Discovering Scotland: Foyers' Hidden Treasure

Jacqui shares an impromptu interview from her two-week holiday in Scotland after visiting Foyers Waterfall and warming up in the local cafe. She talks with Olivia Grant, operations manager of Boleskine Community Care, a charity that recently bought the Foyers shop, cafe, and post office. Olivia explains that the community purchased the only shop on a 35-mile stretch to prevent it from becoming an Airbnb and to preserve essential services and social connections in a rural area. They are raising £60,000 in community shares for working capital. Hear about author updates and upcoming events, plans more Scotland episodes in the fall, invites story submissions, and shares a small win of folding laundry.

Info/links:

Foyers Stores & Cafe

https://www.instagram.com/foyers_stores_and_cafe/ 

https://www.facebook.com/foyersfalls/ 

How to Invest

https://www.foyerscommunitystores.com/share-offer 

Do you have a story idea or thoughts about the episode? Connect with Jacqui at the following.

www.JacquiLents.com

FB: Jacqui Lents Author (link)

IG: @JacquiLents

YouTube: @JacquiLents

Music used for this episode includes –

Magnificent Scotland by Geoff Harvey

Ratatouille's Kitchen - Carmen María and Edu Espinalfound

Always – Nesrality

Transcript

Jacqui: [00:00:00] Hello, friends. Can you believe summer is here? I have to remind myself that I don't need to wear a cardigan anymore. Well, like, I don't now. A few weeks ago, I was layering up even though it was May because, uh, Scotland can be cold. Yep. In May, I went on holiday for two weeks in Scotland. It was brilliant.

When I go on vacations, I'm always looking for interesting stories because I feel it makes the trip richer and more interesting. I just enjoy that stuff, right? Now that I have a podcast, I have an outlet for these wonderful little interviews and talks with people. Yeah, I went to the UK with some very basic recording equipment 'cause you [00:01:00] never know.

Like I said, I'll find somebody interesting to talk to, and you know, I was right. I was glad I brought it. Today's episode is one of those unexpected spur of the moment interviews. So, uh, yeah, let's move along. If you're new here, welcome to Jacqui Just Chatters, a storytelling podcast, because everybody has a story and it deserves its spotlight.

I'm chuffed, as the Brits would say, that you've joined me today. If this is your first time listening, this is a storytelling podcast in which whimsical tales are shared in every episode full of humor, heart, possibly inspiration. Today I am talking to the friendly and clever Olivia from Foyers Scotland.

I was in the area checking out Foyers Waterfall, which is beautiful, but that day the weather was, oh, it was cold and it was wet. Like it just, oh, mist and then [00:02:00] rain and I ... Yeah, so like after our party went down like a million steps to go through the falls and then trudged our way back up, I was tired and like soaked.

Just soaked and so cold that I really needed something to warm me up. And we went to the cafe across the street and oh, they had some wonderful soup and it was warm and like it was everything I possibly needed. Our group ate some ice cream too. No, they don't make sense but you know what, human? We usually don't make sense and we don't have to, so deal with it.

So while I was sitting there, I saw this flyer about investing in the store and I had a bunch of questions and like my nose was just twitching. I'm like, "I smell a story here," and I found one. And thankfully Olivia, who works there, took the time to answer [00:03:00] all my questions and here is our chat Tell me your name, who you are, and where are we?

Oliva: So my name's Olivia Grant, and we are currently on the shores of Loch Ness in a place called Foyers. I am operations manager of Baleskin Community Care, which are a local charity that own the shop, cafe, and post office So 

Jacqui: a charity owns this? 

Oliva: Yeah. So we very recently, we took over on the 1st of April, and it was a long process.

We submitted an application to the Scottish Land Fund, who are funded by the National Lottery, and they gave us the majority of funding to buy the building and the business. And then because of all the wind farms that we have locally, we have a community benefit fund, so we applied to them, Stratharric and Forest Community Trust, for the remainder of the funding.

And we got the whole package [00:04:00] to buy the building and the business. 

Jacqui: That's amazing. So why do you guys need to buy this? 

Oliva: The couple that had it were elderly. They'd been trying to retire for a number of years. They'd recently got a change of use passed, so it could be sold as Airbnb or as accommodation. So the community really pulled together and said, "No, we need to keep this."

We're the only shop on a 35-mile stretch between Inverness and Fort Augustus, so losing it would have a huge impact on the daily life of people locally. Because we're so rural, we've got a very poor public transport network as well, so for some people, this is the only time they can access a shop. Or also the social side of things as well.

It's not just a shop and cafe, but sometimes the people here are the only people that some people see in our community. 

Jacqui: Oh, wow. This is really an important place. That's amazing. Yeah. I had no idea. I just knew that the potato and leek soup was fantastic. 

Oliva: Oh, great. [00:05:00] I'm glad to hear that. 

Jacqui: Okay, so you guys have a flyer here that reads, "Help secure our community shop," and there is an investment opportunity.

Tell us about that. 

Oliva: So although we're grant funded, one of the things that you can't necessarily get from grant funding is the working capital to actually run the building and the business. So yes, we were able to buy it, but it stopped there. We had no money in the bank. So that's why we called on the community, local people from forever afield, to invest and give us that working capital to make a success of the business.

So our target is 60,000 pound. We've done really well. We're just about 45,000 pound. We've not got too far to go. The minimum investment is 25 pound, and the recommended maximum per individual is 6,000 pound. So yeah, we're really hoping to reach our target because that gives us security going forward to know that we have [00:06:00] that sort of safety blanket in the bank because with these things, if something breaks, it all happens at once, doesn't it?

If the oven goes, probably the dishwasher will go, and so we need that security there. 

Jacqui: I'm glad that you guys are thinking of that side where you're thinking long term. It's like when you buy a new house. Okay, you get the house, but- Mm-hmm ... you're gonna have things that you need to do. It's gonna need a, maybe a new roof or whatever.

You have to plan for those other things as well. 

Oliva: Yeah. 

Jacqui: Now, who can invest in this opportunity? 

Oliva: Anybody. So we've said we're going to aim to try and keep the majority of investors local, just so there's always a local control. But we're not tied to that, and we're really keen to have people from further afield investing, tapping into different markets.

We have a lot of tourists here, and we have a lot of people that return each year. So they may not necessarily live here, but they definitely have a- an interest in the area. [00:07:00] So it's open to everybody. You can invest as an individual. You can buy shares for somebody else. You can buy shares for children, and we can hold them in trust until they turn 18.

And you can also buy shares as a business. So anybody can buy shares. 

Jacqui: Okay. So let's say I buy a 25 pound share. What happens after that? What's, for me, what's happening on my side? 

Oliva: So you will get your shareholder certificate, and you will get a shareholder card, which gives you 10% discount off the cafe.

We're hoping that after three years we'll be able to pay interest on those shares. We have our neighboring community in Drumnadrochit, they've been able to do a similar thing, and they've been able to pay their shareholders after the third year, so that's our aim. You become a member of Farr's Community Stores Limited, so you would be able to vote at our AGM, have your say on how the business is operated, and just be part of the community.[00:08:00] 

Jacqui: So have tourists already come in and bought shares, and do you know where some of them have been from? 

Oliva: We, so we have the QR codes out on the tables and things, and people can scan that, fill out the form. We definitely have had tourists doing it. Mostly people still in the UK from England and things, and we've had a couple from Germany.

But unfortunately we haven't really had people from further afield, but that's something we're really keen to have. 

Jacqui: I will tell you, you guys are not here, you can't see it. I will take some pictures, and I will post those. It is an adorable cafe. The food's amazing, and I've been told the whiskey flavored ice cream is to die for.

And so one side is the cafe, and then the other side is a shop where you can get milk and bread and soup and the kind of things that a regular person would want, you know- Salad cream and mouth wa- mouthwash and things like that. So I can definitely [00:09:00] see where this is a place where locals come and not just tourists, and it is really pretty, and it's across the street from the path down to Foyers Falls, which is beautiful and delightful.

Just know it's over 100 steps down. Be prepared. Do you have any other interesting stories about the store? 

Oliva: I actually have one interesting story. I'm, I think, fifth generation here, so my family's been here a long time. Wow. Um, yeah, and my mom actually came down to the store to stay with friends because she had a friend that family owned it at the time, and we got this massive snowstorm, I think it was in the '70s, and she got snowed in here for three weeks.

Her, and, um- Holy crap, three weeks? Yes. And at the time, the cafe part was their sitting room, and she thought it was the best place ever to get snowed in because they were able to come through the door to the shop every day and help themselves to sweets and things. So she was delighted. And also, [00:10:00] the building used to be three units, so the far off side was a butcher's, and you can still actually see when you're in the cafe, the original metal railings and hooks where they used to hang the meat is still there.

So now we have our souvenirs and things sitting there, but that was actually the butcher's. So it's got a lot of history. 

Jacqui: So this was A house and a store? 

Oliva: Yes, it was. So we still- we own the upstairs as well, so there's a large flat upstairs, and the intention with that is to separate into three individual flats.

Because one of the things we have in the area is a big shortage of housing and affordable housing, so we're hoping to do that and have a, an eligibility criteria so it would just be local people that live and work in the area that would be eligible for those houses. So yeah, it's... the building meets the needs of a lot of people.

Jacqui: I am so impressed. You guys are really trying to make your [00:11:00] community vibrant and things to help each other- Mm-hmm ... and to keep it a village and not just another tourist- Yeah ... tacky punter place. 

Oliva: Yeah. No, definitely. And there- it's always a challenge because there's a fine line between making the business viable and do well, but also support the locals.

And one of the things we've been looking at recently is a lot of people want us to have local suppliers and crafts and things in store, but then when you look at the amount of money we make from the tourist tat, I would call it, there's no comparison. And because we're a small cafe and store, we need that shelf space to make us money.

So that's something that we're really trying to balance right now, is just how we can meet the needs of the local crafters and suppliers, but also make money from the tourist stuff. But we try, so we've got... Our ice cream is Loch Ness Ice Cream, so it's made in Inverness locally. Our coffee as well is the Highland Roasting Company, so that's also made [00:12:00] in Inverness.

And we have Jinty's Jams, who's a local supplier. She makes jams and chutneys and things just up the road. So we try and have as much as possible in, but it's always a balancing act. 

Jacqui: Thank you so much for taking the time and talking to me, and I know you're working and it's a weird thing to have a tourist come in-

and be like, "Hey, I'm on vacation. Can we have a chat?" 

Oliva: No worries. I've really enjoyed it, and I look forward to listening to it.

Jacqui: Okay, so I looked into investing in the store because I really, really, really wanted to. Oh my God, I wanted to so bad. Unfortunately, investing in the [00:13:00] UK as an American is complicated. It's not impossible, but it, it does have some challenges, and if you've got an investment advisor who can help you walk through this, I recommend buying a share or two.

To my UK, because you don't have to deal with that crap, I ask you to really think about grabbing a share. It is a worthy cause. The store is charming. The staff is kind. What they're trying to do to help their community, it's just, it's inspiring. And honestly, a share or two would make a really cool birthday gift.

The window to invest is getting smaller. I don't know exactly what the last date they're gonna take things, so I wouldn't wait too long if you're - sooner is way, way better than, than later I will be posting on Instagram and my photos from the fall as well as Olivia and the [00:14:00] store. I will put links to all the stuff that you guys need, the episode notes, so go over there and check those out It's been a while since an author update.

Heck, it's been a while since an episode, right? Here are some quick announcements. The Betty Project is almost ready to be sent to my editor. It's been through the beta process, and my beta readers, thank you so much. Yvonne, Melissa, and Melissa, your insights were incredibly helpful. This book is going to be wonderful thanks to your assistance.

Honestly, I'm just-- I'm so excited. If you're excited to read it, you're, you know, um, you're, you're gonna have to wait a little while. It's gonna be, uh, a year till it hits the sh- It's still, it's gotta finish going through the editing, proofreading process, then I talk to my artists and get all that set up, and so there's just a lot of technical things that need to get [00:15:00] done, and then the marketing and all that kind of jazz.

So, uh, in, in just, like, over a year, it, it will be out there. And part of me is like, "Oh my God, that's so long," and then another part of me is like, "It's been almost a year since The Daphne Project's been out, and it really doesn't feel like it's been that long." In fact, speaking of The Daphne Project and all that kind of authory stuff, I have several author events scheduled for the next six months.

I will be updating them on my website, so definitely go check that out. Link will be in the notes. So if you wanna meet me and have a bit of a chat about bookish things or episode-- I don't know, whatever you wanna talk about, you know? I'm a chatty gal, so that's not really a problem for me. So please stop by.

Come and check out where I'm going, and if you're in those areas, I would love, love, love to see you. Okay, last a little podcast housekeeping. I've got a couple more interviews from my travels from Scotland, [00:16:00] and I might possibly do some stories about my trip and turn those into future episodes. The rest of the season is gonna come out in the fall.

The book has taken all my attention, and this summer I'm finally gonna have some free time to really put together some fun episodes for you and do all that stuff. So I'm very, very excited about what's coming. It's just, yeah, hurry up and wait, you know, 'cause that's, that's how we roll here. I am still wanting to do more of the story share episodes.

I love those. I-- If you don't know what they are, that's where I-- Real or fiction short stories from writers out there. You, possibly. You can be an amateur or a professional writer, it's all fine. If you're interested in having your short story read on my podcast, please go to my website, go to the podcast page, and you're gonna find information there.

If you know any writers, please pass this opportunity along to them [00:17:00] I like the tradition of sharing a small from last season. I still just believe that, that taking those moments to celebrate the kind of the little everyday accomplishments is important. So here is one of mine. Last night I... Five or six hours of sleep.

Honestly, I'm tired. I was tired this morning when I got out of bed, but I couldn't sleep anymore. Anyway, so this morning I actually managed to get myself focused enough and I folded four baskets of clothes. So now not only do I have clean things to wear, but they're neatly folded, and some are even actually in their correct drawers already.

So I feel very accomplished. That is my small win. I'd love to hear your small wins. Head over to Facebook or Instagram and leave me a comment and tell me what your little wins are. I wanna know. I hope you are [00:18:00] getting plenty of rest and hydration. Take care of yourself, you're important. Until next time, I wish you well.

Announcer: You've been listening to Jacqui Just Chatters. This storytelling podcast is passably written, adequately narrated, and tolerably produced by Jacqui Lents. If you've been offended by any content in this episode, remember, if you can't say anything nice, say nothing at all. If you enjoyed this episode, please share, tell your friends, and follow Jacquie by signing up for her newsletter on her website, which you can find in the show [00:19:00] notes.