Community ownership: case studies

North Harris Trust

Asset: North Harris Estate, 25,900 acres, purchased in 2003.  Scalpay Island (1750) acres purchased in September 2013 with funding from Scottish Land Fund of £60,330.  Includes An Cliseam (Clisham) (highest mountain in the Western Isles).

Website: http://www.north-harris.org/

Projects and activities carried out in recent years including:

• Construction of Eagle Observatory in Glen Meavaig
• Isle of Harris Mountain Festival
• Hushinish Gateway Project
• Two new affordable homes built Scalpay
• North Harris Ranger Service
• Construction of 3 Business Units at east Tarbert

General estate management including:

• deer management
• invasive species management
• native woodlands planting
• path restoration work

Renewable energy projects including:

• wind turbines
• biomass
• hydro

Main successes so far: 

Since the initial purchase of the North Harris Estate in 2003, the adjacent Loch Seaforth Estate was purchased in 2006 at the request of the local community and in 2013 following a generous offer from the then landowner the community of the neighbouring Island of Scalpay also asked to become part of the North Harris Trust. This means that now all of North Harris is in community land ownership at the request of the local community. 

Challenges 

Securing funding to take forward our many projects remains one of our biggest challenges. 

Advice for other groups looking to buy land?

Go for it, we believe that the future of the land should be in the hands of the community and so as we mark 15 years of community land ownership in North  Harris we would encourage other community group of the same mind to persevere and take full advantage of all the help available to them.