The information on this page is out of date and will be updated soon. The good news is that the houses are built and occupied. More to follow!
The attractiveness of Iona as a visitor’s destination obviously has impacts on our small rural community. It is therefore important to have community responses to issues that arise - especially ones such as housing, which are so all-encompassing. The Iona Housing Partnership (IHP) was formed by the Iona Community Council to answer the growing demand for long term affordable homes for island residents. It is a community driven Charitable Trust, managed in conjunction with the National Trust for Scotland, and the Iona Heritage Trust.
Our primary aim has been to secure and develop the last appropriate site on the island for a multiple build of several homes. The West Glebe Field was purchased from the Church of Scotland in September 2011 after a long and successful fundraising program. The support of the Tudor Trust and the Rural Housing Service was pivotal in taking the project forward: from housing needs surveys, feasibility studies and community planning workshops to archaeological surveys, GPS Mapping, and of course fundraising. The Tudor Trust also contributed over 50% of the site purchase costs, which together with the support of the local community, HIE and all the island’s many visitors and friends saw a total raised of £139,000.
We are now continuing on to our second phase of fundraising and development, which will see the project to through to planning. This will involve both design workshops and further research, as well as consultations with all the island’s agencies and governing bodies. Above all we wish to see the completion of the project and the provision of affordable long term housing for the island’s residents. As such if you wish to find out more, contribute or assist in any way please get in touch.
You can also now make secure online donations to Iona Housing Partnership via justgiving.
Iona Housing Partnership Directors:
Dr Fiona Menzies - Chair and Iona Heritage Trust
Fiona Kyle - Secretary
Moya Pringle - Treasurer
Sandra Fox
Rebecca Knight