Like many communities across Skye and the wider Highlands, Minginish has suffered a steady decline in population, with its school roll at the lowest level it’s ever been. A worrying trend of out-migration of young people is caused by a lack of both economic opportunity and housing. Following concern among residents about the lack of available housing in the area, the directors of Minginish Community Association commissioned the Communities Housing Trust to carry out housing and business needs analysis surveys in 2021. A high number of people responded to the survey and the results of the survey showed that there is a clear need for affordable housing in Minginish and it also showed that a community led affordable housing project would be very well supported.

Given the level of need and support shown, the Board of Minginish Community Association are pleased to say that they are continuing to work with the Communities Housing Trust to progress a community housing project. If you are interested in reading more about the survey result, you can read a summary of the results below.

Isle of Skye, 21 May 2025 - Minginish Community Association (MCA) is pleased to announce the successful purchase of land at Portnalong Pier, marking a major step forward in plans to develop community housing in the area.

The acquisition of land from the Scottish Ministers was made possible thanks to funding secured from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), supporting MCA’s ongoing efforts to address local housing needs and strengthen the sustainability of the Minginish community.

The land, located in a key location near the pier, will be used to develop affordable homes. MCA is working closely with partners and the community to ensure the development meets local needs and reflects community values.

“This is a significant milestone for Minginish,” said Graham Campbell, Chairperson of MCA. “Securing this land means we can now begin the next phase — planning for the creation of homes that will help local people stay in the area, contribute to the community, and support the future of Minginish.”

Further consultation and planning will take place over the coming months, with more details to be announced to the community as the project progresses.

MCA gratefully acknowledges the support of the following funders -

• The Scottish Land Fund
• The Scottish Government's Rural and Islands Housing Fund.
• Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

The support and expertise of the Communities Housing Trust has been crucial in helping to progress this project and MCA looks forward to continued cooperation as the community housing project progresses.

Minginish Community Association extends its gratitude to Ewen MacPherson, Senior Agricultural Officer at the Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate (SGRPID), for his invaluable support throughout the acquisition process.

Contact:

Dawn Campbell, project officer, Minginish Community Association
Tel: 07810446660
Email: project.officer@minginish.scot