Hutton researchers hosting events at Kyle of Lochalsh to gather opinions on community land use and land reform
Social researchers from The James Hutton Institute are hosting two events to explore community connections to land in partnership with Kyle and Lochalsh Community Trust – and signing up in advance could bag you some free fish and chips!
The first event, a drop-in meeting, will be held at the beautiful and community-owned Plock of Kyle on Friday 20 June.
Local people are encouraged to stop by the Plock any time between 2pm and 7pm to chat with the research team. Attendees will be able to discuss their heritage and share their community connections to the Plock, with free fish and chips available between 5pm and 7pm on a first-come-first-serve basis. Servings are limited, so please register in advance to avoid missing out.
The drop-in meeting will be followed by a workshop at Kyle and Lochalsh Community Trust, 10am to 12pm on Saturday 21 June. Here, researchers will listen to local voices on issues relating to community land and land reform. The findings from both events will feed into the co-development of a research project around community land which local people are invited to contribute to as citizen scientists. This is part of the Scotland’s Land Reform Futures project, which is funded by the Scottish Government’s Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services Division (RESAS), and aims to both promote the relationships between land and local communities and increase the involvement of local people in planning and decision-making related to land in Scotland.
Those living in and around Kyle of Lochalsh are encouraged to attend either or both of the events to speak about their relationships with land and explore how land reform could influence land-based community activities. In addition to engaging local people in the research, researchers hope that participation from residents as citizen scientists will help boost the community’s skills and expertise in collecting and using data about land, supporting community land-based activities.
“When it comes to land and land reform, it’s essential that we engage with local communities and ensure that their knowledge and experiences of land are taken into account.”
Dr Sam Poskitt, The James Hutton Institute
Dr Sam Poskitt, an environmental social scientist at the Hutton, said: “When it comes to land and land reform, it’s essential that we engage with local communities and ensure that their knowledge and experiences of land are taken into account.
“In this project, we are keen to help develop community-led, land-focused research that can support land-based community activities.
“If you’d like to share your thoughts on community connections to land around Kyle of Lochalsh – and you fancy a tasty serving of fish and chips – please come along and join us! We’d love to see you there.”
Those wishing to sign up for either of the events in advance should fill out the linked form, or by contacting Dr Poskitt on Samuel.poskitt@hutton.ac.uk or (+44) 01224 395170.