Trust Strategy & Partnerships

The Applecross Trust works to maintain the unique and historic character of the Estate in a sustainable context. To date, this has meant extensive renovation of historic properties, the restoration of key religious buildings in Applecross, and work to conserve and rebuild the drystane dykes that form part of the traditional landscape.

As well as conserving the buildings and dykes around the estate, the Trust has worked to improve access and promote understanding of the local heritage. It has installed interpretation panels in various locations to add context to sites of special interest, and identified and signposted sites of archaeological interest.

Most recently, the Trust has formed ARAG, a partnership of Trustees and local people tasked with looking at specific sites and developing a plan for how they might be best developed to benefit local people. Those sites are:

- The Stables

- The Old Cart Shed

- The Farm Steading

The Trust aims to promote the environmental protection of the Estate for public benefit. This includes a major joint initiative with the north coast crofters called the North Applecross Woodlands project. Since 1994, we have provided pensioners living within the Estate with firewood and engaged in whole estate biodiversity programmes. The Trust made the decision some time ago to replace conifer plantations with native woodlands. Smiddy Wood, Gateway and Alt Beag and Clachan are all in different stages of regrowth, having been felled and replanted with broadleaf woodland several years ago. Torgarve was sold to the community, felled and is in the process of being replanted. And there is a commitment to fell the remaining wood blocks over the coming years and replant with native trees. This has already had a significant impact on the landscape, and those who live within it, and there will be more .

The Trust felled around 1,000 tonnes of timber after an outbreak of phytopthera ramorum was discovered in the larch plantation near Applecross House. Since then, much of the timber has been milled on site to produce both firewood and building material for local use.

The Trust extended its commitment to sustainable deer management with an extensive review of the area’s Deer management Plan. It works together with the South West Ross Deer Management Group to manage deer collectively.

Facilitating and encouraging access and appreciation of the Applecross Estate is a major area of work. Some years ago, through the Applecross Landscape Partnership Scheme (ALPS), a significant programme of works was undertaken to upgrade existing paths and create new ones, totalling a 35km network of trails.

Since then, a member of staff was recruited to specifically undertake path maintenance works year round. Additional pathworks were completed to improve the Torgarve track, and a survey was carried out for the Kenmore Path. This will enable further works to take place in the future.

Walks leaflets were produced to include all of the trails, and are widely used to provide information to guests visiting the area. Booklets on geology, heritage, wildlife and archaeology were produced and centre around walks that can be done in order to see these specific sites.

The Applecross Trust is committed to facilitating and encouraging activities for the advancement of education, arts, heritage, culture and science, and for advancing social welfare. Over the past years we have donated to the RNLI and Lochcarron Shinty Team, supported the Applecross Community Hall, and the local primary school. We supply local people with wood fuel on an ongoing basis. This is either through collection of windblown/cut timber, and most recently through a local tree surgeon. In the past we have provided the Applecross Community Company (ACC) with a stock of timber for community purchase and distribution.

Here are a few examples of the many facets of community development:

• The Trust negotiated a sale of Torgarve Woods to ACC, under the Community Woodland Group. The woods have been felled and local acorns collected for planting.
• The Trust sold land (through the Scottish Land Fund) to ACC for building affordable housing. The project is in progress, but will eventually provide much needed accommodation to local people.
• It sold land (through the Scottish Land Fund) to ACC for the development of Appleseed, Applecross Community Garden which has proved to be a real success. There are allotments, and community spaces which include an orchard, herb garden and edible plants such as berries.
• The Trust has contributed £5,000 towards ACC’s initiative for community petrol pumps, and provided land for a community Hydro-Electric Scheme which is running successfully.
• It works towards facilitation of affordable housing at Applecross, specifically to be let to local residents, with over £300,000 invested in renovations since 2010.
• The Trust helped to restore the old Walled Garden at Applecross House to establish the successful restaurant now on site, and has been integral in many other restoration projects.
• Wider initiatives include The Applecross Trust scholarship for a young person living on the peninsula studying for a career relevant to local job opportunities.

​The Applecross community is really important to The Trust, and it understands its responsibility to build good, clear communication channels with that community. As guardians of the Applecross Estate, many residential properties fall within the Trust's management. Many of these properties have been refurbished over the last ten years, are all maintained by Trust staff, and many at a capped rate.

We have produced a Housing Policy, which is reviewed every three years. It is important that local people can easily find information to help them in applying for a Trust property, to understand the priorities, and the criteria on which decisions are made. You can find this housing policy here.

The Applecross Trust works with local organisations and businesses where possible. The Applecross peninsula has an abundance of people passionate about the area, helping to build a growing economy that draws on the natural resources of the landscape. Visit our Applecross Community page for a list of those businesses.