NW2045 Publications
This page brings together key reports, research and publications produced by NorthWest2045 and its partners. These documents provide insight into the challenges, opportunities and work taking place across the NW2045 area, supporting informed discussion and future action.
The Land+ Snapshot research: May 2026
Building on our original Land+ work in Kinlochbervie (read more in Land+ Handbook), we have expanded this valuable work across the NW2045 area. We asked Community Co-Leads to ask people in their own our communities what matters most about the land, to provide us with a snapshot of land-use issues.
Read more about this work in our blog, and access the full report here.
Review and Update on NW2045 Vision – Call to Action 2025
Call to Action June 2025
This report highlights the challenges facing some of Scotland’s most remote mainland communities and calls for an urgent rethink in how policy, services and investment are designed and delivered in areas experiencing long-term depopulation.
Analysis By BiGGAR Economics
Spring 2025
Research commissioned by NorthWest2045 to support the development of the Call to Action 2025. This analysis provides a detailed understanding of the socio-economic context of the region and explores future opportunities.
Regional Land Use Partnership – Land+ Handbook
Summer 2025 (Summary: Spring 2026)
Published in Summer 2025, the Land+ Handbook brings together all the experiences and insights developed since the NW2045 RLUP pilot began in 2021. It outlines 10 Principles of the Land+ approach and shares practical Lessons Learned from the work.
In Spring 2026, the team produced the Handbook Summary, updated with developments since 2025.
Peat, Diesel and Seaweed
A Poetic Inquiry into the Green Transition in North West Highland Coastal Communities
This research project explores how people in coastal communities across the North West Highlands view climate change and the transition to a low-carbon future.
Delivered in partnership with NorthWest2045, Assynt Development Trust and the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), the project focuses on peatland restoration, marine diesel and seaweed — three areas with significant relevance to the region’s environmental and economic future.
NW2045 Natural Capital Baseline Assessment
2022
We are proud to be sharing the first Natural Capital Baseline Assessment of the NorthWest2045 area, which was undertaken as part of the Regional Land Use Partnership work (RLUP) in partnership with the Coigach & Assynt Living Landscape Partnership scheme .
NW2045 Community Vision
2021
The NW2045 Vision, created by communities across the region, sets out a shared long-term ambition for a sustainable and thriving future in the North West Highlands. It is the foundational text for all our work.
