
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
North Highland Initiative
North-West Highlands Geopark
Reay Forest Estate
Scottish Wildlife Trust
Wildland Ltd.
​​​​