The funding, approved on Monday 3 November, will help the volunteer-led community interest company improve the reliability and efficiency of its operations, while also reducing ongoing costs. The existing equipment has become increasingly expensive to maintain, posing a risk to the newspaper's production.
Committee co-chair Cllr Liz Kraft highlighted the newspaper's importance, stating, “The Gairloch and District Times is the only print medium dedicated to providing local news, public notices, events and other essential updates for residents and visitors to Gairloch and surrounding communities. It’s an important vehicle to maintain community cohesion and inclusion and is vital for keeping local people informed about the area. We are really pleased to be able to help this volunteer-led team continue its important work.”
Established in 1978, the Gairloch and District Times sells approximately 550 printed copies per edition, with an additional 350 online subscribers. Around 900 individuals also receive a monthly Wester Ross round-up via email.
Douglas Gibson, Chair of the Gairloch and District Times, expressed gratitude for the award, saying, “This funding will help secure the future of a much-valued local publication, ensuring that readers across Wester Ross and beyond can continue to enjoy a newspaper produced through the dedication of our volunteer team and editors. It will also allow us to develop and improve the publication for many years to come.”
The Community Regeneration Funding is sourced from the Scottish Government's Highland Coastal Communities Fund (HCCF), aimed at supporting economic regeneration and sustainable development in Highland.
In other committee business, councillors were informed that the ward will receive £25,362 from income generated by six 'invitation to pay' car parks during 2025-26. The total gross income from these car parks was £83,691, with a net figure of £50,724 after costs, which is split equally between central Highland Council funds and the local area committee.
Committee co-chair Cllr Biz Campbell noted, “This much-welcome income stream is a boost for communities across the ward, and is thanks to car park users responding to our appeal to make a voluntary contribution to park. These funds are now a very welcome addition to the ward budget and we continue to encourage local groups to identify community projects which could benefit from a share of this money.”
Updates were also provided on area activity from The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, and the winter service plan for 2026-27 was discussed. The Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh area will be served by 13 frontline gritting vehicles and five footpath tractors from eight depots.
