The Highland Council has ratified its original decision not to introduce a Short Term Let Control Area across the Black Isle and Easter Ross.
Meeting yesterday (9 November 2026), the Black Isle and Easter Ross Area Committee also received updates on Community Transport, Common Good, and the Black Isle Place Plan.
Short Term Let Control Area
The Black Isle and Easter Ross Area Committee agreed not to progress with a Short Term Let Control Area covering all or part of the Black Isle and Easter Ross, following an update to the original Short Term Let Control Area report presented to the Committee in November 2025.
As of July 2026, there are 442 licensed short-term lets across the Cromarty Firth, Tain and Easter Ross, and Black Isle wards, representing a marginal increase from 428 in July 2025. Most of these properties are detached dwellings or unconventional accommodation such as pods and chalets.
Over the past six years, the rate of new-build housing completions becoming short-term lets was 1.4% in Cromarty Firth, 3.5% in Tain and Easter Ross, and 3.7% in the Black Isle, all below the Highland-wide average of 4.7%.
Registers of Scotland data matched against the public register showed that house sales subsequently granted secondary letting licences stood at 1.0% in Cromarty Firth, 3.4% in Tain and Easter Ross, and 1.8% in the Black Isle, compared to the Highland average of 4.7%.
Chair of the Black Isle and Easter Ross Area Committee, Councillor Lyndsey Johnston, said: “Our decision must be led by the local evidence, which clearly shows that short-term lets in the Black Isle and Easter Ross remain well below the Highland average and are not currently driving local housing pressures. However, we recognise the importance of housing availability to our communities, which is why the Committee has agreed to keep this data under continual review so we can act promptly should local market conditions change.”
Common Good Funds Update
The Area Committee scrutinised the Quarter 2 (April to September 2026) monitoring reports for the area's four Common Good Funds and noted a governance update on the sale of the Bouchardon Bust of Sir John Gordon, an asset of the Invergordon Common Good Fund.
Bouchardon Bust
Following a temporary export bar placed on the sculpture in January 2026 under the UK Government's Waverley Criteria, the Council was notified by Arts Council England in April 2026 of a ‘serious offer' had been received from a prospective UK buyer.
The Council accepted the offer and entered into an Option Agreement, triggering a five-month deferral period running from 1 July 2026 to 1 December 2026 during which the prospective UK buyer has the opportunity to raise the funds required to complete the purchase. Should the acquisition proceed, it will include the commissioning of a museum-quality replica. If the funds are not raised by the deadline, the sale will proceed to the prospective overseas private buyer in accordance with the terms of the export licence.
Under the confidentiality provisions of the Option Agreement and the Waverley process, the Council cannot confirm the identity of either prospective purchaser or provide further details while the process remains ongoing. Although the prospective UK buyer has publicly identified themselves, the Council remains contractually bound to maintain confidentiality.
Officers also reminded Members that the sale of the bust was approved by full Council in May 2024 and that the current process relates solely to the operation of the Waverley Criteria export deferral period. Any request for an extension to the current fundraising period would be a matter for the prospective UK buyer and Arts Council England, rather than The Highland Council.
Chair of the Black Isle and Easter Ross Area Committee, Councillor Lyndsey Johnston commented on the latest update: “The Committee noted the current position regarding the Bouchardon Bust as it progresses through the formal Waverley Criteria deferral period. The sale was approved by the full Council in 2024 and is now subject to a national heritage process administered by Arts Council England. Every stage of this process has been conducted in accordance with relevant legal, governance and heritage protection requirements, and we await the outcome of the prospective UK buyer’s fundraising period which concludes on 1 December 2026."
Common Good Update
The Common Good Funds continue to support the management and maintenance of Common Good assets and the delivery of their respective responsibilities. Asset management and development activity continues across the Funds, including focus to bring the East Church Hall in Cromarty back into productive community use.
Forecast 2026/27 year-end usable revenue reserves were noted for Fortrose and Rosemarkie (£333,573), Tain (£286,865), Invergordon (£89,251), and Cromarty (£45,891).
Community Transport
Councillors also considered updates on rural transport innovation, and local ward funding.
The Committee supported redirecting £6,100 per year from an underused early-morning school holiday bus journey between Cromarty and Dingwall (Contract 405) into flexible Community Transport provision. Almost £30,000 in developer contributions has also been secured in Evanton to support local community transport development, building on the model of Black Isle operator Communities in Motion. Three-year Highland-wide community transport grant recommendations (2027–2030) will go before the Economy and Infrastructure Committee on 12 November 2026.
Commenting on the proposals, Chair, Councillor Lyndsey Johnston said: “Community transport provides an essential lifeline for rural residents who rely on local connections to access healthcare, education, and shopping. By redirecting funding from underused scheduled bus runs into flexible, demand-responsive transport, and making the most of nearly £30,000 in developer contributions for Evanton, we can better match local transport services to the actual travel needs of our communities.”
Ward Discretionary Budget and Black Isle Place Plan
Members noted a progress presentation from Opportunity Black Isle on the Black Isle Place Plan and noted £29,047.58 in Ward Discretionary Budget grants awarded across Cromarty Firth (£7,415.33), Tain and Easter Ross (£13,422.25), and the Black Isle (£8,210.00) between April and October 2026.
The group overseeing the Black Isle Local Place Plan highlighted significant progress on a range of community priorities, including affordable housing, transport, environmental stewardship and youth engagement. An update presented to Members outlined how Opportunity Black Isle, is helping communities bring forward projects that support local priorities.
Current projects include exploring training and employment opportunities, investigating housing options across the Black Isle, supporting work with Fortrose Academy to involve young people in community-led development, contributing to plans for expanded community transport services, and exploring the potential for a winter ferry service for workers travelling to Nigg. The group is also working with environmental partners to support marine management, sustainable land use, and biodiversity objectives identified through the Place Plan.
Chair of the Black Isle and Easter Ross Area Committee, Councillor Lyndsey Johnston commented: “The progress made on the Black Isle Place Plan is already bringing community organisations and public bodies together around shared priorities. The work undertaken by Opportunity Black Isle is helping to turn the aspirations identified by local people into practical action, from housing and transport to environmental projects and youth engagement.
Alongside more than £29,000 in Ward Discretionary Budget awards, demonstrates the strength of community-led action across all three of our wards. These targeted grants provide vital practical support to the local volunteers, youth play schemes, and village facilities that make a real difference to everyday life across the Black Isle and Easter Ross.”
You can watch a recording of the meeting on our YouTube channel.