A Blessed Relief! Contin Parish Church

The island itself is a key local feature and there is a popular walking route which goes from the village, over a footbridge and then makes a circuit of the island. The paths have been adopted by Highland Council with the route at the north end of the island having core path designation and the southern end currently undergoing the process of being adopted as core path.

The community council has worked to promote the walks and heritage of Contin Island by publishing a map and leaflet and recently organising repairs to the footpath (both projects supported by the Corriemoillie Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund). With the growing popularity of the site it was decided that toilet facilities would be beneficial, so the minister and a group of local volunteers began to investigate options.

The rural island site has no services so they were focussing on compost toilets and after visiting a successful example at nearby Evanton Community Woodland, opted for the NATSOL full access composter.

Corriemoillie Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund contributed £3,000 to the project with the balance coming from a private donation and from church funds. A team of volunteers laid the concrete base and erected the prefabricated toilet unit in the church car park where it is accessible to all visitors to the island, the church and the graveyard. Volunteers will also be responsible for its ongoing maintenance and upkeep.

The panel was fully supportive of the project but did raise a concern about visitors in campervans disposing chemical waste in the toilet. The solution has been to have a key safe with a code available on request by telephone. A celebration concert for the new toilet was held at the church on 1st February 2023 to share the community joy for the new facility.