by Rosie Macinnes
19 November 2024
Back in March Rosie was asked to write an article for the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland’s (RIAS)quarterly magazine about the retrofit project currently happening on Raasay. Of course, at that point there hadn’t been any funding delays and everything was fresh and exciting, but even so, this project has fostered collaborative working between agencies that don’t normally interact and has paved the way for Home Energy Scotland to change the way it approaches communities in the Highlands and Islands. Everything below is still relevant, except now the project has expanded to over 40 homes! Funding is currently being secured for works to start in Spring 2025.
“Some people say my head’s up in the clouds – but really my house is just over 95% humidity.”
“It’s a frustrating disparity and one that often leads to overlooked living conditions for those fortunate enough to have a home.”
“You can’t achieve a healthy home via an uncoordinated and piecemeal approach.”
The Isle of Raasay, or Eilean Ratharsair in Gaelic, is an Inner Hebridean Island nestled between Skye and mainland Scotland. Amongst a scattering of cleared townships lies the main population centre of Inverarish. The village and surrounding area is home to over 80 pre-1919 terraced houses, most of which were built to house prisoners of war who worked the island’s Iron Ore mines. With just under 200 houses in total, the island also has a good helping of traditional croft homes, some ’90s kit houses and a scattering of new builds.
While the past shapes our landscape, Raasay is embracing change. We recognise the need to take action against climate change and ensure our community has healthy and happy homes to thrive in. The community retrofit project involves over 30 homes (one third of full-time households), a mixture of all the housing types (even the off-grid ones), and is focused on coordinating contractors and grant funding to deliver necessary upgrades.
Having grown up on Raasay, leaving only briefly to study Engineering, it’s great to be involved in a project led by the community, for the benefit of the community and the climate. I have always been fascinated with domestic energy systems and struggled with the levels of fuel poverty and lack of solutions and support that practically work for rural and island areas. It’s a privilege to lead a project that is tackling these issues head-on.
Raasay, like many rural areas, faces a significant housing crisis. Only half of the island’s homes are occupied by permanent residents, forcing many young people to live in caravans. It’s a frustrating disparity and one that often leads to overlooked living conditions for those fortunate enough to have a home. After monitoring temperature and humidity in several properties over a crisp February week, only one managed to meet the standards outlined in the Scottish Fuel Poverty Statement for satisfactory heating regimes, with average humidity levels exceeding 70% in most. As one community member remarked, “Some people say my head’s up in the clouds – but really my house is just over 95% humidity.”
In May 2022, Raasay was selected as one of six Scottish islands that would be supported by the Carbon Neutral Islands (CNI) project, alongside Barra, Cumbrae, Hoy, Islay, and Yell. The CNI project is a Scottish government commitment to support the islands in reaching net zero by 2040. CNI Raasay has been pushing energy efficiency, and as a result, the community is becoming more housing literate, realising the importance of having an efficient home for their health and wellbeing but also for the community’s prosperity and resilience. Ensuring the current homes are healthy and warm is an investment in our future.
Retrofitting only becomes feasible here when you tackle multiple dwellings at once. Accredited contractors are a rare breed, and our homes tend to be a bit quirky, meaning most homeowners must navigate a maze of government schemes to finance a whole-house retrofit. These various schemes fund set measures, leaving little room for nuance. Moreover, when each scheme requires its own surveys and specified contractors, homeowners don’t stand a chance. You can’t achieve a healthy home via an uncoordinated and piecemeal approach.
We’ve teamed up with the Highland Council’s Climate Change & Energy Team and Home Energy Scotland (HES) to apply for a Special Project grant under the Scottish Government’s Energy Efficient Scotland: Area Based Scheme (EES:ABS). This funding will support energy efficiency upgrades and whole-house retrofits for eligible properties. To broaden participation and secure additional funding, we’re exploring options like the ECO, SSE Renewable, and Warmer Homes Scotland grants, as well as working in ‘able to pay’ households through the HES grant and loan scheme and private finance.
At the core of our project lies a commitment to local expertise and sustainability. We’re determined to harness local skills and ensure our systems remain viable long into the future. Yet, there are still aspects we’re refining, particularly in terms of decant.
If you’re intrigued and want to learn more about our journey, don’t hesitate to reach out. You can find my contact details via the CNI section of the Isle of Raasay website.
Our vision extends beyond Raasay. We aim to create a delivery model that can be replicated across other island and rural communities in the region. Our goal? To ignite a rural retrofit revolution! With the support of partners like the Scottish Government, Highland Council and Home Energy Scotland (HES), we’re on the brink of something really exciting.