News and Events

MCDC are pleased to publish a special edition of our quarterly newsletter. Introducing the Live Life Morvern update. Find our where the project has gone four years on.

I trust this update has been beneficial. As part of the follow up from the Live Life Morvern it was decided that we would follow up with a Local Place Plan which has now been completed and has been uploaded on the Highland Council website. We appreciate all the feedback and assistance from the community to pulling that together, especially the steering group consisting of Sam Firth, Sarah Jones, Henriette Laidlaw, Peter Lawson, Annabel Lawrence, Douglas Taylor and Megan Whyte.

One of the action points from Live Life Morvern was improving spaces for young people in the area. As part of the MCDC housing scheme, a contribution will be made to upgrading the local play equipment.

One of the action points in Live Life Morvern was to further develop the Wildlife Garden at Lochaline Primary School. Steve Hardy who has been involved in this project gave the following update.

Rhian Evans, Chair of the Morvern Resilience Group, has provided the following update on Morvern’s Resilience Strategy.

The village hall in Lochaline is run by a small group of village residents as a Scottish Charity. The hall is a multi-functional building which is well used by the community.

Species reintroduction across the peninsula was noted as an action point in Live Life Morvern and CAOLAS, Ardtornish Estate and Drimnin Estate have all made significant progress in this area.

One of the action points in Live Life Morvern was to reduce the numbers of deer in the peninsula to protect the local habitates. Peter Lawson, Chair of Morvern Deer Management Group, has given the following update.

Since the publication of the Live Life Morvern Community Action Plan in June 2022, the Saving Morvern’s Rainforest Project (SMRF) has gone through a development phase and is now being actively implemented on the ground.

Saving Morvern’s Rainforest was identified in the Live Life Morvern Action plan as high priority for the community. It has been one of the aims of Morvern Community Woodlands (MCW) since it was created in 2001.  Since then, the woodlands group has campaigned for; the conservation and restoration of native woodland on Morvern; better access to woodlands for local people; and the promotion of woodland skills and jobs. 

Morvern Community Trading Company (MCTC) is one of the subsidiary trading companies of MCDC and is responsible for managing Lochaline Harbour (including gym, sauna and e-bikes), the Hub (including Hub Café) and the fuel pumps.

Community spirit is strong in Morvern with over 30 different groups to belong to—there’s something for everyone! Throughout the year the community gathers together for an amazing number of different events organised by these groups.

The Attic started in 2023 and is a community charity shop organised and run by volunteers and is based in the community hub building. It is open on Saturdays from 11am-3pm.

Ardtornish has been doing considerable work redeveloping their existing housing stock. Hugh Raven, of Ardtornish Estate has provided the following update on their progress.

The Live Life Morvern Action Plan identified housing, croft creation, path networks and protection of the rainforest in Morven as important to the Morvern Community.  Morvern Community Woodlands (MCW) is hoping that The Lochaline Community Forest project can address these priorities. 

MCDC has been grateful to be able to use a recent local housing survey by Urram to be able to support their funding applications as the survey clearly demonstrates the local need for more affordable housing.

The directors and staff of Morvern Community Development Company (MCDC) are delighted to announce that we have completed our funding package and achieved the final planning consents to move to the build phase of our affordable homes project in Lochaline. MCDC will be building 14-two-and-three-bedroom homes and are very grateful to everyone who has worked so hard over a number of years to bring the project to this point.

Morvern Community Development Company are pleased to be publishing their Annual Report for 2025-2026.

Morvern Community Development Company are holding their next public board meeting in Lochaline Village Hall at 7pm on Tuesday 21st April.

MCDC are pleased to have published their latest quarterly newsletter with updates about our housing project, a new chef for The Hub Café, details of all our summer season opening times at Lochaline Harbour and much much more!

We’re delighted to welcome Robert to our team in The Hub Café! Robert is passionate about food, particularly about using local ingredients wherever possible. The Hub Café is open Wednesday—Saturday 10am-3pm and is also open on Thursday 5-9pm for evening meals and bar

Morvern Community Development Company (MCDC) are thrilled to be moving into the next phase of delivering a long term community priority—more housing in Morvern. The site has now been cleared with thanks to local contractors and some of the initial electrical work has been completed.

MCDC is looking for expressions of interest from members of the community who might be interested in being as co-opted as new MCDC Board members.

The brand new gym at Lochaline Harbour opened on the 1st March. Book your induction in now to get going!

Morvern Community Trading Company are looking to recruit a café cook and manager for our community owned and run Hub Café.

The MCDC September Newsletter has been published! There are paper copies available to read in the hub and harbour and a PDF available to read here. If you would like to receive future copies of the newsletter directly into your inbox, please get in touch with Isla via [email protected]

CLAM has an exciting plan brewing. We’re dreaming of creating a sensory path around our main growing area, which will be about 350 meters long.

MCDC is launching a Volunteer of the Season. We’d like to invite you to nominate a volunteer from Morvern who you think deserves to be celebrated and thanked in our next newsletter alongside highlighting the organisation (or organisations!) that they give their time to. To find out more about how to nominate someone, please read more below. 

Thank you to everyone who entered our photography competition and to our highly talented judges, Jim Manthorpe and Sam Firth, who kindly gave their time and experience to judge our competition. Our Beautiful Morvern Calendar for 2026 is now on sale in the harbour and the café. 50% of the profits will be donated to Caolas.

We’re hosting a series of exciting events in the café this autumn!

Morvern Community Development Company Ltd will be holding its Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, 7th October 2025 at 6pm in Lochaline Village Hall. All welcome to attend though only members are able to vote. Proxy forms are available to download here or from MCDC office. If you would like to become a member or enquire about your membership status, please contact the MCDC office.

MCDC is looking to appoint new directors at the upcoming AGM in October 2025. Any person wishing to be considered as a director must be an ordinary member (or eligible to become one) and provide the names of two other ordinary members of the company who have agreed to support your application.

The Highland Council has launched a survey about the housing needs and future aspirations of local households. The survey will allow the Council to better understand the housing circumstances and needs of local households so that a good range of housing options can be delivered in the future. The results will help the Council plan for new housing and housing services, making sure the needs of all residents and communities are met.

Our June edition of the MCDC newsletter has now been published and is available to read on the website or in paper copies in The Hub Café or the meeting room of the hub.

Lochaline Hazelwood, acquired by MCDC in 2003 has long been a resource of recreation for our community, and an important native habitat for wildlife. To date, no formal plan of management has existed for the site, meaning MCDC recently commissioned woodland advisor Diane Baum of The Woodland Trust to create one. On Monday 30th June, we will visit the residents who live close to the woodland (primarily of Torr Na Faire) to hear their thoughts on the plan. There will also be the opportunity to provide written feedback to [email protected], all of which will be considered and implemented into the final version of the management plan. We envisage that the final version, which is ready to be enacted, will be ready by October 2025.

Our community Hub Café, in the ground floor of the community hub building, re-opened in April and we’ve all been enjoying having the buzz of the café back in the building. The café is currently open Wednesday—Saturday, 10am-4.30pm but from July it will also be open on Sundays.

MCTC is delighted to have welcomed three new members of staff to Lochaline Harbour. Alastair Grier has joined us as our full time Harbour Master and Heather Fyfe has returned for a second summer season at Lochaline Harbour. More recently, Hamish Kennedy has joined us to provide weekend support to the team. They’ve all already contributed a huge amount to the Harbour and wider team since starting and we’re thrilled to be working with them.

We’re all enjoying the new summer season at Lochaline Harbour and are excited to be able to share our new improvements with the community and visitors including a full refurbishment of the showers and a nomadic tent and wood-fired sauna. We were also delighted to start this season as not only building and business owners but now also as the landowners at Lochaline Harbour. Thank you to everyone who has been working so hard at the harbour.

MCDC are building new two and three-bedroom family homes that will be ready to move into at the end of 2026. They will all be available for affordable rent in line with rates set by Highland Council (which are currently £113.90 per week for a two-bed and £125.14 per week for a three-bed) and will also be affordable to run. We are now looking for expressions of interest from both individuals and businesses to be on our candidate information list for when we are ready to advertise for tenants. Please fill in and return the downloadable form if you would like to be on the list to be contacted with our application pack (likely in autumn 2026).

MCDC is launching a Morvern photography competition! Winning entries will be featured in a charity calendar for 2026 intended to highlight our beautiful peninsula including the community, the views, and the flora and fauna.  Whether you’re an established and experienced photographer, or you’re just starting out, we hope you’ll get involved.

Morvern Community Development Company are hosting two community drop in events about the housing project on Thursday 10th April from 14.00-16.00 and from 18.00-19.30. There has been a lot happening in the last few months and this is an opportunity to hear about the progress and ask any questions. We look forward to seeing you all there!

MCTC is looking to employ a café manager for our beautiful and popular community café in the heart of our picturesque coastal village.

MCTC have updated the terms and rates for the Hub Meeting Room.

MCDC is looking to engage a contractor with a digger to dig 6 x trial pits for our Lochaline Community Housing Project.

Morvern Community Trading Company (MCTC) are recruiting a full time Harbour Master to join our busy team to run the community marina facility in Lochaline.

MCTC is currently recruiting for a café manager to take on the running of the Hub Café from March 2025. Applications are due by Friday 31st January 2025.

Please help MCDC to monitor housing need in Morvern by filling in our Housing Need Survey.

Following the success of the local action plan, Live Life Morvern, a local steering group made up of representatives of Morvern Community Council, Morvern Community Development Company, Morvern Games and Gala Week, CAOLAS, Morvern Community Woodlands and Killundine, has been working with Planning Aid Scotland on the Local Place Plan (LPP).

The Hub Café re-opened on Thursday 28th November and is being operated by Chris and Agi (who many will know from The Whitehouse Restaurant) throughout the winter 2024/2025. It will be open Thursday to Saturday 10am-3pm and will be serving coffees, teas, cakes and light lunches. The café will be closed over the festive period from 23rd December and will re-open on the 2nd January. MCTC is currently seeking expressions of interest to take on the café from March 2025.

In recent newsletters we have published introductions to our MCDC and MCTC directors. In this edition we are delighted to introduce more of the Morvern Community Trading Company (MCTC) directors and two newly appointed MCDC Directors who have kindly provided an introduction to themselves in their own words. As always, if you would like to contact any of the directors, please email [email protected] and your message will be passed on.

MCDC held its AGM on 5th November 2024.

MCDC is delighted to have welcomed two new members of staff in the last month. Suzanne Pender has been appointed to the new role of Operations Manager whilst Scott Brennan has taken over as our new part time Harbour Master covering the winter period. A very warm welcome to both.

An open invitation to meet our new Operations Manager, Suzanne Pender, in the Hub Café on Thursday 12th December 10-12pm and Friday 13th December 1-3pm.

The Hub Café re-opened this morning, 28th November 2024. The new menu is now available to view in the attached PDF.

We are pleased to announce that the café will be re-opening next week on Thursday 28th November.

It’s time for you to have your say on the Local Place Plan. The plan consists of 22 proposals, ranging build environment, local path networks, protection of local heritage, the economy, tourism, the use of brown field land in the village and the preparation for climate change.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Morvern Community Development Company Ltd Tuesday, 5th November 2024, 6pm, LochalineVillage Hall (Updated from copy sent to membership on14th October)

Morvern Community Development Company Ltd Tuesday, 5th November 2024, 6pm, LochalineVillage Hall

MCDC is looking to appoint 4 new board directors at the upcoming AGM in November 2024.

MCTC are currently recruiting for a part time Harbour Master to cover the winter maintenance period. The closing date for applications is 30th September 2024.

The latest edition of the MCDC newsletter has been published and is available to read here in PDF form.

After all the drama of last winter’s storms and collapsed timber roads, things have been moving along reasonably smoothly.

Following on from our announcement in the May newsletter that we had been awarded a grant from Crown Estates to fund a Housing Project Officer, MCDC are delighted to announce that they have appointed Isla Robertson to the role.

The car has re branded and will now be located back in Lochaline. Urram will be using the car to support the hospital transport and the befriending services.

We recently introduced the MCDC Directors and are now pleased to do the same for the MCTC Directors.

The telephone box has recently been refurbished thanks to 120 hours worth of hard work by Kevin Laurie, Em Rosier and Sue Rosier. MCDC was pleased to assist the efforts by funding some of the materials through funds raised by the Attic.

MCDC and MCTC are thrilled to announce the re-opening of the café! Lucy Nevison has been appointed as the new café manager and The Hub Café will re-open on 6th September. It will be open Wednesday—Sunday, 10-3.30 (last sit in orders at 3.10) and you can get 20p off hot drinks if you bring your own cup. 

Forestry and Land Scotland are holding a public consultation event in Lochaline Village Hall on 24th September between 3pm and 6pm. All welcome to attend.

The next public meeting of Morvern Community Development Company will be held at 7.30pm on 6th August 2024 in Lochaline Village Hall. All welcome.

The local place plan project based on Live Life Morvern is now live with consultation events planned in July.

The café is of huge importance socially, culturally and financially to the local community for the well-being of those who live here, supporting local businesses and bringing people together. For these reasons Morvern Community Development Company are keen to keep it open. In light of the above and in recognition that the café is of social value first and foremost MCDC are proposing to contract MCTC to manage the community hub café and employ a café manager so that the community hub café can open again as soon as possible and remain open throughout the winter.

MCDC is recruiting for a pivotal role which will be an integral link between the operational team of MCDC, MCTC and Morvolts and the three respective boards. The purpose of this role is to support the operational team whilst drive strategic planning, and provide solutions to identified gaps in process at a strategic level whilst supporting with operational solutions. NEW CLOSING DATE: 9th AUGUST

MCDC is recruiting for a dedicated Housing Project Officer to support the company with realising the ambitious Phase 2 Housing Project constructing 10 family homes in Lochaline.

The May 2024 MCDC Newsletter has now been published and is available to read online or there are paper copies which can be found in the meeting room of the Hub from Friday 17th May afternoon. If you would like to receive future copies by email, please sign up to the mailing list by emailing [email protected].

As part of an on-going series of day in the life stories, we share the day in the life of the admin assistant.

Thank you to Morvern Watersports Club who are based by the Harbour and who have kindly contributed the following article about their recent news.

After several years of providing us with delicious bakes and lunches Annemie has stepped down from running Café L.A. Our thanks go to her and her whole team for all of the hard work they put in over the years and for making the café such a success with visitors and locals alike.

In our February newsletter we published introductions to each of our new MCDC directors. In this edition we are delighted to be able to re-introduce three existing directors who have kindly provided an introduction to themselves in their own words. If you would like to contact any of the MCDC directors, please email [email protected] and your message will be passed on.

MCDC is recruiting for a dedicated Housing Project officer to support the company with realising the ambitious Phase 2 Housing Project constructing 10 family homes in Lochaline.

MCDC Group of Companies is looking for a minute secretary.

Congratulations to everyone at PAS and Live Life Morvern Steering Group for winning the Overall Award at the Scottish Government's Scottish Planning Innovation Award.

Morvern Community Trading Company (MCTC) are currently looking for a new tenant to take on the running of our local café which is in a beautiful community owned building right in the heart of our coastal village.

Continued public consultation on the Morvern Land Management Plan by Forestry and Land Scotland.

HIE has launched a study into demand for commercial property in the region. They are looking for responses from any business or organisation with land or property plans.

MCDC has published its February newsletter bringing you all the latest news from MCDC and updates from several of our on-going projects.

We are now on Instagram and have a new Facebook page.

MCDC is looking into whether there is sufficient interest to consider setting up a new oil club.

Introductions to your new MCDC Board Directors who joined at the recent AGM.

At the recent AGM four of our hardworking directors stood down from the Board. MCDC is very grateful to each of them for the significant amount of time and energy they gave to the community during their time as director.

We are thrilled to announce that our local community plan, Live Life Morvern, has been shortlisted for the Scottish Planning Innovation Awards.

Morvern Community Development Company will hold its board meeting in public on Wednesday, 7th February 2024. 7.30pm Lochaline Village Hall. All welcome.

Urram have been working with Communities Housing Trust over the last few months, to conduct a housing needs assessment of the five community council areas (Acharacle, Ardgour, Morvern, Sunart and West Ardnamurchan) This survey will inform a strategy to improve housing and care provision in our area. The survey is for every household, whether or not you are in need of a house, and we really do appreciate you taking a short time to fill it in.

We are inviting expressions of interest from the community to run the café business. If you are interested, please contact [email protected] for a pack that will give you more details about the lease and equipment and any questions you have that MCTC can answer.

Come along and give your views!

UHI are conducting some research to gain an understanding of of how UHI centres can best serve the needs of communities.

Social Care Provision in West Lochaber