We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to secure a vital piece of land for the Glen Urquhart community — but we must act quickly.

We are working together to purchase the Old Shop site and transform it into a Sports, Health and Wellbeing Centre for the Glen Urquhart community.

Our vision is to create a facility that provides modern changing rooms, a fitness suite, sauna/cold box and associated treatment rooms that can be used for a wide range of community activities — from training sessions and club meetings to youth programmes, visiting therapists and other local events.

This is about far more than a building.

It is about investing in the health, wellbeing and future opportunities of our community.

A Community Effort

This project is being driven by five local organisations working together:

• Glen Urquhart Shinty Club

• Glen Urquhart Rugby Football Club

• Glen Urquhart Football Club

• Glen Urquhart Rural Community Association (GURCA)

• Glen Urquhart Games Committee

By working together, we have a real opportunity to secure this important site for community ownership, ensuring it continues to serve local people for generations to come.

We Are Close, but!!!

The site has an asking price of £325,000.

Thanks to incredible support shown by local residents during the consultation exercise which was run 18 months ago, we have secured £210,000 from the Scottish Land Fund.

However, a benefactor who had pledged to make up the difference between the Scottish Land Fund grant and the asking price, withdrew his support ,with deep regret, on the 1st of March 2026 due to sudden and unexpected personal circumstances - – we were left with a gap of £115k.

The land Fund grant will expire this spring if the purchase does not go through.

In the last 3 weeks GURCA and the Local Sports Club have come together to work through the challenge of closing the funding gap and have secured the following :

£60,000 from a generous private donor

£5000 from Glenurquhart Shinty Club

£5000 from Glen Urquhart Rural Community Association

£7,921 from Soirbheas

Total of Funding currently secured is £287,921

The closure date is set for 15/05/2026

We still need to raise £37,079 to complete the purchase.

Both GUSC and GURCA continue to explore other match funding opportunities.

We only have a very limited time to complete this purchase, meaning we must act quickly.

What Happens If We Don’t Buy It?

If the community cannot secure the site, it will likely go onto the open market.

There is a real possibility the site could be used for private housing, which would not be an ideal development right beside Blairbeg Hall, Blairbeg Park, the Shinty pitch and the playpark.

Once this opportunity is lost, we may never again have the chance to secure such a strategic site for community use.

Why This Site Matters

The Old Shop site sits in the very heart of our community.

It is located next to Blairbeg Park and the playpark, and directly across the road from the newly refurbished Glen Urquhart Public Hall, making it a perfect location for a new hub that supports sport, activity and wellbeing.

With the right investment, this site could become a vibrant centre for sport, fitness and community life.

• Young people will have better facilities to train and develop

• Clubs will gain the infrastructure they urgently need

• Local residents will benefit from a new space dedicated to health, activity and connection

How You Can Help

Whether you are a supporter of shinty, rugby, football, the Glen Urquhart Games, or simply believe in strong communities investing in their own future — your donation can help make this vision a reality.

Every contribution, no matter the size, brings us closer to securing this site for community ownership.

Together we can ensure this important space remains a place for sport, wellbeing and community life — not lost to private development.

Please support the campaign by donating through our GoFundMe Page

Let’s come together and secure this site for the future of Glen Urquhart.

What If We Raise Too Much Money?

Any money raised in excess of the land purchase costs will be retained separately and securely for the future development of the site into the Sports Facilities as described. All spending will be approved by the steering group who organised this appeal.