Supporting Communities across the Highlands and Islands - HIE Communities Framework 2020-2026

May 20th 2026

As the Highlands and Islands (HIE) Communities Framework comes to a close after 6 successful years, the Team reflects upon recent project highlights and its role helping community groups turn local ambition into deliverable action.

Aquatera has been proud to support rural and local communities through the Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) Communities Framework over the past six years. As the current framework concludes and we look ahead to the next phase later this summer, we’re reflecting on the breadth and impact of this work.

Our projects are designed to help community groups turn local ambition into deliverable action — from asset mapping and community facilities to social enterprises and locally owned businesses. Working alongside volunteer groups, charities and development trusts, we provide practical guidance and specialist expertise to help communities establish services that are both locally relevant and financially sustainable.

Recent highlights include:

  • Supporting the development of a financially sustainable community hub in Scalpay, now entering the construction phase and set to boost local employment and economic activity.

  • Delivering a feasibility study and planning roadmap to bring a former school near Stornoway back into community ownership as a refurbished community centre.

  • Working with the Eday Partnership in Orkney to map community assets, create an inventory of services, identify gaps, and recommend how existing assets could be better used to meet local needs.

  • Producing a social impact assessment for a rewilding centre near Inverness, including a bespoke modelling tool to identify, monitor and demonstrate the centre’s social benefits over time.

Community engagement is at the heart of all our projects. We design consultation materials, manage engagement processes, and analyse feedback to ensure local voices guide the process and give the client community groups confidence that they have the community support and buy-in. We also provide funding options and clear next step reports, helping communities progress their ambitions beyond the life of the HIE-funded project.

Across many of these projects, decarbonisation and the transition to net zero play a key role — whether through sustainable building design, low carbon operational strategies, or environmentally focused community services.