Albyn nominated for two prestigious industry awards

A £2.3m social housing development by Albyn Housing Society in Lairg in the Highlands has gained national recognition after it was nominated for two categories at the Scottish Home Awards 2025.

The development has been nominated for the Social Housing Development of the Year (under 100 units) and Community Contribution awards.
The specialist new homes represented the first new social housing in the village since the 1990s. They were built on derelict land which has lain empty since the demolition of the Sutherland Arms in 2007 and was donated by the local community group, Lairg Community Development Initiatives (LCDI).

Albyn, which has 3,800 homes in over 70 rural communities across the Highlands, used a local contractor, Compass Building & Construction Services, to deliver the new homes. Some tenants were able to move into their new home two months ahead of the schedule because Compass completed the project earlier than planned.

The development comprises four two-bedroom wheelchair accessible bungalows and four one-bedroom Fit homes with stunning views of Loch Shin. The state-of-the-art Fit homes, pioneered by Albyn Housing Society as part of the Inverness and Highland City Region Deal, utilise predictive behaviour pattern sensors and harness artificial intelligence and machine learning.
The sensors share real-time information with family members, caregivers or key workers who have access permission. Yet unlike cameras, they still offer a high degree of privacy to their occupants. The technology allows tenants to be able to live independently in their own home for longer, relieving the strain on social care, which is often lacking, especially in rural areas like the Highlands.

Andrew Martin, Exec Director of Group Services, commented: “It is really exciting to have this development recognised in this way. It is the result of a great partnership in Lairg between the local community who donated the land, Compass who did such a fantastic job ahead of schedule, our funders, and Albyn’s Fit homes technology.
“Most importantly, this new housing has provided high quality homes for our tenants and it is now part of a strong local community. This was the first social housing project in the village in almost 30 years and it remains a key priority for Albyn to build in the most rural parts of Scotland, delivering the homes that people need and supporting the Highland economy to thrive.”

The Scottish Home Awards 2025 will take place in Glasgow on the 19th June.