Joy as vacant shop site brought back to life in Invermoriston as new community-run store
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A NEW community-run shop specialising in local produce and crafts has opened for business in Invermoriston.
Local volunteers have set up the Invermoriston Community Shop, which will be run by two paid managers who live in the local area and a team of volunteers who will help out daily.
The shop will be open all year round, 7am to 5.30pm Mondays to Saturdays and 9.30am to 4.30pm on Sundays, offering household products, locally-produced food and Scottish food brands. Half the shop is dedicated to the work of local craftspeople – including artwork, hand-knitted woollen clothing, silver jewellery and baskets. Hot snacks, drinks and ice cream will also be on sale and there are plans for a refill station for dry goods and toiletries.
Lynne West, secretary of Glenmoriston Improvement Group who are behind the shop, said: “Ever since the previous shop in this building closed down, we have been considering how we could bring it back to life for the good of the whole community.
“Thanks to a lot of hard work from a dedicated band of volunteers, particularly Stella Barter who coordinated the craft side of the business, our dream has now become reality – not only providing the household essentials that will save local people a journey to buy but also showcasing the work of craftspeople from around the area which we hope will appeal to visitors.
“We have set up the shop as a Community Benefit Society with any profits being invested back into the business and the community. We already have a group of volunteers developing better play facilities in the glen and offering Incredible Edible planters, growing herbs for community use.”
The shop was set up with the help of a £32,000 grant from local enterprise group Fort Augustus and Glenmoriston Community Company who distribute the community benefit funding received from local renewable energy projects.
Erin Murchie, community relations manager at owners of nearby Millennium Wind Farm Renantis (formerly Falck Renewables), said: “It’s fantastic to see a local amenity being brought back into use at the very heart of the community. We’re delighted that funding from our wind farm has helped make it possible and congratulate the volunteers who have worked tirelessly to deliver such a valuable project.”
