South Harris residents to consult on land buyout proposal 14/3/13
There is “cautious optimism” for an amicable community buyout of much of the South
Harris area following approaches to the family which own the 10,000 acre estate.
A public consultation will now be launched before a feasibility study to examine
the pros and cons in purchasing the land is commissioned.
Despite its name the Bays of Harris estate covers vastly more than the rugged east
coast of Harris.
It encompasses a wide sweep of the south end of Harris, from the Caw, outside Tarbert,
down to Leverburgh.
It also includes the island of Berneray off North Uist on the other side of the Sound
of Harris.
If a buyout proceeded successfully, it would take most of Harris under community
ownership and leave three three other communities, Rodel lands, Leverburgh lands
and Kyles (Leverburgh) in private ownership.
A local steering committee, elected by the community, met this week to discuss the
next steps in a potential take over of the Bays of Harris estate.
Sandra Holmes and Ingrid Galbraith from Highland and Island’s Enterprise(HIE) Community
Assets Team attended the meeting by invitation.
A steering committee spokesperson said they sent a letter to the estate owners in
January “informing them that the community wanted to investigate the possibility
of buying the Bays of Harris Estate.”
She added: “The response we received gives cause for cautious optimism.”
At the steering committee meeting, “discussion centred on engaging with the community
as early as possible and discussing with them what kind of future they would like
to see for the estate.
“The next step will be to take the responses from these discussions and use them
to form the basis of a feasibility study.
“It was agreed that a feasibility study may be worthwhile – regardless of whether
the buyout proceeds or not.”
“We hope to speak to the grazings clerks to clarify what concerns crofters have and
to find out what they know of the assets on the estate. It’s also intended that
we have a meeting - or meetings - to which we will invite members of the steering
groups that went on to buy their estates.”