Residents of Glendale, in Skye, are to get their own community hall for the first time. Work on the new hall began last week, it will have a main hall area, meeting room, kitchen, toilets, storage and an office.  A clerk of works has been appointed to oversee the build.

Currently the nearest hall is ten miles away in Dunvegan and community activities in Glendale are centred round the primary school portacabin and a community marquee. 

The existing facility is only really suitable for evening meetings as the school uses it during the day.  There is no stage area for performances of any kind and no catering or storage facilities.  Access to the marquee, which has to be erected in a field, is restricted and with uneven flooring and no toilet facilities it is unsuitable for many activities.

The community hall project is being assisted by Skye and Lochalsh Enterprise (SALE) who are providing funding of £40,458.  A further £1,120 is coming from the Community Economic Development (CED) programme, which is a European Union funded initiative managed locally by SALE.  The CED programme aims to assist community developments, which demonstrate an economic activity, by providing funding to small scale projects at a local level.

Over the years groups have formed in the area and at the moment meet in people's houses or in the portacabin.  These include a community arts group sharing skills such as spinning, weaving, knitting and embroidery; a cards group; a gardening club; a whist club; a music group; a bible studies group; a youth club and a yoga class. 

Clare Gray, who is chairperson of the Glendale Community Hall Association, said: "The groups that are already up and running will find the facilities of the new hall invaluable and will hopefully get much more out of their meetings in the future.  We are sure many more activities, clubs and interest groups will be formed to make use of this great new facility when it opens."

Jennifer Robertson, a development manager with SALE, said: "The community of Glendale has been disadvantaged in terms of access to services and amenities due to its geographical remoteness.  This new hall will provide a great resource for all residents, providing them with a venue where they can come together as a community and take part in many more social activities."