER

Raasay House ROK continues to make good progress with the House. Work is now more than 50% complete and all the subcontractors are on site. The amount of rot in the House was considerably more than estimated; the roof timbers in the East wing were in such poor condition that it is quite likely that some of the roof would have been blown off in the next major gales. The resulting extra work means that ROK does not now expect to finish before Christmas, as originally hoped. They are however confident that they will finish in January, which is within the contract date. The photographs below show the high standard to which the work is being carried out.

East Gable essentially complete Guttering painted and ready for installation. The old guttering was in poor condition and not reuseable. Specialists have produced exact replicas.

Stonework replacement Last sections of the roof being slated

The new building, which will house showers and a workshop, is being prefabricated in Glasgow, and will be delivered to the island at the end of the month.

Registered Office: Anderson Shaw and Gilbert, York House, 20 Church Street, Inverness, IV1 1ED Company No: SC 200315 Raasay House Community Company Patron: - John MacLeod, Chief of the MacLeods of Raasay

We are pleased to offer a limited number of places on tours of the House during early October to island residents and ‘Friends’. The tours will take place in the afternoons. If interested please contact any board member or Alison Macleod (01520 744348). Places on the tour will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

Walled Garden The board received the final draft report on the restoration and operation of the Raasay Walled Garden from the Scottish Agricultural College at the end of August. The report provides a thorough study of the present condition of the garden, including soil analysis, an assessment of cropping potential, marketing advice and guidance for the interim and long term management of the garden. It includes a suggested design on which to base the restoration of the Garden. The board has also commissioned an inventory of the plants presently in the Garden.

Current state of Community Walled Garden Raasay House side

Tower? +Interpret A lovely place to sit and enjoy

Vegetable Rotation F

SAC Proposed Garden Layout

Registered Office: Anderson Shaw and Gilbert, York House, 20 Church Street, Inverness, IV1 1ED Company No: SC 200315 Raasay House Community Company Patron: - John MacLeod, Chief of the MacLeods of Raasay

The board will present the findings and recommendations in the SAC report at a public meeting on Tuesday, September 30th at 7.30pm at the hotel. The presentation will also cover plans for the rest of the policies. All Raasay residents and Friends are welcome. The Walled Garden is an asset with considerable potential which belongs to the community. The board would like to use this meeting to explore with the community ways of bringing the Garden back into productivity, while at the same time allowing local people and visitors access to it for work and leisure. The Raasay community purchased the walled garden from HIE with vacant possession and there are no tenancies in place or rents paid since March 2007. Any issues relating to any supposed agricultural tenancy will be settled via due legal process. However, prior to this we had made every effort to encourage Sadie McLeod to work with us and the community to develop the whole garden for the benefit of us all, but sadly without success. The present uncertainty means that no progress has been made in the garden this summer, which is disappointing for all concerned. If you have never been in the garden (or it’s a long time since you were) please contact one of the board members who will be pleased to show you round.

Managing our Woodland The community now owns nearly 36 hectares on Raasay. This includes the woods either side of the Creagan Beagan, these are a real asset both in terms of the timber available for fuel and the lovely walks and spectacular views. To realize these the company plans to hold chain saw courses on the island this autumn. It is hoped that we will be able to hold both basic (5 day courses) and more advanced (2 day courses) but this will depend on the level of demand. We are currently looking for ways of financing the courses; we hope to be able to offer them free of charge to residents of Raasay. Some areas of woodland which belong to the community are ready to be felled, and we are keen for local people to be able to access this for firewood. If interested in a course please contact Alison Macleod. We are also discussing with the Forestry Commission ways in which we can co-operate in opening up the original walk round Loch A’Mullin, clearing some of the trees which obscure the views from Temptation Hill and funding footpath and cycleway tracks.

RHCC Directors

Registered Office: Anderson Shaw and Gilbert, York House, 20 Church Street, Inverness, IV1 1ED Company No: SC 200315