Path to Community Ownership

Murdo Mackay – West Harris Trust

History of West Harris • The West Side of Harris was re-established as a

series of townships in the 1920’s and 30’s after land raids across the Highlands forced the Gov to purchase and re-settle the area

• The most radical state intervention in land holding for at least 200 years.

• The catalyst was the returning war weary WW1 servicemen who expected the promises by Lloyd George in his “land fit for Heroes” Speech to be honoured

• The West Side of Harris prior to 1922 was made up of Sporting estates and large farms.

Excerpt from Volume 1 of the Highland Cattle Herd Book, 1885,

Early in the century Mr. Donald Stewart, who came from Garth in Perthshire, took the farm of Luskentyre, in Harris from the Earl of Dunmore of Harris, the grandfather of the present Earl, and started a fold, which, from the care bestowed on it and the careful selection of bulls from leading folds in Perthshire, soon became known as one of the most famous in Scotland. 

• Luskentyre – 2305ha • Borve 3239ha• Scaristamhor – 1229ha• Total 6,773 or 17,000 acres

Crofts & Common Grazings

Three Estates, Luskentyre, Borve & Scarista Mhor, 5 Townships – 53

Crofts

• Scaristamhor - 10• Borve - 7• Horgabost - 8• Seilebost - 18• Luskentyre – 10 crofts

West Harris Buy Out Steering Group formed Jan 2007

• Steering Group negotiated with SG over the price, title conditions, clawback

• All problems were resolved….• Eventually! • West Harris was the first Scottish Gov owned

estate to be sold, the next should be easier to manage!

• It still rankles that Market Value was the price that had to be paid – especially given that part of Scarista was actually gifted to the Gov and not compulsorily purchased!

Steering Group Activities

• Consult with community – meetings and written communication

• Negotiate with Scottish Gov on terms of transfer

• Secure funding from HIE, CNES, TIG• Applied for lottery funding to secure post

purchase development money

Transfer of Crofting Estates (Scotland) Act 1997

• The transfer of the estate was facilitated under this Act rather than the more recent Land Reform Act

• Steering Group received support from HIE and BIG lottery to carry out a feasibility study

• Study sent to every household followed by public meetings and vote

• Result was overwhelmingly in favour of Buy Out • 76% in favour on a 94% turnout

West Harris Trust

• 25th January 2010 – 3 Years after the first public meeting the formal handover took place.

• The Board of directors of the Trust is made up of 5 nominated by township committees and the remainder elected from Trust Members

• This constitution guarantees Crofting representation on the Board

Why Would You want to Buy this?

• Hydro Scheme• Housing Sites• Employed Dev Manager• SRDP Applications for two townships• Set up Website • Secured a £380,000 Lottery Grant

WHAT HAVE WE DONE SINCE?

West Harris Trust

• Building Plots• Grazings committees were approached to

consider releasing areas of common• 10 potential sites were identified• Planning permission granted for 6 within

the Trust’s first year • 3 Have already been allocated two other

applications currently being assessed

Rural Priorities

The Trust have paid for a consultant to prepare and submit a SRDP application on behalf of two townships

Hydro Project

• 100kw Run of River micro-hydro project• Capital cost of £600,000• Annual net income to Trust of £40,000 for

15 years• After loan repaid £105,000 annual income• 50year design life• Possibility to “Scale Up” to 200kw

Other Plans For The Future

There are no jetties on the West Side of Harris - possible development opportunity we are now looking at

Wave Power?

• Looking at this now• Possible pilot project in 2012

Thank You