Allotment use on the rise in Highlands

GREEN-fingered enthusiasts in the Highlands are lining up to live the good life and dig for victory as the number of allotments in the region has more than doubled in only three years.

The self-sufficient characters in the 1970s’ BBC comedy, The Good Life, were determined to grow their own vegetables and fruit and live off the land, while the Government urged every man and woman in the UK to grow their own food during the Second World War rationing period.

Now increasing numbers of Highland residents are turning to their trowels as healthy eating and environmental factors have become major concerns in society.

The surge in popularity of allotments in the Highland has grown to the extent that the number of plots has more than doubled.

There is also a waiting list of 16 enthusiastic organisations in Inverness, Ross-shire, Lochaber, Badenoch and Strathspey which want to secure plots for their members as the allotment movement gathers momentum.

There were seven allotments in the region with 101 individual plots before the council introduced a new policy in 2009 to encourage the hobby.

Since then another eight have been created – three on land owned by the council – in Inverness, Nairn, Lybster, Fort William, Rosemarkie, Thurso and Lochaline. That has established an extra 165 plots in total.

Councillor George Farlow, a member of the authority’s rural affairs strategy group, said the allotments boom was inspired by local residents wanting to grow better quality food than they can buy in supermarkets.

"I think people realise how good it is to be out in the fresh air and how poor supermarket vegetable quality is," he said.

"They also a feel bit guilty buying polythene-wrapped food from many miles away. It is good for their health, their pocket and good for their table."

Mr Farlow said finding land for new allotments was difficult and there was a shortage of sites because most private landowners would prefer to retain it for housing.

The North, West and Central Sutherland councillor said it was up to the local authority to free up sites because it could be a long and laborious process for community groups to secure suitable land.