Earlier this year, Findochty Community Council ran a Community Priorities Survey, asking residents and regular visitors to tell us what matters most about life in the village. The survey is now closed and we are pleased to share the results.
We received 65 responses ‐ a strong return for a village of our size ‐ and we are grateful to everyone who took the time to take part.
The headline finding
91% of respondents are satisfied with Findochty as a place to live ‐ and the things residents value most came through loud and clear: our coastal environment, our sense of community, and our local facilities. These are things people want to protect, not change.
Your priorities
We asked you to rate nine priority areas for importance. Here are the top five, ranked by overall weighted score:
- Paths and outdoor spaces
- Activities for children and young people
- Local events and festivals
- Coastal and harbour projects
- Heritage and local history
The harbour and coastal area won the most votes when respondents were asked to name their single top priority, with 14 of 65 choosing it. Paths and outdoor spaces topped the overall weighted ranking because it received very few low ratings ‐ nearly everyone agreed it matters.
Issues you raised
The most frequently raised concerns in open responses were dog waste and litter, roads and path maintenance, speeding and traffic safety, provision for children and young people, harbour facilities, a community event or summer gala, derelict properties, and bus services.
We have already taken action on several of these: formal correspondence has been submitted to Moray Council on road surfaces, bus shelter repairs, and the Route 35 service, and we have raised the 20mph speed limit anomaly near the school with the roads team.
What we can ‐ and cannot ‐ do
Some of the issues raised are things the Community Council can act on directly. Others ‐ road maintenance, planning enforcement, housing, and childcare provision ‐ are matters for Moray Council, Police Scotland, or national government. We have also published a plain-English guide explaining what larger projects might look like, and how a community development trust such as a SCIO could take on work that goes beyond the scope of a community council.
We want to be honest about our powers and our limits. Read our guide: What can Findochty Community Council actually do?
What happens next
We will use the survey findings to guide our priorities for the coming years ‐ including further representations to Moray Council, exploring options for harbour and coastal improvements, and following up with residents who offered to volunteer.
We will publish an update on what we have done with your feedback later in 2026. Thank you again to everyone who responded.