To follow this weeks updates as follows;

• The community tree planting day is now fixed for Saturday the 23rd of February starting at 10am. Meet at the entrance to Tormore forest, bring your own spade and waterproofs along with a snack to eat. We have around 2000 trees to plant and if we get good numbers then it should only take a couple of hours. This is your chance in years to come to say I helped to plant that forest!
• Small things that the Trust has helped with this week; loaned its projector and screen to the Moorings Association for their AGM, laminated Visit Sleat members promotional materials, gave the use of its meeting room to the Garden of Skye board.
• The Trust has applied to HIE for a fully funded exhibition space at the Social Enterprise Exchange event in Glasgow in March. If successful the Trust will use the space to promote the work of the Trust and its subsidiaries (particularly woodfuel) and the Visit Sleat project.
• The district valuer has given a quote for the valuation of forestry land at Kinloch (£1100 plus VAT). An application to the Forestry Commissions seed corn fund will be made for the Trusts 50% share of this fee.
• After a meeting with Chrisanne MacDonald of SLCVO, Angus has agreed to become a director of this organisation.
• The Trust’s broadband group met this week to discuss the delivered design study. Several points of clarification are being requested from Rural Broadband Networks. The Tarskavaig proof of concept maybe used now to provide up to 12 households with fast broadband. Householders will bear the installation cost. Sleat Community Trading Company Ltd has agreed in principle to administer and maintain the system.
• The Camuscross & Duisdale Initiative (CDI) have asked if Sleat Renewables Ltd (SRL) wishes to be involved in the proposed Allt Duisdale hydro scheme. Options for SRL are; to take over the running of the complete scheme or become a partner with CDI in the project or prepare and give advice for funding/loan applications or not to become involved in the project. The board will discuss all options at their next board meeting in two weeks’ time.
• Angus will visit the Applecross Community Company next week.