Rousay, Egilsay & Wyre Development Trust

The Development Trust supports the island communities of Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre in Orkney.

REWIRED
A wholly owned trading subsidiary of the Trust, Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre Islands Renewable Energy Development Ltd, or REWIRED Ltd, is a company whose sole purpose is to operate the 900 kW community-owned wind turbine on Kingarly Hill, Rousay, which started generating renewable energy in October 2011. The income from this project is gifted back to the Development Trust to be used on the development of projects for community benefit and for the funding of the Grants and Bursaries.

Trumland Land
The Trust purchased Trumland land (692 ha) on Rousay for the community in August 2020 with funding from the Scottish Land Fund (Big Lottery Fund).

The following aims are important in the management of the land;

• to protect and enhance biodiversity;
• to maintain and enhance the condition of the environment and to provide access for recreation and education purposes.

To deliver these aims, we are developing a management plan with guidance from local and national organisations and continued discussion with members of the community. We are developing a project to open the hilly, heartland of Rousay to residents. The early stages will focus on the design and construction of a pathway and viewpoint area.

Pier Restaurant Purchase
The purchase of the former Pier Restaurant (located near the Rousay ferry terminal) was completed in January 2020 after consultation with our three-island community in 2019. The community also gave an indication of how they would like the building to be used in the future. The building is not suitable for these activities in its current state and with the COVID pandemic further delays has meant that the building remains closed for now. The REW DT engaged consultants, Alan Jones Associates to conduct further community consultation on the redevelopment of the premises, and we are now working closely with volunteers in the community as we plan the next phase of the redevelopment.

The Pier Store
The REW DT purchased this building in July 2019 (the building is by the Rousay harbour). The building requires extensive work, but funding has been secured for this from the North Isles Landscape Partnership Scheme and is due to begin in 2022, once the planning stage is finalised. The REW DT is also in the process of purchasing a small area of land adjacent to the Pier Store to allow for a safer access to the building. This building will then be leased long-term to the REW Heritage SCIO and used as a venue for holding artefacts from REW’s history.

Rousay Allotments
In 2012 the REW DT purchased land by the social housing area on Rousay for residents to use as allotments. Eight large allotment strips were created and a large polytunnel was also erected housing 12 plots which are rented to residents. Members of the allotments can also hire equipment, for a small charge, to use on the site or in their own gardens.

Brinian Play Park
Land was purchased by the REWDT next to the allotment site for the creation of a play park. The park had its grand opening on 14 October 2016 and is used almost daily by local children as well as visitors to our island.
Windbreck

The REW DT using Big Lottery Funding, purchased 6 acres of land at Windbreck, Rousay. This was to enable the creation of a track to give access to the new 900kW Community Turbine that was being erected in 2011.