Badenoch and Strathspey loses nearly half of its community councils

The strath's community council coverage has been decimated by the lack of sufficient candidates in the 2023 elections.

Not enough people came forward in Carrbridge, Cromdale and Advie, Dalwhinnie, Dulnain Bridge and Grantown to form new watchdogs.

It leaves the strath with community councils in Aviemore, Boat of Garten, Kincraig, Kingussie, Newtonmore, Nethy Bridge and Laggan.

A bitterly disappointed Dalwhinnie chair, Jen Dickinson, told the Strathy: "I'm gutted, but not surprised! The community was warned time and time again.

"We didn’t receive our grant for last 12months as we only managed five meetings.

"Due to many personal situations across DCC last year and work taking us back after Covid it made things very difficult. With such a small community DCC struggles to meet the same guidelines and regulations as other larger communities.

"But hey ho - it's the community's loss – we have a meeting on Monday night at which point we will disband the council."

Highland councillor Russell Jones said: "I think we have seven formed out of the 12 we should have.

"I’m not sure what happened with the rest of them.

"I attend Kingussie, Kincraig and Laggan and thankfully they have all reformed and appear to be fairly robust.

"I notice even on those ones that some names are missing that I thought were standing again and I can only imagine that perhaps some paperwork wasn’t in on time and perhaps that is what happened elsewhere and they didn’t have enough to be quorate."

But he reminded Strathy readers that may be all was not lost: "There is a further opportunity to form in January so hopefully the others will pick up nominations before then and re-form."

Last night a Highland Council spokesperson confirmed that across the Highland area a total of 28 would not be established as they failed to attract half the maximum membership.

Those beyond the strath were: Balintore and Hilton, Ballachulish, Ballifeary, Bower, Cawdor and West Nairnshire, Creich, Dalneigh and Columba, Dornie and District, East Nairnshire, Glendale, Golspie, Muir of Ord, Muirtown, Nairn West and Suburban, Nigg and Shandwick, Portree, Resolis, Small Isles, Smithton, Stromeferry and Achmore, Sunart, Tain and Waternish.

The next opportunity for nominations to be made to those community councils will be in January.

Details of the nominations and the list of results are available now from The Highland Council’s

Following the call for candidates wishing to serve on the 156 Highland community councils, a total of 113 attracted sufficient interest to allow them to form from Wednesday, October.

There were 15 with more nominations than their maximum membership, and at the close of withdrawal period at noon on Tuesday the council will confirm if an election goes ahead for these, using a postal ballot:

Bettyhill, Strathnaver and Altnaharra, Contin, Croy and Culloden Moor, Dunvegan, Glengarry, Kilmorack, Kiltearn, Kirkhill and Bunchrew, Melvich, Plockton and District, Scourie, Spean Bridge, Roy Bridge and Achnacarry, Thurso, Watten,Wester Loch Ewe.

If a candidate wishes to withdraw, they can do so by completing a withdrawal notice.

Where an election is to be held, candidates will be requested to submit a personal statement to support their candidacy and this will be published on the council’s website on the date the ballot papers are issued.

The election day is scheduled for Monday, 27 November and voting is by means of a postal vote. The maximum membership of each is determined by the population it serves and varies from 7 to 13 members.

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