Money raised from car parking passes to be reinvested directly into local communities surrounding Belladrum Festival.
Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival has announced the launch of the Belladrum Festival Community Trust (SC054123), a new charitable organisation that will see money generated from the festival, being reinvested directly back into the Highlands and local communities surrounding the festival grounds.
The first round of funding comes from the new car parking pass scheme, initially introduced in 2024 to support improved traffic flow plans and encourage more sustainable travel to the event. Thanks to festivalgoers’ support of this initiative, the fund has reached £20,000, which will now be made available for community groups and local projects to apply for.
The Belladrum Festival Community Trust will be open to applications from Friday 10 October and aims to support a wide range of causes across the area – from grassroots sports teams, schools and youth groups to cultural organisations, charities, and environmental projects.
“We are incredibly proud to launch the Belladrum Festival Community Trust,” said Naomi Hollas, Festival Co-ordinator. “Belladrum has always been rooted in the local community, and this is another way for us to give back to the surrounding villages, whose continued support we greatly appreciate.”
The Community Trust follows a major overhaul of traffic management at Belladrum, after congestion challenges in 2023. For 2024, festival organisers worked closely with local authorities, traffic specialists and community partners to develop a comprehensive new plan. The introduction of advance-purchase vehicle passes meant the team could better predict and manage car numbers, while also encouraging car sharing and use of shuttle buses.
“We listened to our audience after 2023 and committed to making big improvements,” added Dougie Brown, Festival Producer. “The changes worked, traffic ran more smoothly, with 2024 and 2025 both seeing just a 20 minute journey from Inverness, and now, on top of that, we’re able to deliver a significant benefit to the local community. It’s a win-win.”
Local organisations groups or individuals within the Community Council boundaries of Kiltarlity, Beauly, Kirkhill and Bunchrew, will be invited to apply for grants, with the initial round of applications closing on Friday 12 December, and the first beneficiaries announced early 2026.
The Belladrum team are grateful for the support of the Charity Trustees, Joe Gibbs, Susan Ogston, Joan Campbell and Jayne MacMillan – who each represent the surrounding communities.
Belladrum Festival, which celebrated 21 years this year, attracts thousands of visitors each summer to the Highlands and has long been celebrated as a family-friendly event with strong community roots. The creation of the Belladrum Festival Community Trust marks a new chapter in that continued legacy, ensuring the festival continues to support and celebrate the communities that make it possible.
The trust grants are in addition to the 200+ tickets donated via Belladrum to charities and groups throughout the year upon request, with over £120,000 being raised in 2025. The team also wish to thank Highland Third Sector Interface (HTSI) for their ongoing support with the application and trust registration process.
Headline picture from left to right: Trustuees Joe Gibbs – Belladrum Estate , Jayne MacMillan , Joan Campbell joined by Naomi Hollas – Belladrum Festival Co-ordinator, Dougie Brown – Belladrum Festival Producer