"This Press Release was issued by the Isle of Gigha Heritage Tust"

A major milestone in the history of the island of Gigha has been passed today (Friday 15th March) with the residents becoming legal owners of the island.

Title to the island passed to the community at 12 noon, marking the end of their land purchase, but the beginning of another and potentially more challenging task. The islanders are now their own masters with all the responsibilities that brings - and need to ensure they can lay the foundations for a prosperous and stable future.

Willie McSporran, Chairman of the Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust - the body formed to oversee the purchase and management of the island - said: "It's hard to put into words all that this means to the people of Gigha. We've already felt a growing self-confidence which is being boosted now by seeing the title deeds come into our own hands and we’re looking forward to the challenges of the future. Although we've known since October that our bid to buy the island had succeeded there's no denying that many of us were waiting for this day to come before we believed it was truly happening."

"However I think it's also important to say that this is really only the beginning of a longer road for us. In the short term we need to raise money, not only to pay what we owe, but to provide us with working capital – and we are already actively planning the steps we’ll take to secure our longer-term future."

The title deeds were presented to Mr McSporran, by the Heritage Trust's solicitor Simon Fraser – who played a key role in brokering the purchase deal. The occasion was also marked with a number of symbolic events which included local school children planting a silver birch tree and the Heritage Trust’s flag being raised over Achamore House.

The purchase of Gigha, at a cost of £4 million, was assisted by the Scottish Land Fund, and Highlands and Islands Enterprise’s (HIE) Community Land Unit.

David Campbell, Scotland Board Member for the New Opportunities Fund and Chair of the Scottish Land Fund committee, said: "The people of Gigha have been through an intense eight months since the island was put on the market last August, with every agonising twist and turn taking place in the public spotlight.

"Working with the community to reach this historic moment has been an inspiring – if sometimes hair-raising – experience. In many ways Gigha has been an acid test of the design of the Scottish Land Fund; the circumstances facing the community required us to act with speed and flexibility, and it has been crucial that they could access both financial support and expert guidance right from the earliest stage. And although the community here has achieved enormous success to date, their greatest challenge, the challenge of making their island work for them, lies ahead."

HIE chairman Dr Jim Hunter said: "For hundreds of years, communities like this one have had next to no control of the land on which they lived. Now Gigha's people are in charge of Gigha. It's no easy option to take responsibility for your future when so much of that future was formerly mapped out by others. And no miracles will result from what's happening today. Making Gigha the sort of place it ought to be will take time and a great deal of effort. There will be snags and setbacks. But there will be tremendous opportunities too - not least the once-unimaginable opportunity people here now have to do what they think best for themselves and for their island. I wish Gigha well. And I hope other rural communities across Scotland take every chance they get to follow Gigha's example."

Councillor William Petrie, Convener of Argyll and Bute Council said: " On behalf of Argyll and Bute Council, I am delighted to be here to congratulate the residents of Gigha on becoming landowners. Chapter one has now been completed with the land transfer and chapter two, with all its uncertainties, is about to unfold. I have no doubt that the Heritage Trust will continue to bring stability to Gigha which will bring benefits to not only the island but to the whole of Argyll and Bute."

The islanders’ key priority for the future is to reverse the population decline of the last 15 to 20 years, with the number of residents falling from 180 to just over 120. Among the development options will be restructuring and diversifying the island’s agrucultural base, perhaps to take advantage of potential renewable energy projects. Owning the land also means residents will be able to establish bed and breakfast and other tourist-related businesses, something which was not possible until now. The will also be able to release land for much-needed housing developments – again something which had been impossible in the past.

The Trust’s plans will now be taken forward by their recently appointed staff team, which includes a development manager, a hotel manager and an administrator.

Willie MacSporran continued: "In the months since our bid was accepted we've all heard some outrageous outbursts from people questioning the purchase and the assistance we've received. They believed we already lived an island idyll - but everything was not rosy, we did have issues and challenges to deal with, such as restrictive leases, a lack of communication and community involvement with the landowner and limited investment in the island’s infrastructure. Hopefully now we can start to put these things behind us and move on. We are delighted with the support we’ve received so far, but with over £1 million to repay we still require public support either in donations or in coming to visit the island – where they will be made most welcome."