"Together, we are all the Caithness Broch Project, and we want to do something that hasn’t been achieved in nearly 2000 years… we want to build a broch!

It’s taken us years to get here, thanks to your support we’re at a point where we can finally say we need money to buy the site!

This is the start of our fundraising and we’ll need the support of larger companies and grants to make it a reality but to secure the funding from them we need to show our community is still with us. Your donation today will do just that: move us towards our total and help us secure other funds.

We have today launched a crowdfunder which will help us to acquire the site, and begin, in earnest, our Big Broch Build.

If you can help with this, please consider donating on the link below.

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/buy-the-broch-site

If you would like to know about our progress so far, please check out the updates below!

Our Progress

We’ve already made excellent progress with our ‘ultimate aim’ over the last ten years, and we have selected a site to build our broch.

We have worked with award-winning Hoskins Architects (now Hamilton Hay Van Jonker) and Jura Consultants on the replica broch project. Now is the time to buy our chosen Flygla site.

Recently we have:

• Signed memorandums of understanding with the landowner of our chosen site, The Flow Country Partnership and the Environmental Research Institute (Part of the UHI).
• Submitted our initial planning application
• Produced a traffic assessment and junction design – this was a significant risk as we have looked at several sites that were discounted due to problems with road access.
• Gained feedback from council archaeologist.
• Obtained feedback from Nature Scot and first stage protected species survey.
• Held discussions with SSE regarding working under their power line infrastructure.
• Secured a map from Scottish Water which shows no water main or drainage on or near the site…
• …Then had initial discussions with drainage designer on drainage layout!
• Prepared site sections to demonstrate that the broch will not be overly prominent on the site (as per Planning pre-application feedback).
• Drafted a site plan prepared showing an indicative site layout with paths and roads with gradients.
• Had a peat survey completed over areas of most interest.
• Delivered community consultation with online survey and in-person events in Latheron.
• Consulted on the croft status of part of the land.

A project of such unprecedented ambition – if we do say so ourselves! - means that there is a lot to understand and to plan ahead for. But though it sometimes moves slowly, it is still incredibly exciting, and we are committed to pushing the project forward, bit by bit, every day.

It’s a lot of work – we are all volunteers – but today we ask you to show your support by donating to help us buy the site.

We can’t thank you enough for helping a shared dream become a shared reality!

So, please visit our Crowdfunder, and help us make it all happen:

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/...

 Keep on brochin' in the free world!