Community votes to buy Carloway Estate 24/2/14
Residents living on the Carloway Estate on Lewis have voted to buy their land after a ballot held tonight (Mon).
Some 254 people are in favour of the buyout while there were 86 votes against.
Some 77.4% of people who voted were backed community ownership.
Under 700 people live in the district with some 503 people on the electorate roll including 16 and 17 year olds.
A total of 340 votes were cast giving a turnout of 67.6%.
The Galloway family which owns 11,400 acre crofting estate are willing sellers.
The boundaries stretch from Callanish to Knock and includes the villages Breasclete, Tolsta Chaolais, Doune and Kirivick. The other half of Carloway district, north and east of the Carloway bridge, is excluded as it falls under a different ownership.
The land is valued around £180,000 and the community will now apply to the Scottish Land Fund for financial help.
Most of the 40 people who attended the count in Breasclete Community Centre this evening applauded when the results were announced.
Kenny John Maclennan, chairman of the buyout steering group pointed out the struggle their grandfathers endured to secure the crofts and land they were promised after returning from WW1 some 100 years ago.
He told the crowd in the hall: “This is something our forebearers would have given their right arm for.
“I hope the who-
He accepted that there were people opposed to the buyout but “personally I feel this is an opportunity we should grasp.
Callanish crofter and local councillor Donald Macleod was strongly against the buyout because he feared it would create an extra layer of bureaucracy.
But after the vote, he pledged to go along with community opinion and back in its development.
Mr Macleod said he voted no because “instead of having just one landlord we would
have 600 -
He accepted: “The result shows the community is in favour of buying the estate. I’ll go along with that and hope it will be successful.