Our Rural Social Enterprise Network meeting hosted on 12 October 2026 had a focus on the role of rural social enterprises on tackling depopulation. 43 people representing several rural organisations joined the meeting. Speakers included Rose-marie de Loor from Applecross Community Company and Anne Cleave from North West Mull Community Woodland Company.

Key takeaways

1. Infrastructure is holding back repopulation. People want to live in these communities, but poor power, water, sewage and transport are stopping growth. Speakers urged planners to look at each place as a whole, including visitors and nearby developments, not just at the number of people who live there now.
2. Community energy is going to waste. Grid limits mean Applecross can sell only 50 of the 90 kilowatts its hydro scheme produces. Participants saw this as a clear issue for policy makers.
3. Community-owned income makes a big difference. Every £1 Applecross earns itself has helped attract £15–16 in grants. Ulva shows the other side: without enough income, owning land can become a heavy burden.
4. Funding is complicated and draining. Big projects depend on many separate grants, each with its own rules and deadlines. Most of this work falls on volunteers.
5. Small communities are running out of volunteers. Paid staff and succession planning were seen as essential. Participants suggested graduate apprentices, university placements and links with other communities to add capacity.
6. Rules and processes can get in the way. Slow planning, Scottish Land Fund conditions and regulation that doesn’t fit very small communities were all raised as barriers.
7. Young people need a way to stay or come back. Participants called for local routes into work, including land-based jobs and food production.

These challenges are not limited to the Highlands and Islands. Participants from Dumfries and Galloway reported the same barriers.

Read the notes

The notes sum up both talks and what people said in the discussion afterwards.

Watch the talks

Click the play button in the middle of a video to start it.

Talk 1

Growing Population & Strengthening the Local Economy 

Rose-marie de Loor, Director, Applecross Community Company

Talk 2

Bringing an Island Back to Life: The Ulva Story

Anne Cleave, Chair, North West Mull Community Woodland Company

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