Current Projects
Wick Riverside Biodiversity Improvements
Wick Development Trust in collaboration with Highlife Highland Ranger Service and local community volunteers will deliver a series of biodiversity improvements along the riverside area in Spring 2024. Including tree planting at three different locations along the river, creating wildflower areas, re-instating hawthorn hedging and building wildlife boxes. The improvements will provide food, shelter, be pollinator friendly, and provide nesting sites for various bird species, as well as supporting the riverside bat population with additional roosting areas.
This work is being funded by the Highland Nature Restoration Fund
Caithness at war
The Caithness Development Trust, in collaboration with Sinclair’s Bay Trust is to launch a Caithness at war trail to tell the largely unknown story about the important part Caithness played during World War 2. The trail will consist of 40 information panels, 15 on the Sinclair Bay trail and 25 on the Wick trail. Each will have detailed and accurate information about sites and events of significant importance during the war.
The trail is planned to go live for Easter 2024
More information regarding the project can be found at the dedicated Facebook page
Caithness Allied Air Forces Memorial
During the Second World War aircrews from around the world served with the numerous squadrons based in Caithness, at RAF Wick, RAF Skitten, and RAF Castletown. These men came from many countries, from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ceylon, Jamaica, The United States of America, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Norway, The Netherlands, Belgium, France and others.
Many of these young men never returned from their dangerous missions and a total of 544 aircrew lost their lives whilst operating from Caithness. Some of these were taken to be buried in cemeteries local to their home towns, a few Commonwealth servicemen are buried in Wick and Olrig (Castletown) cemeteries and some are buried in graveyards in foreign lands, such as Norway. But most of those who died simply disappeared without trace and are remembered only on the Runnymede Air Force Memorial in Surrey.
Currently there is no local memorial to honour the sacrifice made by these brave young airmen who gave their lives so that we may live in the freedom which we take for granted.
Therefore, Caithness At War are raising funds to build the Caithness Allied Air Forces Memorial, where those who lost their lives can be respectfully remembered by all.
The planned memorial will take the form of a full-sized replica of Spitfire AA810 of the RAF’s Photo Reconnaissance Unit, an aircraft that was flown from Wick by Flying Officer Alasdair "Sandy" Gunn, which will act as gate guardian at the former RAF Station at Wick. The Spitfire will be accompanied by nine, 2 metre high, Caithness Flagstone panels listing the name, rank, service number, branch of service, Squadron, and date of death for each of these 552 airmen.
More information on the proposed memorial can be found in this information leaflet
You can donate to this project by clicking the link below
Wick River Campsite
In June 2022 the Wick Development Trust took over ownership of the Wick Caravan and Camping Site, renaming it The Wick River Campsite. Under this new ownership the campsite will now run as a not-for-profit community enterprise, with all profits generated being reinvested to improve the sites facilities or used to fund community projects around Wick to make the town a better place to live and visit.
You can follow the progress of the campsite and its regeneration on Facebook and the Wick River Campsite Website.
30 High Street
We are currently working behind the scenes on this project and The site will be open to further community consultation.
Completed Projects
High Street Mural
The Trust commissioned local artist and business owner Hannah Cambridge to design a mural for the town. It can be viewed at the location for 30 High street, there is also one on the gable end of the post office.
You can view more of Hannahs work here
Gutter Cleaning
The trust teamed up with Norblast Ltd and Hugh Simpson Contractors to clear out the guttering of buildings along bridge street. Many of the buildings were not looking their best with severely overgrown guttering, whilst the trust understand that this responsibility lies with the building or business owner we also appreciate that many businesses have struggled during the pandemic.
126 High Street
The Trust sold the site at 126 High Street to local businessman Callum Reid who intends to develop the land into an outdoor public space to expand on his current business in the area.
