The world’s oldest vehicular suspension bridge and a pavilion in the grounds of a house once owned by Sir Walter Scott are among more than 160 rural community projects in the Scottish Borders have benefited from £2 million of funding generated by a windfarm development. The restoration of an historic oak tree and a grant to fund new ice making equipment at a rural rink are also among the projects to benefit from the Fallago Environment Fund over the past 11 years. The fund shares the benefits of the Fallago Rig Wind Farm in the Lammermuir Hills, has announced that it has now awarded over £2 million to 164 projects across the Scottish Borders and the parish of Gifford since its formation in 2013.
Funded by Roxburghe Estates, Federated Hermes and EDF Renewables UK, it shares revenue generated by the 48-turbine wind farm to initiatives that enhance the region’s built, natural and cultural environment. The Duke of Roxburghe said: “The Fallago Environment Fund is unique as a windfarm community fund in that as well as assisting projects in its immediate vicinity, it also helps initiatives across the Scottish Borders. This means that its benefits can be felt in rural communities in the whole region through grants that help to develop the area as a tourism destination, preserve and enhance its environment, and conserve and tell the story of its very special heritage.
“From habitat restoration and historic building preservation to the creation of new museums and assisting pr.