FAQ | Tanera

What is the Tanera Project?

In 2017 Ian Wace bought the island of Tanera Mòr and began restoring its buildings and its natural environment. In 2020, Tanera was transferred into a charitable trust.

As the buildings and the land took shape, Tanera Mòr found a purpose as a place where people who operate in UK public services can come to recover energy and build resilience. To date, we have restored more than 50 buildings, created 4½ miles of roads on the island and employed 150 people.

Who can stay on the island?

Today, three groups of people come to stay on the island.

1. People who work in the United Kingdom’s public services - like the Armed Forces, the Police and the NHS - who will benefit from the calm, restorative atmosphere of the island. We work with our partner charities to choose the groups who come.
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2. Volunteers, artists-in-residence, other stakeholders and collaborators - and the Tanera team actually working on the island.
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3. Private groups whose ethos and intentions are sympathetic to theproject’s purpose.

Does anybody live fulltime on the island?

The island is home to a working community, and at any one time there are as many as 150 people working and staying on Tanera. Our dry-stone waller, Cookie is the only permanent, full-time resident. He has built his own cottage on the island. Together, they are part of the landscape.

The mainland is different. Most of our team stay in or around the village of Achiltibuie. And the restoration of Tanera and our mainland properties is helping indirectly with the regeneration of communities on the mainland, and on the Coigach peninsula in particular.

Can the public help with the island's charitable work?

Yes. There are two ways in which members of the public can help with the charitable work we do on the island.

1. By contributing to the Am Bothan Community Fund, which provides smallfinancial grants as in-kind contributions from the Tanera workforce.

2. By volunteering to help with the restoration work on the island. You can register us through this form.

How can I get to the island?

Regular ‘commuter’ boats make the crossing carrying members of our workforce, volunteers, guests and others involved with the project.

Our charitable mission - and our commitment to those we support - mean there is no public boat to the island.

There is a busy but well-sheltered anchorage at the island, offshore from the Herring Station.

Is there a right to roam on the island?

Yes. There is a right to responsible access for educational or recreational activity.

As construction on Tanera Mòr nears completion, we strongly encourage people to stay away from some active construction sites on the island for their own safety, and other parts of the island for the protection of the land.

There is ongoing work to restore not just the properties but also the natural environment of Tanera and so some areas are being drained, seeded or nurtured for specific flora and fauna.

We ask that visitors take great care if diverging from the paths we have built across the island - the wild spaces out to the west are both beautiful and perilous. And our restoration of the island’s natural habitat is a fragile work in progress.

We do ask that anyone making their own way to Tanera Mòr brings the proper equipment and leaves no trace. We strongly discourage any form of open fire or BBQ on the island - along with smoking.

Are parts of the island off-limits?

Our charitable guests come here for a restorative break, so we ask visitors to respect the privacy of our guests and our properties, as well the fragility of the ongoing restoration work.

Soon there will be signage that welcomes people to the island but points out safe, alternative access routes away from properties.

Our team members will always point you in the right direction for your own safety, or to protect our guests’ privacy.

Is any part of the island or mainland site protected or listed?

The 1784 Herring Station on Tanera is a Grade II listed building. In the late 18th Century, at the height of the herring industry in Scotland 120 people worked there.

There is an area of sand dunes at Achnahaird Beach that is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Can people volunteer on the island?

Our community participation programme allows people to come to the island and work with us.

You can get in touch via the volunteers page on our website or directly through volunteers@summer-isles.com.

Is Tanera open to artists, researchers, or writers in residence?

Yes, we have a limited participation programme to work with creatives and researchers whose work connects with ours. Visiting artists and writers makes an important contribution to the experience our charitable guests have on the island.

Frquently Asked Questions