Portree Allotments are now up and running, with help from the local community. Everyone seems very excited by the prospect of having land for growing food.
The allotments were awarded funding from The Scottish Land Trust which covers half of the legal fees and the cost of employing a person for 17.5 hrs a week. This will be an administrative role and also offer some support to allotment holders. In addition, nearly £10k from The Pebble Trust will help with groundworks including drainage, trenches for water pipes, car park and levelling the ground for a shed and for the shed itself.
A perimeter fence is being put up, with the help of volunteers and a fencer. The Community Payback Scheme has helped greatly with creating a path down the centre of the allotment area so that it doesn’t become muddy.
The area for allotments has been ploughed and will be disced or rotovated (the constitution states that the area will be in principle gardened organically). The soil looks really good; long ago it was part of Home Farm where dairy cattle were kept, and the field has been unused since about 1983. The whole area has potential, and will be developed for community use, be it woodland walk or a men’s shed. We need to find out what the community would like beyond allotments.
To celebrate progress so far, the Allotments held a party on 23rd April with Atlas Arts, who organised a seed swap. Over 40 people came and the sun shone.
All of the allotments are now taken and there is already a waiting list. Bays are being constructed for composting materials such as seaweed, grass cuttings, dung, earthy weeds, lime and somewhere to put stones. Everyone may add to the bays and take from them to make their compost. There is lots of activity clearing ground of stones and weeds, making raised beds and planting.
On Wednesday 4th May we are getting together at 5.30 pm armed with spades and wellies to dig a ditch to the north of (above) the path running the length of the allotments.