WHO WE ARE

Frances Gunn - NW2045 Chair

Frances comes from Tongue, and has been involved in a huge number of community projects, from building the leisure centre in Bettyhill, chairing the Flow Country partnership, serving as a Director and Chair for Up North Community Development Trust, Chair of the Regional Land Use Partnership and the Flow Country World Heritage Site

Ewen McLachlan – Development Officer, Assynt Development Trust

Ewen is based in Achitlibuie and is development officer with Assynt Development Trust. ADT is the anchor organisation for the NW2045 project, meaning that like Frances, Ewen has been heavily involved in the project since the beginning.

Sara Harkins – NW2045 Manager

Sara comes from Kinlochbervie and is owner of Kinlochbervie Estate. Sara has a background in film and television production, having held multiple senior roles within BBC Scotland. Additionally she has experience on many boards including Children in Need and Early Years Scotland.

Sara has been heavily involved in the NW2045 in recent years, particularly in relation to the Regional Land Use Partnership, and efforts to develop a community seaweed farming initiative, a partnership between Assynt Development Trust, Kinlochbervie Community Development Company and Scourie Community Development Company.

Joseph Peach – NW2045 coordinator

Joe is based in Achiltibuie, and joined the project in August 2024, this was the first time the project had dedicated staff capacity. Prior to this, he’s worked in the world of public affairs and advocacy in a range of ways, including for abrdn Financial Fairness Trust, and Culture Counts, the representative body for the Scottish Cultural Sector.

Joe's career in this world started in the office of MSP for Caithness Sutherland and Ross, Maree Todd, where he worked as a caseworker and researcher. Joe works for the project on a part time freelance basis, alongside another part time role as Director of Policy and Public Affairs with Culture Counts.

Regional Land Use Partnership

NW2045 also hosts one of five Regional Land Use Partnerships - a Scottish Government funded initiative developing new approaches to stakeholder collaboration on land use – addressing emerging natural capital markets, climate change and biodiversity loss. Notably, the NW2045 RLUP is the only pilot not held within an institutional structure (such as a National Park); it is community-led, and work to-date has focused on facilitating collaboration between local and national government, communities, crofters, landowners, land managers, and wider stakeholders.

The RLUP is is led by NW2045 and is currently being delivered by Rachel Skene, Lizzie Williams, Sara Harkins, Sophie Clark and Denise Mackay . Further information can be found in the Regional Land Use Partnership section.

NW2045 Steering Group

The new NW2045 Steering Group - which was formed in 2025 - comprises representatives from all seven Community Council areas within the NW2045 area:

Rags Celli – Bettyhill, Strathnaver and Altnaharra Community Council

Marion Milligan – Tongue Community Council

Don Campbell and Anita Wilson - Durness Community Council

Angela Johnson - Kinlochbervie Community Council

Neil Macdonald – Scourie Community Council

Colin Pritchard – Assynt Community Council

Lesley Muir – Coigach Community Council

NW2045 Network

NW2045 is a network, of the broad range of organisations, public bodies and community groups working towards a better future for North West Sutherland and Coigach with a sustainable, repopulated rural economy and resilient, thriving communities.

We meet bi-weekly, with these regular catch ups providing opportunities for information sharing, developing collaboration and mutual support in working towards a better future for the area.

NW2045 Original Working Group

The original working group helped developed initial Vision. Many of these organisations are still very much involved in the work. The group had representatives from:

Assynt Development Trust

Assynt Foundation

Highland Council

Highlands & Islands Enterprise

John Muir Trust

North Highland Initiative

North West Highlands Geopark

Scottish Land Commission

Scottish Wildlife Trust

Scourie Community Development Company

Up North Development Trust

Wildland Ltd.

Funders

We are grateful to the following funders for their support of our work to date:

Scottish Government's Addressing Depopulation Fund via Highland Council

Community Regeneration Fund

Up North! Development Trust

Scourie Community Development Company

Assynt Development Trust

Coigach Community Development Company

Coigach & Assynt Living Landscape Partnership

Highland Council

John Muir Trust

National Lottery Heritage Fund

NatureScot