Funding award for £1.5m community-led Glen Urquhart hub project

The Glen Urquhart Rural Community Association (GURCA) is leading a £1.5m redevelopment of Glen Urquhart Public Hall in the village.

The project aims to breathe new life into the building, creating a much-needed hub that will serve as a centre for local services, events, workshops and visitor experiences. It will also support one part-time job and increase the income for the community.

Built in 1906, the traditional stone hall had deteriorated over the last decade despite community efforts. GURCA now plans a full refurbishment, including modern upgrades, energy-efficient heating and improved insulation.

Gabbi Armstrong, development manager at HIE, said:

“This is a great example of a community initiative that will bring benefits to residents and visitors. GURCA has done a great job of furthering community development in an area that has a huge number of visitors and residents, and this is an important extension of their efforts.

“I am delighted that we’ve been able to provide support and look forward to continuing to work with GURCA. Working together with other funders from an early stage has been absolutely critical to helping to support GURCA’s ambitions”

The community group’s goal is to sustain and improve the quality of life for the people of Glen Urquhart by working in partnership with other groups.

HIE’s support brings the project one step closer to fruition. The project was awarded Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) £602,500 from the Scottish Government. It is also being supported by £70,000 of GURCA’s own funds of which £50,000 was raised from a successful community fundraiser. Garfield Weston Foundation has contributed £30,000 and the Great Glen Energy company another £20,000. The Loch Ness Hub, the community benefit society founded by GURCA, has also contributed £5,000 to the project.

Registered charity for Glen Urquhart and Strathglass, Soirbheas, awarded £100,000 for the project initially from its investment in the Corrimony Wind Farm and they have supplemented this with another £290,000 from the SSE Renewables Bhlaraidh Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund to help secure the total funding package for the project. Soirbheas, GURCA and Glen Urquhart Community Council worked together to create a Community Action Plan for the community.

Jimmy Murray, Chair of Soirbheas, said:  

“We are delighted to support this exciting project in what is our largest ever funding award.  The redevelopment is about more than a building — GURCA are building opportunities for connection, collaboration, and belonging. It will be a hub where we can come together and strengthen the bonds that make our community thrive.”

Susan Griffin, Chair of GURCA said:

“The team here in Glen Urquhart, have worked tirelessly for the past 10 years to get to this point for our Hall project. Securing the total funding for the project is a significant milestone for us and we now look forward to the works taking place over the summer with the venue re-opening later in the year. I’m eternally grateful to everyone from GURCA and the community who have helped us to get to this point and to our funders who had the confidence in us to provide the investment needed for our much-loved Hall. It is a place where memories are made and friendships cemented.”

Susan continued:

“We are supported by a great team to implement the project, which includes architect Chris Davenport, CDMM – Mechanical & Electrical Engineer, McLeod & Aitken – QS, Fairhurst – structural engineer, and Compass the Main Contractor”.

GURCA owns and manages the hall and the village green and owns several assets leased to local groups, including Loch Ness Hub, Blairbeg Park, community woodlands and a former forest and Land Scotland site at Balnain which is now leased to Men’s Shed in the area. The group also plans to develop the Old Scotmid site into a sports focussed wellbeing centre.