Month: February 2026 (Page 2 of 2)

Easter Breakfast with Easter Bunny, Community Fun Run, and Spring Market – all coming to Strathdearn soon!

Easter Breakfast:

Easter Breakfast Invitation for All IV13 Families

We’re excited to welcome all IV13 families to a fun-filled Easter Breakfast at Strathdearn, Tomatin on Saturday 4th April, from 10:30am to 12:30pm.

Entry:

£2 per person

£6 for families of 4 or more

To book please click the link below:-

https://forms.gle/AQ6WjZTuJxBfSG2Y9

Your ticket includes:

Delicious morning filled rolls

Unlimited tea, coffee, and fresh juices

Crafts for all ages

A movie on the big screen

Face painting by Pam Hardwick

A magical Easter Egg Hunt in our community woodland

It’s the perfect way to celebrate together as a community. We’d love to see you there

Community Fun Run:

Are you up for the challenge?

Join us for the SCD Community Fun Run – 10K / 5K in aid of MND Scotland, held in honour of Jimmy Duncan, a true community gem.

All funds raised will support MND Scotland.

Route:

We’ll be following the same route as last year!

10K: Starts at The Strathdearn, up to Balvraid Estate, and back.

5K: Starts at The Strathdearn – run, jog, or walk at your own pace!

Saturday 23rd May 2026

Registration: From 10:30 AM at The Strathdearn

Start Time: 11:00 AM

All participants will receive a t-shirt (optional) and running number.

After the run, enjoy burgers and soft drinks back at The Strathdearn!

Entry Fee:

IV13 Residents: Adults £15 | Children £5

Non-IV13: Adults £20 | Children £10

(Includes t-shirt and post-run burger & drink)

Register here:

https://racebest.com/races/ve4vy

Sponsor link (for supporters):

https://www.justgiving.com/…/strathdearn-community…

JustGiving Team Page (for participants who want to fundraise):

https://www.justgiving.com/…/strathdearn-community…

Share far and wide – every donation truly makes a difference!

Please note:

Children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult during the run.

Any questions? Email events@strathdearn.org

We look forward to welcoming you to our third community fun run for a fantastic cause!

SCD held its annual AGM on Monday 9th February. Members requested the slide presentation be made available. You’ll likely get the info you want from the image browser below. However the text of some slides overflowed outside the image (an effect of using different software) so a link to the original Powerpoint presentation is also included below.

There is a Local Place Plan drop-in session at The Strathdearn from 11.30am to 1.30pm on Thursday 12 February. Come along and enjoy a coffee while viewing information about the Strathdearn Local Place Plan preparations, asking questions, and adding your comments. 

The National Cycle Network Route 7 temporary diversion from Invereen to Moy has reopened and will remain opened until Spring 2028 following the successful completion of maintenance work.

The image below outlines the route for cyclists

[letter sent to SCC. B.B. will also speak at tonight’s Council meeting]

As agreed at the Strathdearn Community Council meeting on 9 December, we have carried out further reviews in relation to the concerns raised regarding the provision of temporary lighting for the new temporary Tomatin junction. 

We can advise that all temporary diversions – including the Tomatin realignment and Tomatin temporary access junction – adhere to the assessment process as set out in the relevant standards within the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB). As part of this assessment process, an independent road safety auditor carries out a Stage 2 Road Safety Audit, which as audit of the design. This is a thorough review of the agreed design of the diversion undertaken by a team of independent Road Safety Auditors. This Stage 2 Road Safety Audit was carried out on the Tomatin realignment and access junction. It can be confirmed that the Stage 2 Road Safety Audit did not identify the need for provision of temporary lighting at this junction.

The assessment process set out in the DMRB standards requires a Stage 3 Road Safety Audit to be undertaken post opening of a road section or junction. We can confirm that the Stage 3 Road Safety Audit was carried out on 16 December, which was soon after the opening to traffic of the temporary realignment at Tomatin. It can be confirmed that the Stage 3 Road Safety Audit did not identify the need for provision of temporary lighting at this junction.

In order to ensure that the concerns raised by the Community are further considered, we have arranged for a supplementary Stage 3 Road Safety Audit which will be carried out on site by a qualified independent road safety auditor shortly after opening of the temporary junction at Tomatin. This audit will be carried out in both daylight hours and nighttime hours to ensure that all light conditions are considered. Once that audit is complete, we will review the comments made by the assessing auditor and provide the Community Council with a further update.

Additionally, as part of this temporary diversion, signage will be improved in the area – including signage for Tomatin. The road benefits from new surfacing and reflective road studs to increase visibility during nighttime. It is also noted that the road users are currently limited to a 40mph speed limit while traveling through the project site. Road users are on the whole abiding by this speed limit which results in safer conditions for the community, our workforce and non-motorised users while we undertake this project. 

[from SCC]

Strathdearn Community Council is pleased to announce the start of its 1st stage preparations for the Strathdearn Local Place Plan.

During this stage, the Community Council is gathering information for preparing the Plan, including importantly, seeking the Strathdearn community’s aims and wishes for its local area.

The surveys for our 1st stage preparations went live on 04/02/2026. The target audience for the surveys is: Community (Strathdearn residents aged 12 years and over); Businesses (anyone operating a business in Strathdearn), and Landowners (anyone owning land in Strathdearn). The three surveys are open for responses until 4.00pm on 27/02/2026.

Want to find out more before responding to the survey? There are lots of ways:

• Our four-page Local Place Plan Information Leaflet was kindly hand-delivered to every household in Strathdearn this week, tucked inside the community newsletter. Our leaflet contains lots of information about the Local Place Plan process, together with key facts about the Strathdearn area, and an overview of some possible Needs, Opportunities, and Challenges for the Strathdearn area. The Information Leaflet is also available on our Local Place Plan webpage.
• Six Local Place Plan drop-in sessions are being held at The Strathdearn during February, where you can view Local Place Plan and Strathdearn information, ask questions, and make comments. The drop-in dates and times: 10 Feb 10.30am-12.30pm; 12 Feb 11.30am-1.30pm; 21 Feb 10am-midday; 22 Feb 3-5pm; 23 Feb midday-2.30pm; and 25 Feb 1.30-3.30pm.
• Our Background and Additional Information Report aims to support our 1st stage preparations by providing helpful further reading, particularly for those unable to attend the drop-in sessions.
• We have updated our Local Place Plan webpage, including the addition of quick links at the top of the homepage. We will be adding to these pages as we progress through the plan preparation.

There are also lots of ways to respond to the surveys!

You can complete the surveys online using the MS Forms weblinks provided above or by scanning the QR codes. Paper copies of the surveys will be available from The Strathdearn foyer from 06/02/2026 (submit your completed paper survey to The Strathdearn office) and a Word version for filling out on a computer is available by emailing us at: localplaceplan@strathdearn.org

Have your say! What do you think about the needs, opportunities, and challenges we have identified for Strathdearn? Do you agree? Are there others you would like to tell us about?

As the completed Strathdearn Local Place Plan will be used to guide community action relating to services, facilities, and the development or use of land and buildings in Strathdearn for the next five-years, it is important that as many people as possible from Strathdearn have their say!

Thank you, from Strathdearn Community Council

Strathdearn Community Council, Tuesday 10^th February @ 7.00pm in The Strathdearn

This meeting will also be available on MS Teams
LINK: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/34241642663621?p=OpW1jX7ZFjiQZFe9Ze
MEETING ID: 342 416 426 636 21
PASSCODE: C9Xz2dZe

---

PLEASE NOTE these additions to the agenda below:

• Balfour Beatty will be attending the Community Council meeting to update the community on progress and plans and the outstanding issues brought to their attention.
• We will also have Dave Simpson , Service Delivery Director ,Stagecoach North Scotland attending to explain the bus plans for Tomatin and address any questions and the future outlook once the new junction is opened

Agenda

1. Apologies
2. Declarations of interest
3. Balfour Beatty update
4. Minutes of the last meeting (view them here)
5. Matters arising
6. Financial report
7. Law and Order
8. Road Safety
9. Applications to the SCCT
   • P7’s of Strathdearn Primary School
10. Planning Matters

1. Local Place Plan
2. Windfarms – Update from SWIAG

11. Update from SCD
12. Correspondence
13. AOCB

Date of next meeting Tuesday 10th March 2026

[from SCC’s Strathdearn Windfarm Interim Advisory Group]

“Oh dear,” you say, “not another survey!” Yes, it’s another survey and here’s why it’s important you fill it in:

In 2025 Strathdearn Community Council (SCC) gathered residents’ views on six proposed wind farms in Strathdearn at that time — Balnespick, Clune, Lynemore, Highland, Kyllachy, and Carn na Saobhaidh — which are at various stages of planning. That survey received a huge response, 180 replies, many expressing concern about the cumulative effects of so many wind farms. We compiled those views into a report which was presented to the Energy Consents Unit (ECU) in Scottish Government. ECU helps Scottish Ministers decide on planning matters so surveys like these are our best route to influencing those decisions.

SCC has recently received two further applications for wind farms, at Glenkirk and Glen Markie. Government ministers will make decisions on each individual application but we believe it is important that they also consider the overall effect of many wind farm in the same locality. Therefore we need another survey so that we can add your views on these latest two applications to those of the previous six. The more responses to the survey, the more authority our report has.

Strathdearn Community Council’s job is to represent the views of the community, whatever they may be. We can only do that if you tell us what you think. Please fill in this survey. It will only take a few minutes. 

Detailed information on all eight wind farm proposals can be found on the Community Website. Go to www.strathdearn.org and look in the menu for “Windfarms” The information there includes detailed maps and links to the developer’s site for each wind farm. There is also a link to the survey we want you to complete.

Alternatively, you can go directly to the the survey web page at : https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZHSQVQQ

IMPORTANT NOTE: The survey closes on February 8^th so please do it now or ASAP.

Thank you for your support.

Strathdearn Community Council