Efforts are continuing to open up a 'micro' community abattoir in the far north.

The North Coast Abattoir Group has been leafleting in Caithness to promote community interest in and support for such a venture, as beef and lamb producers in the area have been without a local slaughterhouse since the summer of 2011.

The group, led by Highland cattle breeder Morris Coghill, is bidding to start up a new enterprise in the mothballed former Caithness Beef and Lamb plant in Keiss. Two years ago, the group carried out a feasibility study for the proposed private kill service on the back of a £9884 grant from Caithness Beatrice Community Fund.

Mr Coghill believes a community interest company could operate the plant for farmers and crofters in Caithness, Sutherland and Orkney. It would, he believes, initially have a turnover of around 10 cattle, 20 sheep and 15 pigs a week and gradually build up. He is now seeking to firm up funding to get the venture off the ground.

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Mr Coghill said: "We want to raise awareness of the benefits of this for not only the farmers but the local community too. We're now trying to get another grant from the Rural Payments Agency and hopefully match funding on the back of that."

The Mid Keiss plant originally opened following the successive closures of abattoirs at Thurso and Wick – but it ran into financial problems and was forced to shut down after two years. The nearest slaughterhouse is now in Dingwall.

Mr Coghill, who with his wife Essie runs a 40-Highland fold at Achreamie, near Dounreay, uses the small abattoir on Mull. He said there was common agreement that long journeys are not desirable on animal welfare or environmental grounds.

He is now seeking feedback from his leaflet drop to help build the case for the new plant.