Kirkhill does not have a shop or café meaning people from the growing village and wider area need to travel to Beauly or Inverness for these services.
A community survey in summer 2015 indicated a high demand for a shop and café in Kirkhill. Since then a group of the then Kirkhill and Bunchrew Community Trust worked towards the establishment of a community hub that will provide both these services.
Between 2015 and 2017 the working group undertook a feasibility exercise to ensure that any development would be viable and best meet the needs of the community. They contacted possible funding sources and consulted and visited other community shops and retailers. The group carried out an options appraisal of potential sites within the Kirkhill area. They investigated the availability of the three most preferred sites which, unfortunately, cannot proceed for a variety of reasons. The old craneyard and Achnagairn Farm Steading remain as possible locations and it is hoped that a site may become available when these sites are developed.
A public meeting was held by the working group in October 2017 to update the community on the current situation.
A Community Café was opened in May 2016 for an 8 week trial in order to see if the community would support a café, as volunteers and as customers. This development was supported by a number of local businesses, who provided the necessary finance to equip the café and fund the training of volunteers. This café has been so successful that it has continued to run ever since.
December 2017
Find out more in the village shop community survey report.