Carloway Estate community officially take over the land
30 April 2015
Successful completion of the formal legal paperwork has resulted in the 11,400 acre crofting estate with an estimated value around £180,000 being willing sold by the Galloway family.
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.
Some 77.4% of people who voted in a ballot in February 2014 backed community ownership.
Some 254 people voted in favour while 86 residents were against.
Ownership transfers to the community after midnight tonight.
Kenny Maclennan, chair of the Carloway Estate Trust said: “Today signifies a great step forward for Carloway Estate Trust.
“We have been on a three year journey which proved to be exciting, challenging and hard working but we have now achieved the goal that the community entrusted us with, and we see it as a great achievement.”
Mr Maclennan added: “This has to be seen as the first step in a process that we hope will see prosperity, development, and long term benefit for the residents of Carloway Estate.
“We have been in the fortunate position of having a willing seller, and I would like to thank the Galloway family for their professional approach to the entire process.
We also owe thanks to the Scottish Government’s Scottish Land Fund, Big Lottery, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Community Land Scotland, Harper MacLeod, Total Design and various individuals who exerted huge voluntary effort during the process to date.
The estate will undertake a pilot scheme with The Crown Estate to be the first community buyout group to acquire the foreshore.
The community have taken on their first employee to look at ways to develop the estate and deliver new income generating and community projects for the Trust and other organisations within the Carloway Estate.
Kenny Maclennan said: “We also realise that the real work starts now, but we are delighted to have come through the process with a successful outcome, and one that the community voted for.”
David Cameron of Community Land Scotland said: “Once again another part of the Western Isles comes into community landownership.
“The Carloway Community must be congratulated in the way that they have worked through the purchase process and from today onwards there is no doubt that they will address the development of their own land in a similar way.”
A spokesman for the sellers, the Galloway family, praised the “diligence and professionalism shown by (factor ) Simon Fraser and Margaret Mackay and the staff of Anderson Macarthur and by account John Moffat and the staff of Mann Judd Gordon, who provided continuous guidance and support during the life of Carloway Estates Ltd and especially in the time leading up to the sale.
The family spokesperson added: “As the Carloway Estate Trust embraces its new challenges, we hope that the new management regime will bring prosperity, stability and development to the community and its residents.”
A community celebration event is due to take place in Breasclete hall on 6 June.
The 700 residents on the Carloway Estate on Lewis have officially taken ownership of their land.
