This week’s updates;

• A very busy week for the Trust. Fourteen students from the Inverness based Forestry School visited the Trust along with their lecturer Amanda Bryan. Luckily they picked the only good day of this week for a walk and talk in Tormore Forest. Thanks to directors and staff for helping out with all the arrangements.
• Piotr Godziszewski, Kirkton Woodland’s new Forest Development Officer, accompanied the students for a knowledge visit to our community forest after a meeting in Trust offices on Wednesday
• The Community Council cancelled meeting of last week regarding the new West Highlands and Islands Local Plan with now take place this Tuesday the 10th at Seomar Cruinneachaidh, SMO (7.30pm). The meeting will include a presentation by Tim Stott, Principal Planner for the Highland Council Planning and Development Service. It will be followed by a Q and A session. This will be an opportunity to learn of the proposed new Development Plan and how this will affect Sleat in the future. All are welcome.
• Thanks to Chris Pendlebury for coming into discuss work to date and future planning for a memorial bench for his wife Annabel. The Trust’s environment group are now taking this on as a project and will be helping to clear the identified area in Tormore Forest and research the associated costs involved for this work.
• Calum has been on his travels to Badenoch to learn about their community broadband network. Some great learning’s which can be used as we plan our own Network rollout this spring/summer. To that end the successful tenderer who will install Skyenet Broadband into households is local firm MacPherson Electrical.
• Chris Nixon of Forestry Commission Scotland visits today to further discuss collaboration opportunities in local forest areas.
• Tormore:Explore is the new name for all things community and recreation within our forest. Emma Micski will be starting the ball rolling on this new Trust initiative by hosting forest school activity days over the coming months.
• Sleat Community Trading will be producing 4 postcards for sale in the Armadale shop in the coming season to promote our area. We would like to invite anyone who enjoys photography to send in high quality images of some of the most recognisable Sleat scenery and views - such as Isle Ornsay lighthouse, the Cuillin from Tarskavaig or Loch Dughaill, a view from Ord, a cracking sunset, etc. Short-listed photos will be posted on the Sleat Community Trust and Visit Sleat Facebook pages. The final 4 pictures selected for use will be printed on panoramic format postcards and the photographers will be acknowledged on the reverse of the postcard. We will also present a framed postcard to each of the successful photographers. Closing date for entries is 22nd March. Please submit your images by email to office@sleat.org.uk or through our Facebook or Twitter pages.