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Ballyhaugh Steering Group
The Ballyhaugh Story
Since 1974, Project Trust - the volunteering gap-year charity - have been headquartered on the Isle of Coll. Originally located at Breachacha Castle, in 1988 Project Trust moved into the Hebridean Centre, a purpose-built renovation of the farmhouse at Ballyhaugh (it rhymes with ‘tally-ho’). The period between 1988 and 2020 saw the Project Trust become a cornerstone of Coll’s economy and the island’s largest employer. However, difficulties faced by the organisation during the COVID-19 pandemic forced the Project Trust to re-evaluate their operational model and, in early 2025, it was announced that the Project Trust would be selling all of their properties on Coll and relocating from the island.
This announcement has not only left a hole in the local economy, but has placed a question mark over the future of the Hebridean Centre and its role in Coll’s community.
The Steering Group
The Hebridean Centre from the air.
The Ballyhaugh Steering Group was formed shortly after the announcement of the Project Trust’s intention to sell their properties on the Isle of Coll. The aim of the steering group from the outset has been to explore the possibility of community ownership of the Hebridean Centre and, if deemed a realistic proposition and with community support, navigate the process of a Community Right-to-Buy effort. With between ten and thirteen active members, the group itself is a motley - but well-rounded - collection of individuals from all backgrounds, representing at least three generations and comprised of both Coll natives and incomers.
Ballyhaugh has been home to the Project Trust for more than half a century!
The famous rocking stone of Ben Hogh. Ben Hogh is the highest point on the Isle of Coll.
Enter Development Coll, and a bid for the Scottish Land Fund
In August of 2025, the Ballyhaugh Steering Group applied for a Stage 1 Scottish Land Fund grant for funding to carry out a feasibility study of community ownership of the Hebridean Centre. At the same time, the Ballyhaugh Steering Group was joined to Development Coll, with the community company able to provide an established footprint, constitution and (much-needed) bank account to support the efforts of the steering group to secure funding.
Then, in November, the group were delighted to announce to the community that they had received the requested funding in full and that, following a tendering process, Duncan MacPherson Consultancy had been selected to carry out the feasibility study. Duncan MacPherson Consultancy were chosen for the extensive experience of their personnel in the fields of community building and business development, their professional and lived experience of island initiatives, and also for their clear-sightedness and their commitment to keeping proposals as grounded and realistic as possible (an important consideration, given the highly unusual combination of setting and design of the building).
The results of this study, and the community response to it, will inform a decision on whether additional funding will be sought to purchase the property on behalf of the Coll community.
The Feasibility Study Commences
The flyer used for the first community engagement session by the consultants.
The first community engagement session with Duncan MacPherson Consultancy was held on the 21st of November as a hybrid in-person and online session at An Cridhe. Community members were invited to drop by and speak with Duncan’s team about their work, the feasibility study and the Ballyhaugh Project in general.
Following this community engagement session, the consultancy group visited the Hebridean Centre to carry out an initial assessment and produce a building condition report, which was followed in the new year by an independent valuation of the property and water supply assessment.
The Feasibility Study Continues
Currently, the consultancy group are running two surveys to assess demand for shared living space and business space at Ballyhaugh. These surveys can be completed here:
Shared Living Space Survey (for anyone who may have an interest in shared accommodation on the Isle of Coll): Questionnaire to assess demand for shared living space at Ballyhaugh, Isle of Coll Survey
Business Space Survey (for anyone who may have an interest in business space on the Isle of Coll): Questionnaire to assess demand for future business space at Ballyhaugh Survey
Ballyhaugh on a sunny winter day. The straight lines visible in the earth by the road and on the hillside are feannagan (‘lazy beds’) - a now-defunct method of cultivating potatoes.
From the gneiss stone of the hills to the loch and surrounding marsh, from the green sheep fields to the sand dunes of Hogh Bay, the landscape of Ballyhaugh is as varied as it is beautiful.
The loch at Ballyhaugh is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
Ballyhaugh Steering Group in the News
Bid to buy HQ of largest employer on small Scottish island, The Herald, 3/12/25
Island community races to save former charity home as fears grow over private sale, The Scotsman, 4/12/25
Islanders on Coll propose buyout of former charity base, BBC, 5/12/25
Coll community comes together to buy Project Trust HQ, West Coast Today, 9/12/25
The Editor’s Post: Can social enterprise revive a small Scottish island’s fortunes?, Pioneer’s Post, 12/12/25
Get in touch or get involved!
Are you interested in the work of the Ballyhaugh Steering Group? Do you have any questions or suggestions? Would you like to be a part of it all? The Ballyhaugh Steering Group can be contacted at:
ballyhaughsteeringgroup@outlook.com
The SLF supports rural and urban communities to become more resilient and sustainable through the ownership and management of land and land assets. Funded by the Scottish Government and delivered in partnership by The National Lottery Community Fund and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, The Scottish Land Fund offers grants of up to £1 million to help communities take ownership of the land and buildings that matter to them, as well as practical support to develop their aspirations into viable projects.
