A ‘Land Use in the Glenkens’ meeting was held on 8th July 2024 in The Smiddy, Balmacellan to report and discuss the recent land use projects.

This feasibility study provides recommendations and guidance on how the potential of the Vision for Land Use in the Glenkens could be realised. In 2023 the communities of the Glenkens adopted this Vision, which sets out their aspirations for creating a landscape which is environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable, where all voices are heard, respected, and valued, and where empowered communities have more control over the market and policy forces which currently shape the use of land.

Dalry Community Council with GCAT commissioned three complementary reports studying Land Use and Local Place Planning in the Glenkens. The studies were funded by SoSE and Nature Scot, to set out the next steps required to embed land use considerations in the Glenkens into the medium term.

This action research project aims to investigate the potential benefits of a community-based organisation supporting communities to develop their resilience plans.

A report on the first year of delivery of the Glenkens Hub.

Year 1 report from the Glenkens Community Spaces Network.

This paper from the Community Action Plan Steering Group (CAP SG), owners of the Glenkens & District Community Action Plan, sets out a clear rationale for a delay to the decision to mothball the Dalry Secondary School to allow the wider impact on the community to be assessed and appropriate mitigating actions put in place.

Glenkens Community & Arts Trust (GCAT) held their 2024 AGM on 29th January. After the business meeting, Helen Keron (GCAT Executive Manager) gave a five year Strategy Update for 2023-2028, including Artistic Vision and delivery of the Glenkens and District Community Action Plan (CAP).

This grant is for small tree and woodland planting projects which fall below the size eligible for the Forestry Grant Scheme. The maximum grant available is £1,000 per applicant per year.

Slides from meeting held on 19th September 2023 at the Smiddy, Balmaclellan by Ronan Doyle (Renewable Heat Engineer, Natural Power Consultants), Becca Nelson (Glenkens Community Spaces Network Facilitator) and Helen Keron (GCAT Executive Manager).

The ‘Can You Dig It’ Community Archaeology Programme was a four year Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership project, providing engaging and educational archaeology activities.

The Building Biographies project recruited volunteers to undertake research into some of the large country houses within Galloway.

The National Trust for Scotland’s Threave Landscape Restoration Project is a ground-breaking, 100 year initiative outside Castle Douglas.

Six booklets created during the Galloway Glens Scheme, supporting some of the different projects and initiatives undertaken.

A conservation report on the restoration of the Old Mortality sculpture in Balmaclellan.

A report on research carried out by Connecting in Communities (CiC), a Glenkens Community & Arts Trust project that ran between 2016 and 2023.

Active Travel Delivery Plan 2022-2032 presents an updated framework looking at creating suitable and attractive opportunities for walking, wheeling, cycling (or taking part in any form of active travel) across the region, by integrating the work of different Council services.

This Vision and the associated recommendations are intended as the first step to creating a balance in Glenkens land use where all voices are heard, respected and valued.

The Steering Group has been meeting in its present form for some 18 months now and so felt it was timely to publish an Update Report on the progress of the Community Action Plan to date.

In early 2022, Grave Encounters - a volunteer research project run by the Can You Dig It community archaeology group, part of the Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership - revealed the fascinating histories behind the names on some of the gravestones in Kells kirkyard.