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Horticultural Development

Skye and Lochalsh Horticultural Development Association (SLHDA) is a voluntary organisation, established in 1994 to encourage and support the horticultural sector in the area.

The climate and geography of the area are harsh and over the years the Association has done much to identify ways in which to work with our environment, leading to increased numbers of people involved in growing an increased range of varieties. As the volume of sales increased, a trading company was formed in 2002.

The Association has delivered a number of development projects since its establishment. These have included working to increase grower skills, developing markets for local produce and growing trials for different varieties. Most recently they have delivered the Local Food for Local Schools project.

Who’s involved

The association's aims are to promote local production of fresh fruit and vegetables, garden plants and trees. Membership is open to all and includes local growers, market gardeners, crofters, garden centres and plant nurseries, professional and amateur gardeners and the local horticultural businesses in general.

What it does

Growing trials

The Association started off as a means of supporting the few growers in the area. One way of doing this was to carry out a series of growing trials, trying out different crops and varieties and different ways of growing. These were focused on commercial crops, rather than just growing for the pot. The reports on these trials are available on the Association’s own website.

Producers’ Stall

Moving on from the growing trials, they sought to find ways of ensuring that customers could purchase the increased local produce and so the trading company established a weekly producers’ stall in Portree where growers sell their produce direct to the public. This has been supplemented by the occasional Farmers’ Market, organised by SLHDA, bringing in local butchers, fishmongers and other retailers.

Local Food for Local Schools

The project was set up to establish a market for local produce within the school meal provision, increasing the awareness and understanding of horticulture, and improving grower skills.

The Association wanted to raise awareness of the availability of local produce and to increase understanding about its role in improving the health of the community and to demonstrate the importance of the horticultural sector in the economic and educational development of communities.

Five primary schools were selected to be part of the project and the response from the children and staff involved was fantastic. A lasting outcome apart from the increased enthusiasm and knowledge in the area was the two handbooks produced by the project co-ordinator – one for new growers and one for schools developing horticultural projects. An evaluation was carried out on the project and is available here [download Evaluation of Local Food for Local Schools Project).