Festival to celebrate community ownership across Scotland
Midsteeple Quarter in Dumfries
Hundreds of people from all over Scotland will take part in a wide variety of local events over the next fortnight to celebrate community ownership of land and buildings.
Organised by Community Land Scotland and developed initially from Community Land Week, the Community Land Festival starts this weekend and will have the widest geographical spread in the event’s seven-year history. Nearly 40 groups have signed up to take part in the festival, from Shetland, down to the Central Belt and the Borders, and out to the Western Isles. Over half are taking part for the very first time.
Community Land Scotland assistant development manager and festival organiser, Meg Taintor, said: “Community Land Festival is all about people – the communities who make it happen, and the wider public who get to join in and experience what they’ve achieved.
“Now in its seventh year, this year sees the widest geographical spread of participants. That wide distribution reflects the spread of community ownership to all parts of Scotland.
“The Festival continues to feel fresh and exciting because each community brings its own creativity, energy, and ideas to the table.
“That sense of new energy really shows how vibrant and growing the community land movement is across Scotland.”
The 2025 festival sees a huge range of community activities, including; workshops, play readings, and Halloween dress-up parties. Some are using the Festival to celebrate with pumpkin trails, family days and woodland walks, while others are using it to spark conversations about future projects.
In Staffin, in north-east Skye, the community will gather for the official opening of a memorial to crofters from the area who were at the forefront of the struggle against oppressive landlordism.
Sùil nam Brà – ‘The eye of the quernstone’ memorial will be officially opened on Saturday, October 25 at the iconic landmark at Creag an Fheilidh, (Kilt Rock).
Sine Ghilleasbuig, Gaelic officer for the Staffin Community Trust (Urras an Taobh Sear), said: “Staffin Community Trust has been engaged in community development for thirty years. From its earliest days, our trustees felt strongly that Staffin ought to be acknowledged for the early stand taken by local crofters against oppressive landlordism.
“The memorial is inspired by a local story about when the landlord confiscated people’s quernstones – which were essential for families at that time. Sùil nam Brà celebrates the role of Staffin people in the Crofters’ Uprising.”
The brave stand of the Staffin community gets an honourable mention in one of the most famous Gaelic songs. Oran Beinn Li by the legendary 19th century, Skye poet, Mairi Mhor nan Oran, enthuses; “Cuiribh beannachd le aiteas gu tuathanaich Bhaltois, bha air tùs anns a’ bhatail is nach do mheataich san strì.” (“Send greetings with joy to the farmers of Valtos (in Staffin) who were at the front in the battle and who did not weaken in the struggle.)
Sine said many people contributed their skills and time to the Memorial project, including stonemason Hector Nicolson and artwork by Henry Castle.
“We are grateful to everyone who was involved in bringing this long-held ambition to fruition,” Sine added.
Land and buildings owned by communities
Across Scotland, a number of groups are celebrating community access to buildings - such as the community-owned Midsteeple Quarter in Dumfries which is marking one year of use of the iconic building in Dumfries High Street, after six years of hard work to get it into shape.
Up at the northern end of Scotland, Wester Loch Ewe Trust has a double celebration as it is ten years old this year. It is currently working hard to secure land for the community near Poolewe which would have multiple purposes including desperately needed affordable housing and a helicopter landing pad.
The trust took over the old school and now use it as a community centre. Their festival celebrations will include get-togethers to discuss what the community wants in the years ahead.
“To me, as organiser, that’s the heart of the Festival”, Meg Taintor continued, “the heart of the Festival is communities coming together, celebrating what’s already been achieved, and inspiring one another to dream about what comes next.”
“The Festival is a chance to celebrate the diversity, resilience, and energy of communities across Scotland, and a reminder of the power of people working together to make their places stronger and better.”
This year’s Community Land Festival runs from October 17 to November 2.