This fund supports self-builders who are unable to obtain mainstream self-build mortgage finance.

A total of £5.235m has now been committed to 35 families and individuals in 12 local authority areas, to provide homes that wouldn’t otherwise have been possible.

The loans are repaid when the homes have been completed by acquiring a standard residential mortgage, or the sale of the existing home.

The Loan Fund is administered on behalf of the Scottish Government by the Communities Housing Trust, an Inverness-based charity working closely with communities to provide affordable homes and community amenities.

Loans that have already been repaid are now being ‘recycled’ to finance additional builds, allowing even more people to build their own homes.

Homes are now complete or under construction in 12 local authority areas: Aberdeenshire, Argyll & Bute, East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire, Falkirk, Highland, South Lanarkshire, Orkney, Perth & Kinross, Shetland, Stirling, and the Western Isles.

Earlier this year, the Scottish Government added another £2m to the Loan Fund, providing a total of £6m. The deadline for applications was also extended, and is open until 31 August 2022, with loans to be repaid by August 2023.