by Tricia Petri
Whilst in Inverness some weeks ago I visited New Start Highland’s inspiring Training and Reuse Village in Carsegate Road. Opened in 2025, it is a ‘pre-loved hub’ – incorporating retail outlets for furniture, clothing and footwear, household goods and bric a brac, books/CDs/Vinyl, a tool library, a bike repair hub, The Yard Café and a training kitchen. ILM Highland are also about to open an affordable electrical goods outlet.
The village supports people and the local area with jobs, employability training, life skill sessions, a removals service, a food hub, housing support, volunteering, and building a circular community.
A longstanding vision of New Start Highland’s founding chief executive James Dunbar, its purpose is to encourage the local community to donate and shop sustainably whilst also providing traineeships and employment opportunities.
Do visit if you’re in Inverness – an excellent cafe, a great opportunity to donate (even partly-used tins of paint!) or shop for pre-loved items and to find out more. Could this be inspiration for Skye and Lochalsh? Check out the website or facebook page.