In the spring of 2021, Bothy Project’s bothies in the Cairngorms National Park and on the Isle of Eigg, and Assynt Foundation’s Assynt Art Studio, were turned into sentinels for communication through the Neighbourhood Residencies project. The nine selected participants from Badenoch & Strathspey, the Small Isles and Assynt & Coigach were networked through Bothy Project to share, discuss and reflect upon themes of specific importance to them and their communities with discussion captured and shared through three podcasts. Participants also designed a series of posters which have been distributed to organisations and groups across Scotland for public display.
The selected residents were Norah Barnes from Eigg, Fliss Fraser from Rùm and Isebail MacKinnon from Canna; Robyn Braham, Sarah Hobbs and Robbie Synge who all live in Badenoch and Strathspey, and Sarah Bernstein, Katrina Martin and Monika Strell from Assynt & Coigach. You can read more about each resident via the links at the bottom of this page.
The Neighbourhood Residencies posters will be widely distributed for free to civil society organisations across Scotland later this year, for display in their venues and on notice boards. Interested organisations are encouraged to contact info@bothyproject.com to request a set.
POSTER: A collaboration by Norah Barnes, Sarah Hobbs and Katrina Martin
POSTER: Robbie Synge, Inhabitants, 2022
The Neighbourhood Residencies podcasts can be listened to below and on all major podcasting platforms:
PODCAST 1 – Going slow, on the fast lane to Suilven
Meet each of the participants and hear them discuss the importance of connecting with community and nature. 26min (Thanks to Monika Strell for the great title!)
PODCAST 2 – More holiday homes than people to clean them
This podcast unpicks the interlinked topics of housing, work and tourism across the three neighbourhoods. 29min.
PODCAST 3 – A stag on the porch, a vole in the wall
This podcast describes the landscape of each neighbourhood, and what the participants did with their residency time. 34min
The Neighbourhood Residencies were also featured on the BBC Radio Scotland podcast ‘Scotland Outdoors’ in the episode Bothy Culture – Using Bothies to Reflect and Connect.
The Neighbourhood Residencies were initiated by Bothy Project, in partnership with the Small Isles Community Council, Isle of Eigg Residents’ Association, Assynt Foundation and Cairngorms National Park Authority. The project has been supported by Creative Scotland, Cairngorms National Park Authority and the Highland Council.
Image 1: Robbie Synge. All of us, 2022. Image courtesy of the artist.
Image 2: Neighbourhood Residencies logo. Image courtesy of Bothy Project.
Image 3: Zoom screenshot of Neighbourhood Residencies participants. Image courtesy of Bothy Project.
Image 4: Selected Neighbourhood Residencies risograph posters. Image courtesy of Erika Stevenson.
Image 5: Courtesy of Bothy Project.
