Isle of Raasay

Raasay Development Trust

RAASAY DEVELOPMENT TRUST

A charitable trust established to sustain a diverse range of community assets and development projects

Raasay Development Trust (RDT) develops projects which improve the island’s infrastructure, offer new opportunities and deliver benefits to islanders and the community generally in terms of welfare and sustainability.

The trust consists of a board of seven directors, all volunteers, working with our local development officer.

The development officer’s role is to deal with public and private agencies, progress complex funding applications, and progress these projects and opportunities within tight timescales.

Some of these projects have a long history and some are relatively recent.

RDT is committed to fair work first principles. This includes paying employees the real living wage and ensuring effective voice conditions. You can find our full fair work statement here.

Registered charity number SC045185 . Registered company number SC483429.

CURRENT PROJECTS

Housing

RDT now owns three of the houses in Inverarish (nos 3, 21 and 35) which will be fully renovated to provide homes for long-term social rent. The renovations started in September 2025 and are expected to take 12 months. Funding to buy and renovate the houses has been provided by the Scottish Government, the Scottish Land Fund, the Rural and Islands Housing Fund, and Quakers Housing Trust.

Pontoon

The pontoon was designed to accommodate up to 24 boats and opened in 2023 for its first season. In 2025, following a series of difficulties in the form of the connections between the main structure wearing and breaking prematurely, the last ‘leg’ was removed to protect the main structure. RDT has been working with GaelForce Marine to rectify the issues – GaelForce are expected to extend the existing second ‘leg’ and install two moorings for visiting vessels using the existing anchor blocks. It was hoped this would happen in early summer 2025 – but this was dependent on the availability of an adequate workboat. In the meantime, the pontoon is functional but has reduced capacity and berths cannot be booked so it will remain open on a first come, first serve basis (over winter it is still in use but not available for overnight berths). A second phase is planned which will see onshore facilities and wider visitor infrastructure developed.