Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival sets up new charitable community trust to channel cash into Highland communities and good causes
Organisers of the Highlands’ leading music festival have turned past parking and congestion troubles into a charitable earner for local communities and causes.
The 21-year-old Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival this morning announced the launch of the Belladrum Festival Community Trust, a new charitable body.
Through it, they are set to pump funds from the new charitable enterprise back into Highland causes.
With £20,000 of funds already in place, the aim will be to ensure money generated from the much-loved, diverse festival is re-invested in communities surrounding the festival grounds.
The first round of funding comes from the new car parking pass scheme, initially introduced in 2024 to support improved traffic flow plans and encourage more sustainable travel to the event.
Thanks to festival-goers’ support, the first £20,000 will now be made available for community groups and local projects to apply for.
The Belladrum Festival Community Trust (SC054123) will be open to applications from today Friday, October 10, and aims to support a wide variety of causes such as grassroots sports teams, schools and youth groups, to cultural organisations, charities and environmental projects.
“We are incredibly proud to launch the Belladrum Festival Community Trust,” Naomi Hollas, festival co-ordinator, said.
“Belladrum has always been rooted in the local community, and this is another way for us to give back to the surrounding villages, whose continued support we greatly appreciate.”
Creation of the Community Trust follows a major overhaul of traffic management at Belladrum, after congestion challenges in 2023.
For 2024, festival organisers worked closely with local authorities, traffic specialists and community partners to develop a comprehensive new plan.
The introduction of advance-purchase vehicle passes meant the team could better predict and manage car numbers, while also encouraging car sharing and use of shuttle buses.
“We listened to our audience after 2023 and committed to making big improvements,” Dougie Brown, festival producer, added.
“The changes worked, traffic ran more smoothly, with 2024 and 2025 both seeing just a 20-minute journey from Inverness.
“Now, on top of that, we’re able to deliver a significant benefit to the local community. It’s a win-win.”
Local organisations groups or individuals within the Community Council boundaries of Kiltarlity, Beauly, Kirkhill and Bunchrew, will be invited to apply for grants, with the initial round of applications closing on December 12, and the first beneficiaries announced early 2026.
The Belladrum team are supported by the charity trustees Joe Gibbs, Susan Ogston, Joan Campbell and Jayne MacMillan, who each represent the surrounding communities.
Belladrum Festival, which celebrated 21 years this year, attracts thousands of visitors each summer to the Highlands and has long been celebrated as a family-friendly event with strong community roots.
The creation of the Belladrum Festival Community Trust marks a new chapter in that continued legacy, ensuring the festival continues to support and celebrate the communities that make it possible.
The trust grants are in addition to the 200-plus tickets donated via Belladrum to charities and groups throughout the year upon request, with over £120,000 being raised in 2025.
Those looking to apply can visit the Belladrum Website for information and application forms.
Highland Third Sector Interface (HTSI) have offered ongoing support with the application and trust registration process.