Six new projects will share a £313,000 funding package from Highland Council to help the regeneration of rural communities.
The coastal communities fund will help groups implement plans for sustainable development and economic regeneration.
Recipients include the Association of Northern Trails, the Highland Food and Drink Club and the North Highland Initiative.
Highland Council hopes the funding will lead to a successful and sustained economic recovery from Covid-19.
The Association of Northern Trails was one of the six projects granted funding. They will receive £67,720 to establish a case for major funding to improve the trail through the Highlands.
How will money benefit communities?
Jay Wilson, chairman of the Association of Northern Trails Scotland, said: “Our charity has been working since 2016 to establish a trail from Inverness to John o’ Groats.
“With a proper development programme, such as the investment that has been made in the West Highland Way and Great Glen Way, we see no reason that the Far North should not see the number of walkers grow into thousands or tens of thousands per year that those trails further south enjoy.
“This will pay for community consultations and trail surveys that will lay the groundwork for applications for major funding for trail improvements.
“This type of work has so far been beyond our capabilities as a small charity, so this grant will represent a major shift for our charity.”
Another small business awarded funds was the Highland Food and Drink Club, which will receive £30,000 to hire a marketing officer to help attract interest in their supper clubs.
John Murray, founding director of the Highland Food and Drink Club, said: “The funding will help us create a position for events and marketing of the Supper Club, which showcases local produce.
“The ethos of the business is to raise awareness of local food and drink and lower food miles to help promote sustainability within the Highland’s food and drink sector.
“People’s attitudes towards local food is more positive now especially coming out of lockdown and the impact of Brexit.”
‘Great potential to bring a very welcomed boost to our coastal communities’
David Hughes, board member of North Highland Initiative which will receive £30,000, said: “This funding will go some distance towards ensuring that the excellent work that our Community Infrastructure Support Programme (CISP) has been doing in providing a foundation for a wide range of community projects can now be confidently extended into 2022.
“To date, this support programme has assisted over 100 projects in the North Highland Initiative area since starting off as an initial response to the Covid outbreak.
“Examples of projects we’ve supported include renovation work on community facilities such as motorhome waste installation, public footpaths and toilets, as well as signage work.”
The Moray Firth Coastal Partnership was awarded £86,784 to employ a marine conservation coordinator, tasked with helping lead campaigns involving beach clean-ups and community engagement.
The North West Highland Geopark will get £54,250 to establish a marine heritage trail from Ullapool to Skerray.
The sixth grant approved was for £45,000 to the Sutherland Outdoor Activities Project for improvements to cycling and walking trails between Brora and Golspie.
Trish Robertson, chairwoman of Highland Council’s subcommittee for the fund, said: “Although each project is very different, they all share the goal of wanting to make a difference and bring benefits to their communities.
“They also all have great potential to bring a very welcomed boost to our coastal communities and play a part in the wider economic recovery of the Highlands.”
The funding pot is allocated to councils by the Scottish Government from Crown Estate proceeds.