Dates, times, and venues are now on the poster below!

More details on the how to get tickets for the Barn Dance, what's happening at the Gala, and info on the sporting events are coming soon - stay tuned!

This feed was drawn from the Stratherrick & Foyers Community Trust website

Our friends at The Beastie Boats are now running their Urquhart Castle Experience daily throughout July, August and September from Foyers Pier! ????

This fantastic 2-hour cruise takes you across Loch Ness to the world-famous Urquhart Castle, where you'll have an hour to explore the castle grounds before returning to Foyers. Prices include entry to the castle.

To make it even easier to enjoy the trip, the Community Minibus has scheduled a visit to The Pier Cafe - Loch Ness on Tuesday 28th July. If you'd like to combine the Beastie Boats trip with a relaxing stop for lunch, coffee or cake at the café, why not join us?

On our return journey, we'll also be stopping at Foyers Community Stores Ltd., giving everyone the chance to pick up a few essentials before heading home.

?? Please note: Booking for the Beastie Boats cruise must be made directly with Beastie Boats. The Community Minibus booking is separate.

?? You can find out more about the cruise, including times and prices, on the attached Beastie Boats flyer.

? All Community Minibus trips are completely FREE! ?

?? Community Minibus Booking Information

? All passengers must book in advance

?? Suitable pick-up points will be confirmed at the time of booking

?? This service is free of charge

? Bookings close at 5pm on the day before each scheduled trip

?? To book your Community Minibus seat:

?? Call or text: 07949 916955

?? Email: minibus@sfctrust.org.uk

We hope you'll join us for a fantastic day out! ??

This feed was drawn from the Stratherrick & Foyers Community Trust website

On Wednesday 22nd July Stratherrick Clay Target Club will be holding a have a go session at the clubhouse. This will be for children aged 9 and above. There will be a maximum of 10 juniors to ensure they get the best out of the session. If you have a child wanting to come along please contact the group to ensure their name is on the list. The group hope to hold another event in August for those unable to attend this one.

This session is partly funded by Stratherrick and Foyers Community Trust.

Email: stratherrickclaytargetclub@outlook.com
Facebook: Click Here

This feed was drawn from the Stratherrick & Foyers Community Trust website

Traditional Music Session – Everyone Welcome!

Come along to the Wildside on Saturday 18th July at 2pm to join Kirsteen and Jack for an afternoon of great tunes and good craic!

This feed was drawn from the Stratherrick & Foyers Community Trust website

Have you visited the revised Walk the Walk web pages recently?

Over the winter months Calum, our Marketing and Media Officer, worked alongside a volunteer from the Pathways Group to redesign the Walk the Walk web pages to create an index page and individual pages for each of the 21 local walks. The main aims of the re-design were: to create a standard layout for each walk and, to enable us to collect statistics for each of the walks. We also took the opportunity to update the index, creating a colour-coded map of the Stratherrick and Foyers area and allocating walk to one of the four regions, Whitebridge, Foyers, Inverfarigaig and Errogie. The new Index and walk pages were made live at the start of April and a more prominent link, Local Walks, was added to the main banner.

We are pleased to present the following statistics for the first three month of the new webpages.

1. Numbers of Unique Visitors

This table shows the number of unique visitors who accessed the pages listed. We have included the top 10 routes with the most popular route being the Loch Ness and The Falls Of Foyers with 60 visitors. Unfortunately, we are currently not able to count the number of times the route was actually walk, which is our ultimate goal.

In total, the 21 walks were visited by 402 visitors who viewed the walk pages 536 times.

2. Visitors By Country

This pie-chart shows the top five countries from which visitors accessed the Walk the Walk Index page between 1^st April and 30^th June 2026.

3. Devices Used

This table identifies the type of device visitors to the Walk the Walk Index pages used and the average amount of time visits lasted.

You can find the Walk The Walk index HERE

This feed was drawn from the Stratherrick & Foyers Community Trust website

The Mobile Library will be in the area next Tuesday morning, so pop along and say hello to Mark!

?? Stopping points & times:

• Errogie – Yellow Brick Road: 10:15 – 10:30

• Gorthleck – Village Hall Car Park: 10:45 – 11:15

• Foyers – The Hub: 11:30 – 12:00

Mark will be on board with plenty of books for all ages – everyone is welcome!

?? Looking ahead: If you can't make this visit, Mark will next be at The Wildside Centre on 22nd July from 11:00am.

?? Contact details

Mark Laurie

Dingwall & Moray Firth Mobile Assistant Librarian

High Life Highland

?? 01349 869869

?? mark.laurie@highlifehighland.com

This feed was drawn from the Stratherrick & Foyers Community Trust website

The Trust is aware of posts on social media which pose some pertinent questions about how the Trust operates and manages the Community Benefit Funds it receives. We are pleased to offer the following information in response to these questions to demonstrate our transparency to provide information and our accountability for the actions, decisions and policies we have put in place to operate our business.

1. The Trust

Stratherrick & Foyers Community Trust (SFCT) is a not-for-profit community company established in 2004 by the Stratherrick and Foyers Community Council to receive and distribute the Community Benefit Funds received from Energy companies (e.g. Wind Farm and Hydro scheme firms) operating in our geographical area.  The aim of the Trust is to help ensure the environmental protection, wellbeing and economic sustainability of all parts of the community area that may be affected by any “Green Energy'' developments.

The Community Trust does not own the funds but manages Community Benefit Funds on behalf of the energy companies. These funds come with specific rules and eligibility criteria, and the Trust is required to follow robust governance and reporting procedures to ensure the funds are used responsibly and for the benefit of the community.

Our Vision Statement is:

“We will act to enhance the quality of lives of people by engaging with the issues that matter to the community and by supporting people, at a sustainable level (i.e. with finance, personal time, specific knowledge etc.) to help people make things happen.”

We are guided by our ‘Articles of Association’ which include our Vision, both of which determine what we do and how we behave:

• To prevent or relieve poverty
• To advance education, training and/or retraining
• To advance heritage
• To advance environmental protection and improvement
• To advance citizenship and/or community development
• To advance the provision of recreational facilities

We are listed at Companies House, as a Company Limited by Guarantee (CLG) and abide by all relevant company legislation including producing annual accounts, sound financial planning and control, directors' duties, the holding of regular member meetings and keeping a proper register of members. There are currently 9 Directors of the Trust, all are volunteers and members of the community. We are always looking for volunteer Directors and would welcome any new applications to become a Director of SFCT.

As an operational organisation the Trust must also meet regulatory and statutory requirements (e.g. Health & Safety, Human Resources regulations, GDPR et al.). In addition, we are obliged to produce reports to our Funders on a regular basis.

 

2. Staffing

2.1 Summary

The current Team is made up of 10 staff members, nine are part-time and one full time. In total they deliver 5.55 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) of effort. Staffing has changed over the years in line with the needs of the Trust during any particular period. Over the last 18 months, the number of staff has reduced with the loss of a Comms & Marketing Officer and a Funding Officer. During the current period we have tried to balance staffing levels against the statutory rises in National Insurance, Living Wage and rising pension cost.

2.2 Details

As a CLG, there are mandatory and regulatory requirements we must perform as a company. To fulfil these company related requirements, we have three internal financial, HR and administrative Team members delivering 1.25FTE hours.

To maintain the community assets the Trust has built up over the years (e.g. Wildside Centre, Foyers Toilets and Bay) we employ a Maintenance Officer and two cleaning staff who deliver 1.2FTE hours.

There are three Team members, delivering 2.1FTE hours, dedicated to community facing roles (Comms & Media Officer, Funding & Development Officer and Project Coordinator). These roles involve keeping the community informed, securing additional funding, and initiating and coordinating the projects agreed by the Board amongst many other responsibilities including organising community events, the community mini-bus service and support our community grant process, which is a large part of what the organisation does.

The final member of the Team is the Chief Executive Officer who is the only full-time staff member. Her role is viewed as 50% company related operational management, i.e. financial processes, regulatory processes (HR, H&S, fire, insurance etc.) and funder reporting; and 50% community facing ensuring that the communities are informed, grants approved and distributed and projects progressed and completed.

Many of the Team members are long standing local community members working part-time hours. They all work very hard to fulfil their roles and support the community which often means working evenings and weekends and frequently being called out of hours by community members to sort out problems.

All the staff roles benefit the community as not only does the Trust provide them with employment but without them the Trust would not be able to distribute grants or fulfil the community’s aspirations as detailed in the Community Action Plan and Local Place Plans.

2.3 Staff Costs

We will not divulge individual’s salaries as GDPR defines this as personal data. As stated in the 24/25 Published accounts, the total staffing costs was £193,421 including NI and pensions.

3. Professional and Consultancy Costs

As with staffing costs, these costs fall into the three categories, organisational, assets and community facing.

As a small organisation we have established ongoing arrangements with professional companies for legal, HR and architectural support which we call on as and when required.

In addition, we have contracts with local firms to mow the grass (and remove the snow), clean windows, empty septic tanks and generally keep the Trust’s estate presentable. There is also a contract cleaner for the toilets at Inverfarigaig and Errogie. We also often need to call on local carpenters and electricians to fix things.

For community facing projects and activities, any professional or consultancy costs are either incorporated in the project budget or, as with the forthcoming Gala and reCAP consultancy costs, our Funding and Development Officer were able to secure grants from other funders (National Lottery and Scottish Government respectively).

We will not provide a breakdown of individual contracts as this is commercially confidential data. As stated in the 24/25 Published accounts, Legal & professional fees cost £38,393 and Repairs & maintenance £39,588.

4. Projects

All projects undertaken by the Trust, in the past, involved community consultations, were aligned to the Community Action Plan and/or Place Plan and a business case presented for approval by the Board. I am not aware of any prioritisation or evaluation process as many of the past projects were started because of opportunities arising in the community (e.g. Riverside Field, Errogie Church).

 It was realised there was a lack of strategic planning and that the Trust needed to complete the projects which have been outstanding for years. To this end we developed a Strategic Planning Process (Appendix 1) and an Operational Project Planning Timeline (Appendix 2).

For the ‘26-’27 projects we undertook an evaluation process which saw five projects, described in a mixed concept/business case proposal, evaluated against agreed criteria and scored to establish the priority order for delivery. Appendix 3 details the evaluation criteria and the prompts used to identify the evidence required.

5. Riverside Field

Full details of the consultation work undertaken to date can be found here: https://stratherrickcommunity.org.uk/projects/Riverside-Field-Foyers/

We also provided a community update on 25 June, which outlined the current proposals and how feedback received through consultations has influenced the plans. You will see from this update that provision has been included for community growing opportunities, including areas dedicated to vegetable cultivation, as well as tree planting and biodiversity improvements throughout the site.

In addition, we held meetings with neighbours of the site at an earlier stage of the project, and the current plan is based very much on the vision and priorities that were agreed through those discussions.

The perimeter path has been part of the vision from the outset. It was identified through the original working group established to explore future use of the site, which included representatives from BCC, the Parent Councils and many other stakeholders. The vision was for a safe, accessible multi-use perimeter path that could be used by walkers, runners, families, wheelchair users and cyclists, creating opportunities for recreation, active travel and improved community access to the wider site. Similar paths have been created in Fort Augustus, Inverarnie and Torvean in Inverness. We are running two trips to view the path in Fort Augustus for anyone in the community to take a look at it if you wanted to attend one of them.

The small pump park was a more recent consideration. This followed receipt of handwritten letters from young people in the community who requested a safe, off-road area where they could ride their bikes. Their feedback highlighted a need for dedicated facilities for younger residents and has been considered as part of the evolving proposals. We are still working on this proposal.

The perimeter track and pump park were not considered in isolation from other ideas. The proposals have evolved through a combination of consultation feedback, engagement with residents and stakeholders, feasibility considerations, funding opportunities and the aspirations identified through the Community Action Plan. As the project develops, we remain committed to engaging with the community and refining the plans to ensure they deliver a range of benefits for people of all ages and interests that will improve health and wellbeing.

The Riverside Field project has evolved considerably since the land was first purchased. While it was always intended to be delivered as a phased project, with some of the larger elements planned for later phases, we have listened carefully to community feedback as the project has progressed. As a result, we have allowed the previous Planning in Principle consent for the larger-scale development to lapse last year and have significantly scaled back the current proposals.

As outlined in the community update of 25 June, the focus is now on delivering a single, more modest phase that reflects current community priorities and available resources. Once this phase has been completed, any future development or improvements to the site will be guided by further engagement with the community, ensuring that residents have a meaningful role in shaping the future of Riverside Field.

6. Community Input to Major Decisions

We currently have an external contractor leading on a review of the CAP which is 5 years old. From this exercise, which involves an online survey and community meetings, we will understand the communities opinions on which CAP Themes they prioritise. From this we will follow the Strategic Planning Process and seek project ideas from the communities. We will liaise with communities and will put forward concept papers detailing their requirements for consideration by the Board.

It is also important to recognise that community input varies depending on the nature of the decision being made. For example, the purchase of the Riverside field arose directly from community demand, with a petition established by local residents requesting that SFCT acquire the land. SFCT subsequently purchased the field with funding from the Scottish Land Fund.

Other decisions are informed through surveys, consultations and community engagement activities. The CAP itself was developed following extensive community consultation and continues to guide our work and priorities. While we are guided by the CAP, we still regularly consult with the community on specific projects and proposals, and we always welcome direct contact from community members who wish to share ideas, concerns or feedback.

The Trust would welcome community input into what they consider to be a ‘major’ decision’ and also, how else we could encourage community input into these decision processes.

7. Financial information

We recognise that statutory accounts are prepared to meet legal and accounting requirements and are not always the easiest documents for everyone to interpret.

The Trust is always open to improving the way it communicates financial information to the community. We would be happy to consider whether additional summaries or explanations could accompany the published annual accounts, or be provided at the AGM, to help members better understand how funds have been used during the year.

As a small organisation with a largely part-time staff team, we also need to ensure that any additional reporting is proportionate and does not detract from delivering projects or meeting our statutory and funder reporting obligations. Our aim is to provide information that is both meaningful and accessible, whilst making the best use of the Trust's resources.

8. Board meetings or community meetings online

There are several reasons why Board Meetings are conventionally held in private, and there are basically two underlying causes for this occurring.

Firstly, from an operational perspective, a Board may have to consider confidential practical matters such as staff wages, employment conditions, or perhaps a Grant Applicant’s personal details. It is accepted that the Board of SFCT may not necessarily be constantly involved in huge commercial decisions that may be sensitive, but they must certainly consider strategic issues and projects involving our Community. It is very easy for discussions around such matters to be misconstrued or misinterpreted, which can lead to incorrect speculation.

There is also the question of decision making. Not all decisions are unanimous. Although it is the task of the Chair to seek a consensus that is not always achievable, but once a decision is made, it is the duty of all Directors to be in support. Some, on a personal basis, may not be in agreement, and that choice will always be respected - but it serves no purpose to publicise this and would be counter-productive if division was evident in public.

Board meetings must therefore ensure the freedom of Directors to be open and frank, with honest, candid debate. If there is disagreement, then Directors must be free to criticise and question proposals.

So, this leads to the second underlying cause for privacy – and this is perhaps the most important. Discussions must be candid, with the rights and wrongs evenly heard, without the fear of repercussions or criticism. If an attempt were made to hold meetings in public, it would undoubtedly stifle open debate. SFCT Board meetings are far from “cosy chats”, often being heated, with very lively discussion. This serves to bring about joint, collective decisions made without fear or favour, in the knowledge that all Directors have openly expressed their full opinion. This would be unlikely in a public forum.

It is understood that some in the Community would wish to have greater knowledge of what occurs in the Board Meetings, but a Company’s Minutes should only record the subject or proposal that is being made and the decision of the Board. To record the full conversations that occur is impractical and would be, frankly, tedious and of little use. We try to give some context to the decisions made but must balance that by summarising as best we can briefly what was proposed and what the Board decided.

To really find out what happens at Board Meetings if anyone was so minded, every year there are opportunities to join the Board and play a very active part. Rest assured an awful lot goes on between Board Meetings and it is a very interesting organisation in which to become involved. There is also an AGM held every November where Members can ask questions and seek clarification on anything that may concern them. We have also instigated a twice yearly joint open meeting with the Community Council, where everyone is encouraged to attend and ask questions from the floor. In addition, contact details for Directors and Staff are on our website and we actively encourage community members to be in touch. There are staff in Wildside most weekday mornings and Jewels, our CEO, is more than happy to explain projects and proposals or deal with general enquiries. In summary, there are lots of ways to get answers to your questions – just give them a try – you might be surprised!

Our message is that we must preserve some confidentiality, be it for personal, legal or commercial reasons – but there are no secrets. Why would there be?

Appendix 1 Strategic Planning Process

Appendix 2 Operational Project Timeline

Appendix 3

Trust Project Proposals

(Concept Papers)

Evaluation Framework for 2026-2027 Projects

The Evaluation Framework

Each concept paper will be evaluated against seven criteria:

1. Strategic Context & Alignment
2. Community Impact
3. Operational Feasibility
4. Financial Viability of both Project & Operational Costs
5. Monitoring & Evaluation
6. Sustainability & Legacy
7. Innovation & Added Value

For each of the criteria on the Evaluation form we have added prompts to highlight the type of evidence we want you to evaluate.

Evaluation Form Prompts

Strategic Context & Alignment

• Community Need: Is the community need clearly defined and supporting evidence provided?
• Trust Objectives: Does the proposal clearly support one or more of the trust’s strategic aims or CAP themes (e.g. social housing, transport, local welfare, heritage, sustainability)?
• Policy Fit: Is it aligned with national frameworks like the Scottish Government’s Community Empowerment Act, Local Place Plans, or Just Transition principles?

Community Impact

• Local Benefit: Who benefits—residents, volunteers, visitors? Is it inclusive of vulnerable or under-represented groups?
• Consultation Evidence: Has the proposal been shaped by community input or participatory processes?
• Legacy Potential: Will it leave lasting infrastructure, skills, or social capital?

Operational Feasibility

• Delivery Plan: Are timelines, milestones, and responsibilities clearly defined?
• Staffing & Volunteers: Are roles realistic given local capacity? Does it require recruitment or training?
• Risk & Mitigation: Are risks identified and managed appropriately?

Financial Viability of both Project & Operational Costs

• Budget Clarity: Are the budgets detailed, justified, and proportionate?
• Ongoing Maintenance: Can the trust or community sustain it post-delivery?
• Funding Sources: Are grants, match funding, or in-kind contributions secured or realistic?
• Value for Money: Does the cost reflect the scale and depth of impact?

Monitoring & Evaluation

• Reporting: Is there a plan for sharing progress with trustees, funders, and the community?
• Success Measures: Are there clear KPIs or outcomes linked to strategic goals?
• Evaluation: Will the project produce an end of project report and evaluate the project? Does it identify how evaluation will be undertaken: participatory evaluation, scoring matrices, or quality management systems? 

Sustainability & Legacy

• Environmental Impact: Does it support climate resilience, environmental sustainability or biodiversity?
• Replicable: Could it be scaled up or adapted for other rural areas?

Innovation & Added Value

• Innovation: Does the project bring something new or enhances existing work or activities?
• Added Value: Does it build or enhance local capacity or partnerships?

This feed was drawn from the Stratherrick & Foyers Community Trust website

When: Sat 11th July ?

Join SFCT for a FREE community minibus trip to the Inverness Highland Games at Bught Park – one of the Highlands' most iconic summer events! Enjoy a fantastic day filled with traditional Highland games, including the famous heavy events, Highland dancing, piping, track & field competitions, live music, local food and drink, family entertainment, and a bustling craft market. It's a brilliant day out for all ages.

? All trips are completely FREE! ?

?? Important Information

? All passengers must book in advance

?? Suitable pick-up points will be confirmed at the time of booking

?? This service is free of charge

? Bookings close at 5pm on the day before the trip

?? To book your seat:

?? Call or text: 07949 916955

?? Email: minibus@sfctrust.org.uk

?? For more information about the Inverness Highland Games, please visit:

https://invernesshighlandgames.com/

This feed was drawn from the Stratherrick & Foyers Community Trust website

Join us for a community outing to Fort Augustus to explore the beautiful Old Convent Land walking trails and woodland area.

The project has been a source of inspiration during our ongoing conversations about the future of Riverside Field, particularly around ideas such as accessible shared paths, seating areas, community growing spaces, outdoor learning opportunities and low-impact recreational facilities that work alongside the natural environment.

The Old Convent Land was purchased by the local community in 2018 and has since been developed into a well-loved community asset, balancing public access, heritage and biodiversity. The visit will provide an opportunity to see first-hand how similar ideas have been successfully implemented elsewhere, whilst enjoying a walk through the woodland and meeting other members of the community.

Date: Thurs 23rd & Wed 29th July

Transport: Community Minibus (spaces are limited).

Booking must be made in advance.

To reserve a place, Call or text: 07949 916955

Or email: minibus @‌sfctrust.org.uk

This feed was drawn from the Stratherrick & Foyers Community Trust website

We're delighted to share our July Community Minibus programme! Whether you're joining us for a coffee morning, a shopping trip, a community event or a day out, we would love to welcome you on board.

?? Our first scheduled trip is to the BCC Summer Party this Saturday! If you'd like to travel with us, please make sure you book your place on the minibus before 5pm on Friday.

? All trips are completely FREE! ?

?? Important Information

? All passengers must book in advance

?? Suitable pick-up points will be confirmed at the time of booking

?? This service is free of charge

? Bookings close at 5pm on the day before each scheduled trip

?? To book your seat:

?? Call or text: 07949 916955

?? Email: minibus@sfctrust.org.uk

?? July Trips

?? Sat 4th July – BCC Summer Party

?? Wed 8th July – Coffee Morning at BCC Hub (with a stop at Foyers Stores)

?? Fri 10th July – Early Evening Trip to Inverness (with a stop at MacGregors Bar)

?? Sat 11th July – Trip to Inverness Highland Games

?? Thurs 16th July – Under Canvas Drop-Off (4.00pm) – Eden Court

?? Fri 17th July – Broth 'n Blether at BCC Hub (with a stop at Foyers Stores)

?? Sat 18th July – Loch Ness Luvvies Show – Stratherrick Hall

?? Wed 22nd July – Afternoon Shopping Trip to Inverness

?? Tues 28th July – Trip to The Pier Café (with a stop at Foyers Stores)

?? Spaces are limited, so book early to avoid disappointment.

?? Have an idea for a future trip? We'd love to hear from you! Get in touch with your suggestions and help us shape future Community Minibus outings.

This feed was drawn from the Stratherrick & Foyers Community Trust website