Sleat Community Trust

What Sleat Community Trust does

Sleat Community Trust (SCT), also known by its Gaelic name Urras Coimhearsnachd Shlèite, is a community-led development trust founded in 2003 and registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee (Company 264198) and a recognised Scottish charity (SC035316). It operates on the Sleat peninsula of the Isle of Skye with a stated mission to promote sustainable economic, environmental and social development for local residents, and claims nearly 500 individual members representing over 70% of the local adult population, supported by 40+ active volunteers and a small paid staff team (Trust Administrator, Broadband Development Officer, and a new Community Development Officer hire in 2026).

SCT runs a holding-trust-plus-subsidiaries architecture. The parent Trust governs two wholly-owned commercial subsidiaries — Sleat Community Trading Company Limited, which operates Armadale Stores (community shop, Post Office, petrol/diesel forecourt and refill station) and Sleat Renewables Limited, which manages Tormore Forest (400ha acquired from the Forestry Commission in June 2011 for £330,000) plus the related Sleat Hydro Community Benefit Society that owns a 34kW micro hydro scheme (Cumhachd Shlèite) commissioned in August 2021 and funded by a £235,000 community share offer. Around this commercial core, SCT delivers a portfolio of community services: the Skyenet fixed-wireless broadband network covering nine villages (Aird, Achnacloich, Tarskavaig, Tokavaig, Ord, Heaste, Drumfearn, Drinan, Glasnakille) with three subscription tiers at £25-£45/month; a community electric minibus (the Wee Electric Bus) at £2 per person for return trips to Kyle; a Community Café programme launched in 2023; Visit Sleat tourism promotion under the Sleat Perfectly Skye brand; the Sleat Nature Group; the Sleat Food Shed food bank; and a Community Benefit Fund that redistributes surplus from the hydro scheme and grant income to local projects.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid of recurring subscriptions (Skyenet), retail and fuel sales (Armadale Stores), energy generation (Sleat Hydro), forestry and woodfuel sales (Tormore to Sabhal Mòr Ostaig and households), nominal fares and donations, and — most materially — grants from a diversified public-sector and charitable funder base including the Big Lottery/TNL Community Fund, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Highland Council, Bòrd na Gàidhlig, Postcode Lottery, Social Investment Scotland, Tudor Trust, Triodos Bank, Santander, SRDP, the Scottish Government and Highland Third Sector Interface. The Trust was awarded the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service in 2011.

Name

Sleat Community Trust

Legal name

Sleat Community Trust

Website

https://sleat.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sleat Community Trust is a community-led Scottish charity operating on the Sleat peninsula of the Isle of Skye, running Armadale Stores (shop, Post Office, fuel), Skyenet community broadband, Tormore Forest, a 34kW micro hydro scheme and community transport for nearly 500 local members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (52592)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Interconnection, Permitting & Grid Services for DERs (EUAMAJAH), Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB), Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services (FSAAANAI), Campground & Overnight Facilities Operations (Campsites, Cabins, Backcountry Huts) (THAAAGAE)

Keywords

• Community development trust
• Community broadband services
• Community retail operations
• Community renewable energy
• Community forestry management

Headquarters

HQ city

Sleat

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Armadale Stores retail and Post Office sales: Community shop and Post Office operations selling groceries, fresh produce, local produce, beer/wine/spirits, gluten-free and vegan ranges, packaging-free refill goods, hot/cold drinks and snacks. Post Office offers full Royal Mail services including limited banking. Award-winning 'Sustainability Champion' status.
2. Fuel station (petrol and diesel): E5 petrol and diesel fuel pumps owned and operated by Armadale Stores / Sleat Community Trading Company Ltd. Also sells Calor gas, coal, logs and kindling.
3. Skyenet broadband subscriptions: Recurring monthly subscription broadband service with three tiers (Skyenet 1: £25/month for 200GB @ 10Mbps; Skyenet 2: £35/month @ 30Mbps; Skyenet 3: £45/month unlimited).
4. Sleat Hydro electricity generation profits: Profits from the 34kW micro hydro scheme on the Allt a Chàm-aird burn are passed directly to Sleat Community Trust after shareholder dividends, supporting the Community Benefit Fund.
5. Forestry and woodfuel sales: Commercial harvesting of timber from Tormore Forest (400ha), supplying woodchip to Sabhal Mòr Ostaig's biomass boiler, plus log and split firewood sales to households throughout Sleat. Managed by Sleat Renewables Ltd.
6. Grants, donations and fundraising: External funding from Big Lottery Fund, Highlands & Islands Enterprise, Highland Council, Bòrd na Gàidhlig, Postcode Lottery, Social Investment Scotland, Tudor Trust, Triodos Bank, Santander, SRDP, the Scottish Government and Highland Third Sector Interface, alongside community donations and member contributions.
7. Tormore Forest overnight stay donations: Suggested donation of £7 per night for overnight stays (max 3 vans) at the Tormore Community Forest entrance car park. Funds development of further forest facilities.
8. Community minibus fares: £2 per person for a return trip within Skye and Kyle for the community electric minibus.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Sleat Community Trust operates and maintains community-owned essential services on the Sleat peninsula of the Isle of Skye, including a community shop with Post Office and fuel station (Armadale Stores), tiered fixed-wireless broadband (Skyenet), a community micro hydro-electric scheme (Sleat Hydro), a 400ha community forest with woodfuel and timber operations (Tormore Forest / Sleat Renewables), a community electric minibus, and community tourism promotion (Visit Sleat / Sleat Perfectly Skye). The Trust funds these assets and a wider Community Benefit Fund through a mix of retail sales, broadband subscriptions, hydro generation profits, commercial forestry, public-sector grants, and community donations.

Product overview

Sleat Community Trust (Urras Coimhearsnachd Shlèite) operates a portfolio of community-owned products and programmes on the Sleat peninsula of the Isle of Skye, rather than a single unified software product. The offering is a holding-trust-plus-subsidiaries architecture: the parent Trust (SCT) governs two wholly-owned commercial subsidiaries — Sleat Community Trading Company Limited (which operates Armadale Stores, the community shop / Post Office / filling station / refill station) and Sleat Renewables Limited (which manages the Tormore Forest asset, the Micro Hydro Scheme via the Sleat Hydro Community Benefit Society, and broader renewable-energy work). Around this commercial core sit a set of community programmes and facilities: Skyenet Community Broadband (fixed-wireless broadband), the Wee Electric Bus (Community Zero Emission Vehicle), the Community Café, Visit Sleat (Sleat Perfectly Skye) tourism promotion, the Sleat Nature Group, the Sleat Food Shed and the Community Benefit Fund. Together these named offerings form an integrated local-economy platform spanning retail, energy, connectivity, transport, tourism, environment and grant funding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Armadale Stores: Award-winning community shop (formerly Skye Ferry Filling Station shop), petrol station, Post Office and sustainability-focused retail outlet at Armadale, Sleat, operated by Sleat Community Trading Company Ltd.
• Skyenet
• Sleat Perfectly Skye
• Visit Sleat
• Tormore Community Forest
• Cumhachd Shlèite
• Sleat Nature Group
• Sleat Food Shed

Products and services

• Armadale Stores Award-winning community-owned shop, Post Office and petrol/diesel forecourt at Armadale, Sleat (IV45 8RS). Stocks groceries, fresh produce, local produce including venison and meat from a local butcher, gluten-free and vegan ranges, beer/wine/spirits, packaging-free refill goods, hot/cold drinks and snacks. Post Office offers full Royal Mail services including limited banking. Fuel station sells E5 petrol and diesel, Calor gas, coal, logs and kindling. Operated by Sleat Community Trading Company Limited; recycling facilities for batteries and blister packs; home of the Sleat Food Shed community food bank.
• Skyenet Community Broadband Fixed-wireless community broadband service delivered to nine Sleat villages (Aird, Achnacloich, Tarskavaig, Tokavaig, Ord, Heaste, Drumfearn, Drinan, Glasnakille). Offered in three tiers: Skyenet 1 at £25/month (200GB, 10Mbps/2Mbps), Skyenet 2 at £35/month (30Mbps/10Mbps) and Skyenet 3 at £45/month (unlimited data). Backhauled via the West Highland Internet Exchange (WHIX) and HUBS to Edinburgh internet exchanges.
• Tormore Forest 400ha community-owned mature forest in Sleat managed by Sleat Renewables Ltd, providing commercial timber harvesting (lodgepole pine, Sitka spruce), a community biomass woodfuel facility (funded by Santander, SRDP and Highland Council), split-log firewood for households and businesses, a cycle/walk path network, deer fencing and replanting trials, volunteer-led Tormore Explore events, and a suggested-donation £7/night overnight campervan stay area (max 3 vans).
• Sleat Hydro / Micro Hydro Scheme (Cumhachd Shlèite) 34kW run-of-burn micro hydro-electric scheme on the Allt a Chàm-aird burn, owned and operated by Sleat Hydro Community Benefit Society. Generates continuous green electricity to the grid, and passes surplus profits after shareholder dividends to Sleat Community Trust for community benefit via the Community Benefit Fund. As of late 2022 had generated over 250,000 kWh cumulatively.
• Community Zero Emission Vehicle (Wee Electric Bus) Zero-emission community minibus available to Sleat residents for health, mobility, education and social inclusion trips. Runs scheduled fortnightly Wednesday trips to Kyle (~10am departure from SCT offices, ~2pm return) at £2 per person return, and is free for use by Sleat-based groups meeting the four goals. Can be self-driven once recorded as a driver. Bookings via office or [email protected].
• Visit Sleat (Sleat Perfectly Skye) Community-run tourism group under Sleat Community Trust, operating the consumer-facing brand 'Sleat Perfectly Skye'. Promotes Sleat member businesses via social media, dedicated website (sleatperfectlyskye.com), interactive information screens and printed leaflets. Managed by local volunteers Jane McDermott, Paddy McKay and Janni Williams.
• Community Café Volunteer-led, bi-weekly social café sessions held at Ardvasar Community Hall by Sleat Community Trust in partnership with local food providers and supported by the Wee Electric Bus. Designed to help residents re-connect after Covid-era closures, funded by Scottish Government and Highland Third Sector Interface (HTSI).
• Community Benefit Fund Grant-funding programme administered by Sleat Community Trust, principally receiving funds from Sleat Hydro Community Benefit Society surplus profits and other donations, used to support local projects such as Ardvasar Playpark Renewal, Tormore Forest tree protectors, Broadford Youth Club, South Skye Moorings Association and South Skye Table Tennis Group.

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Development Trusts Association Scotland (DTA Scotland)coreOthersNational membership body for community development trusts in Scotland, listed as a supporter on the SCT Supporters & Funders page (dtascot.org.uk). Provides SCT with sector representation, training and peer support.
• Community Woods AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK-wide alliance supporting community woodland organisations. SCT's Tormore Forest is a flagship community woodland initiative. Alliance logo featured twice on the SCT Supporters & Funders page (communitywoods.org).
• Sabhal Mòr Ostaig (SMO)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerScotland's Gaelic College, located in Sleat. SMO is represented on the SCT Board by Gillian Munro. SCT and SMO have a joint project to deliver a new sports facility on Sleat, and SMO is a customer of Sleat Renewables' woodchip supply for its biomass boiler.
• Community Broadband ScotlandflagshipTechnology or IntegrationPublic-sector partner supporting community broadband roll-out. Listed as a stakeholder in the Skyenet Community Broadband project.
• Rural Broadband NetworkscoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnical stakeholder in the Skyenet Community Broadband project alongside Community Broadband Scotland, Highland Council, two local landowners and several common grazings committees.
• HUBScoreTechnology or IntegrationBackhaul provider taking Skyenet traffic from the West Highland Internet Exchange (WHIX) hand-over points at Mallaig and Beinn Mhialairigh down to one of the big Internet Exchanges in Edinburgh.
• West Highland Internet Exchange (WHIX)coreTechnology or IntegrationPeering exchange used by Skyenet at Mallaig and Beinn Mhialairigh. Key part of the community broadband network architecture.
• Santander

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Knoydart Foundation: Community buyout of the Knoydart peninsula on the west coast of Scotland, owning land, housing, hydro scheme, and community broadband. Closely comparable to SCT in combining community land/asset ownership with renewable energy and broadband in a remote Highland geography.
• Point and Sandwick Trust: Hebridean community trust owning the largest community-owned wind farm in the UK, distributing profits to local community projects. Most directly comparable to SCT in combining community-owned renewable generation, asset management, and grant distribution within a small Outer Hebridean community.
• Assynt Foundation: Community land buyout in Assynt, Sutherland, owning over 21,000 acres of crofting and forestry land. Comparable to SCT through community land acquisition, forest stewardship and renewable energy aspirations in a remote Highland setting.
• Gigha Heritage Trust: Community-owned Isle of Gigha operating community-owned wind turbines, housing and tourism facilities. Comparable to SCT through community-owned renewable generation and integrated local economy management on a small Scottish island.
• West Harris Trust: Community trust on the Isle of Harris owning land, housing and a community marina with renewable energy projects. Comparable to SCT's integrated community-asset model combining land, housing, renewable energy and economic development in the Hebrides.
• Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust: Community-owned Isle of Eigg operating Eigg Electric (community-owned grid powered by hydro, solar and wind) and community broadband. A peer through its integrated community-ownership model of utilities and island infrastructure, very similar in ethos and asset structure to SCT.

Others

• Development Trusts Association Scotland: National membership body representing community development trusts across Scotland, of which SCT is a member. Relevant as a sector association and ecosystem participant rather than a direct comparator, providing SCT with peer support, training, and policy representation.

Emerging players

• Bute Community Land Company: Community-led development vehicle on the Isle of Bute pursuing community land acquisition and renewable energy projects. Comparable to SCT's broader community development remit and asset-building approach on a Scottish island.
• Scoraig Trust: Small remote community on the west coast of Scotland operating its own community broadband and electricity micro-grid. Directly comparable to Skyenet as a community-led fixed-wireless broadband and micro-power model in a remote Highland setting.
• Ulva Community Trust: Community buyout of the Isle of Ulva off Mull, currently developing community housing, renewable energy and visitor infrastructure. Comparable as a smaller, earlier-stage community development trust pursuing a similar integrated asset model to SCT.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SleatCommunityTrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sleat

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sleat Community Trust