Hope Cohousing—a community interest company—is working to establish a small cohousing project for older people in St Margaret’s Hope, Orkney, as a lasting community benefit. Six new, eco-aware, affordable rental homes will be built for people wanting to live independently and build a supportive community. The project will have shared amenities, a garden….and chickens.
Contact us if you have questions about HCH.
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In the news
Scotland’s birth rate falls to record low for third year running
The BBC Scottish News also confirms that the number of deaths continues to outnumber births across the country.
Click to read more on BBC News. [August 25, 2026].
Major drop in build-to-rent homes under construction
Scotland has experienced a large drop in build-to-rent houses under construction in Britain. Recent analysis from Real Estate: Scotland and Savills shows a 27% drop over the past year (compared to 21% in England and 9% in Wales). [August 12, 2026]
Mary Jarvy: Why Scotland’s energy transition needs a housing strategy
In this interesting article in Scottish Housing News, Mary Jarvy estimates that accommodating the transient construction workforce necessary for the transition in the Highlands and Islands could cost around £1.3bn by 2040. This is something like 2% of the region’s projected energy infrastructure investment. Without a coordinated approach, she argues, ‘much of this spending risks flowing into temporary accommodation, missing the opportunity to deliver lasting economic benefits for the communities hosting nationally significant projects’. Click to read more. [July 15, 2026]
Scotland’s future starts with social housing
Richard Meade, the new chief executive of the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, has called for social housing to be treated as a cornerstone of government policy. Speaking at the SFHA’s Annual Conference, he argued that success “on health, on education, on environment, on social justice, on economic growth, or any objective for Scotland whatsoever” can only be achieved if they start with housing. This will mean building 15,693 affordable homes every year throughout this parliamentary term. Last year just 3,600 social homes were completed [see below]. Click to read the article in Scottish Housing News. [June 12, 2026]
Resources
Featured article: Why cohousing is good for people and communities – the evidence. [Updated January 2024]
Creating a cohousing project: Materials and videos exploring different aspects of putting together a cohousing project.
Look out for: Burray and South Ronaldsay local services [New and updated]. See also the new Exploring South Ronaldsay site, which began life on these pages.
For more about the development of cohousing in Scotland, click on the Cohousing Scotland logo below.
