New Support for Local Communities and Heritage Projects

Taic Ùr do Phròiseactan Dualchais agus Choimhearsnachdan Ionadail 

Maoin Chalanais do Dhualchas ga chur fo sheòl san Dàmhair 

BRATH NAIDHEACHD  |  30 an Dàmhair 2026 
 

Gheibh buidhnean coimhearsnachd anns na h-Eileanan an Iar cothrom air sgeama tabhartais ùr a chuidicheas ri bhith a’ rannsachadh, a’ dìon, agus a’ compàirteachadh ann an dualchas agus eachdraidh nan eilean. Faodaidh buidhnean neo-phrothaide aig a bheil bun-reachd cur a-steach do Mhaoin Chalanais do Dhualchas airson taic le pròiseactan a chomharraicheas cultar beairteach nan coimhearsnachdan ionadail. 

Tha e mar amas dhan mhaoin a bhith a’ mathachadh beatha ionadail tro phròiseactan dualchais. Bho airceòlas agus togalaichean eachdraidheil gu seanchas, tasglainn, agus cultar beò nan Gàidheal, bheir a’ Mhaoin seo taic ri obair fo stiùir na coimhearsnachd a bhitheas a’ togail dàimh eadar daoine agus an cuid dualchais. Dh’fhaodadh pròiseactan a bhith a’ gabhail a-steach leasachadh sgilean, togail sunnd, neartachadh eadar-mhìneachaidh, cruinneachadh agus clàradh eachdraidh ionadail, no leudachadh cothrom air làraichean no tachartasan dualchais a bheir ri chèile na ginealaichean. 

Thuirt Kathryn Lamont Smith, Manaidsear Dualchais aig Urras nan Tursachan: “Tha Calanais air a bhith aig cridhe dualchas Innse Gall fad còrr is 5,000 bliadhna. Tro Mhaoin Chalanais do Dhualchas, tha cothrom againn taic a chumail ri pròiseactan dualchais fo stiùir na coimhearsnachd air feadh nan eilean, a’ cuideachadh dhaoine a dhìon làraichean aosmhor, a cho-roinn sgeulachdan ionadail agus a’ cumail an dualchais beò airson nan ginealaichean air thoiseach oirnn.” 

Thuirt Lorna Eller, Prìomh Stiùiriche UnT airson na Maoine: “Tha dualchas fighte ris gach pàirt de bheatha anns na h-Eileanan an Iar: tha e gar cuairteachadh. Nuair a ghabh UnT ri ath-leasachadh Ionad-tadhail Chalanais, bha e nar n-amas a bhith a’ cur cuid dhen teachd-a-steach gu math iomairtean dualchais air feadh Innse Gall. A-nis, le seòladh an sgeama-pìleit seo airson Maoin Chalanais do Dhualchas, tha sinn air ar dòigh a bhith a’ buileachadh air a’ ghealladh sin. Tron Mhaoin seo, tha sinn airson taic a chumail ri coimhearsnachdan a bhith a’ toirt gu bith am miannan fhèin gus cothroman a chruthachadh air ar dualchas.” 

Tha fàilte air tagraidhean bho bhuidhnean air feadh nan Eilean Siar, a’ gabhail a-steach phròiseactan a thàlas daoine gu làraichean iomallach no air beag aithne. Airson phròiseactan nas lugha, bidh foirm sìmplidh giorraichte airson thabhartasan beaga luach £500. Faodaidh pròiseactan nas motha cur a-steach airson tabhartasan coitcheann, an toiseach le foillseachadh ùidh air a leantail le cuireadh gu làn-thagradh. 

Dùnaidh ciad chuairt na maoine ann am meadhan na Dùbhlachd 2026. Ainmichear duaisean bho thoiseach a’ Ghearrain 2027, le pròiseactan air an lìbhrigeadh eadar an Gearran agus an t-Iuchar. Gus taic a chumail ri tagraidhean, cumar seiseanan fiosrachaidh anns an dàrna seachdain dhen t-Samhain, cuide ri comhairle amaisichte mar as fheudar. Foillsichear fiosrachadh nan seiseanan agus làn-stiùireadh na maoine air làrach-lìn Chalanais. 

Thuirt Caroline Clark, Stiùiriche airson Alba aig Maoin-dualchais a’ Chrannchuir Nàiseanta: “Le ar taic, tha Urras nan Tursachan air goireasan ùra iongantach a stèidheachadh aig Ionad-tadhail Tursachan Chalanais a’ rannsachadh agus a’ mìneachadh mhìltean bhliadhnaichean de dh’eachdraidh, ach bheir am pròiseact seo sùil ri dualchas beò nan eilean, a chuid dhaoine agus àrainneachd. 

“Tha am maoineachadh anns an ionad-tadhail a’ cruthachadh chothroman ùra air cosnadh, trèanadh agus ionnsachadh. A thaing don airgead a thogas iomairtichean a’ Chrannchuir Nàiseanta, bheir na tabhartasan coimhearsnachd seo leudachadh air a’ chothrom a th’ aig a’ choimhearsnachd ionadail a dhol an sàs ann an dualchas Chalanais. Bidh prògraman a gheibh taic bhon Mhaoin-dualchais a’ cur cho-dhùnaidhean maoineachaidh gu ìre an t-sluaigh, gan cuideachadh gus dàimhean a thogail leis an dualchas as ionmhainn leotha fhèin.” 

Bidh a’ Mhaoin ga rianadh le Urras nan Tursachan, agus tagraidhean gam measadh le panail neo-eisimeileach a’ riochdachadh choimhearsnachdan agus na roinne dualchais air feadh nan eilean. Bheir e taic do phrògram thabhartasan Comann Dualchais Innse Gall agus ris an amas fharsaing gum faigh daoine ionadail buannachd às an dualchas aca. 

Chaidh an iomairt a dhealbhachadh mar dhòigh gus coimhearsnachdan agus dualchas a chuideachadh tro theachd-a-steach na turasachd. Seòlaidh a’ Mhaoin mar phìleat le taic bho Mhaoin-dualchais a’ Chrannchuir Nàiseanta.  

Gus tuilleadh fhaighinn a-mach, no clàradh airson seisean fiosrachaidh, no gus tagradh a thòiseachadh, theirigibh gu: https://calanais.org/discover/introducing-calanais-fund-for-heritage/ 

30 October 2026 

FROM: Urras nan Tursachan (The Standing Stones Trust) 

New Support for Local Communities and Heritage Projects 

Launch of the Calanais Fund for Heritage  

Community groups across the Outer Hebrides are set to benefit from a new grant scheme created to help local people explore, care for, and share our islands’ rich history and culture. Constituted, not-for-profit organisations anywhere in the Outer Hebrides are invited to apply to the new Calanais Fund for Heritage for support on projects that help communities celebrate their culture and heritage.   

The fund, created by Urras nan Tursachan, aims to improve community life through heritage projects. From archaeology and historic buildings to Gaelic traditions, local stories and archives, the Fund will support community-led activity that connects people with the heritage around them. Projects could include building local skills and supporting wellbeing, improving interpretation, recording local histories, improving access to heritage sites or activities that bring different generations together.  

Kathryn Lamont Smith, Heritage Manager at Urras nan Tursachan said: “Calanais has been at the heart of the culture and heritage of the Outer Hebrides for over 5,000 years. Through the Calanais Fund for Heritage, we now have an opportunity to support community-led heritage projects across our islands, helping people care for historic places, share local stories and keep traditions alive for future generations.” 

Lorna Eller, Lead Director of UnT for the Fund, added: “Heritage is part of everyday life across the Outer Hebrides: it’s all around us. When UnT started the redevelopment of the Calanais Visitor Centre, part of the plan was to use a share of entry revenues for the benefit of heritage throughout the Outer Hebrides. Now, with the pilot scheme for the Calanais Fund for Heritage going live, we are delighted to be delivering on that commitment. Through this Fund we want to help communities bring their own ideas to life, making our heritage easier to access and share.” 

Proposals are welcome from groups across the entire island chain, including projects that engage people with lesser-known or less accessible heritage. For smaller projects, Micro Grants of up to £500 feature a short, simple application form. Larger projects can apply for Standard Grants, which begin with an expression of interest followed by an invitation to submit a full application.  

The first application round closes in mid-December 2026. Awards will be announced in early February 2027, with projects delivered between February and July allowing for flexible completion dates. To help groups submit their applications, information sessions are planned for the second week of November, alongside one-to-one guidance as required. Session details and full application guidance will be published on the Calanais website. 

Caroline Clark, Director for Scotland at The National Lottery Heritage Fund said: “With our support Urras nan Tursachan has delivered fantastic new facilities at the Calanais Visitor Centre exploring and explaining thousands of years of history but this project also shares a focus on the living heritage of the area, its people and its nature. 

“The investment in the visitor centre is supporting new opportunities for employment, training and learning thanks to money raised by National Lottery players these community grants will further widen the scope for the local community to explore and celebrate the heritage of Calanais, place and people. Heritage Fund supported community grant programmes put funding decisions on grassroots projects into the hands of local people helping to build connections with the heritage that matters to them.” 

The Fund will be administered by Urras nan Tursachan, with awards decided by an independent panel representing community and heritage interests across the islands. It will complement the Comann Dualchas Innse Gall grant programme and support wider ambitions for heritage to benefit local people. 

The initiative is designed as a means of supporting communities and heritage through tourism revenue. The Fund launches with a pilot supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.  

To learn more, register for an information session, or start an application, visit:  Introducing the Calanais Fund for Heritage – Calanais Standing Stones & Visitor Centre on Isle of Lewis Scotland