Crofters on the scenic coast of south west Harris are set to take over three crofting estates from the Scottish Government today (Monday 25 January).

MSP Roseanna Cunningham, Minister for Environment, will make a keynote speech at Seilebost School and officially transfer areas in excess of 6,500 hectares of land into ownership of the local population.

The West Harris Crofting Trust is the first group to buy land owned by the Scottish Government under proposals first introduced a decade ago. The land is made up of three estates covering the townships of Scaristavore, Borve and Luskentyre.

The trust has a development plan and intends to build affordable houses and create new crofts on the land to encourage more young people to settle there. The trust also hopes projects to create jobs and develop small scale renewable projects will reverse the trend of depopulation. There have been fears for its long term prospects unless new people are attracted into the community of West Harris which currently has a population of 123, with only one child under school age.

Around 60 people will attend tonight's celebrations. Among them will be Director of Strengthening Communities at Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), John Watt who said: "HIE has worked closely with the trust for some time and we believe that community ownership is the key to growing the population and enhancing the area. HIE is very supportive of this aspiring social enterprise  and we look forward to the benefits that community ownership and a dynamic development plan can deliver."

To acquire the land and to enable the trust's project plans to get underway, the Community Land Unit at HIE has provided £23,600. In addition, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (CnES) has approved £15,000 towards the plans and the trust has also secured a loan of £20,000 from Tighean Innse Gall. The BIG Lottery Fund supported the trust by giving them £10,000 from their Investing in Ideas fund to carry out initial feasibility studies and consultation with the community.

Convener of CnES, Alex MacDonald, said: "I very much welcome the news that the West Harris Estate will now be in the hands of the community and this is another historic milestone for the Western Isles. After three years of efforts, the buyout will hopefully secure the future of the area and reverse the decline in population as well as improving economic activity. The Board of Directors are to be praised for their hard work in securing the buyout and I wish them every success for the future."

Murdo Mackay, chairman of the West Harris Crofting Trust has a tenancy of a croft in Luskentyre with a small number of Highland cattle and runs a self-catering accommodation along with his wife Isobel. He said: "We want to promote Harris as a great place to live and work and we hope to get more families into the area and create new crofts and bring currently underused land into production.

"We are very excited about the fact that control of our own land will breathe new life into the community and encourage people to set up homes and raise families. Also, we have broadband links through the Connected Communities network and many people already use it to work from home. We are delighted with the funding from CnES, HIE, and TIG towards the £59,000 needed to purchase the entire estate."

MSP Roseanna Cunningham, Minister for Environment attends the West Harris crofting transfer event which coincides with her visit to the Future of Crofting Conference which takes place in Stornoway on Tuesday 26, organised by CnES.

David Blaney, chair of TIG said: "It is very appropriate, as we near celebrations for our own 20th anniversary, that we are able to make a loan of £22,000 available to West Harris Crofting Trust for the community buyout of West Harris from the Scottish Government.
 
"We are pleased to assist the communities of West Harris in achieving their aim of a community buy out which will place control of their destiny in their own hands. Tighean Innse Gall believes that West Harris will be a major success and we look forward to working with the community in assisting them to delivery affordable housing in the area for local people. Tighean Innse Gall has the expertise and a proven track record to assist bodies such as West Harris Crofting Trust in realising those objectives."

The trust's board has members from each of the townships involved and have been encouraged by events in the north of Harris, where locals succeeded in a buy out of the North Harris Estate in 2003.

Tha croitearan ann an iar dheas na Hearadh gu bhith a' gabhail thairis trì oighreachdan croitearachd agus coimhearsnachd air fearann a bhuineas do Riaghaltas na h-Alba a cheannach.

A-nochd (Diluain 25 Faoilleach) bi Roseanna Choineagan (BPA), Ministear na h-Àrainneachd agus Gnothaichean Dùthchail an làthair ann an Sgoil Sheileboist gus òraid a thoirt seachad agus airson faisg air 6,5000 heactairean de thalamh a chur ann an làmhan muinntir an àite fhèin.

'S iad Urras Croitearachd Taobh Siar na Hearadh a' chiad bhuidheann a cheannaich fearann a bhuineas do Riaghaltas na h-Alba 's iad a gabhail cothrom air molaidhean a chaidh an cuir air adhart bho chionn còrr air deich bliadhna air ais. Tha an talamh a' gabhail a-steach trì oighreachdan, Sgarastadh Mhòr, na Buirgh agus Losgaintìr.

Tha plana leasachaidh aig an Urras agus thathar an dòchas taighean so-ruigsinneach agus croitean ùr a' stèidheachadh air an talamh a bhrosnaicheas daoine òga gus dachaighean a dhèanamh.  Tha an Urras cuideachd an dòchas gun tèid cothroman cosnaidh an cruthachadh agus gun tig leudachadh air pròiseactan ath-nuadhachail a dh'atharraicheas mar a tha an àireamh sluagh a' tuiteam.  Tha eagal air nochdadh mu phlanaichean fad ùine mura tèid aca air daoine ùr a thàladh a-steach don àite oir chan eil ach 123 neach a' fuireach ann an coimhearsnachd Taobh Siar na Hearadh, le dìreach aon leanabh an-dràsta fo-aois sgoile.

Thathar an dùil gum bi mu thrì fichead neach an làthair aig tachartas na h-oidhche nochd.  Nam measg, Stiùiriche Neartachadh Coimhearsnachd aig Iomairt na Gàidhealtachd 's nan Eilean (HIE) Iain Watt, a thuirt: "Tha còmhraidhean air a bhith air an cumail ris an Urras thar nam bliadhnaichean agus tha sinn gu mòr den bheachd gur e sealbh coimhearsnachd an t-slighe air adhart gus fàs a thoirt air àireamh sluagh agus piseach a thoirt air an àite.  Tha HIE air a bhith taiceil dha rìreabh ann a bhith a gluasad air adhart an iomairt shòisealta seo agus tha sinn gu mòr a’ coimhead air adhart chun na buannachdan a bhios an luib sealbh coimhearsnachd agus air a bhith a' lìbhrigeadh plana leasachaidh a tha adhartach."

Gus an talamh seo fhaighinn agus gus planaichean an Urras a chur an gnìomh, thug Ionad Fearann Coimhearsnachd HIE seachad taic-airgid de £23,600. Dh'aontaich Comhairle nan Eilean Siar £15,000 a thabhainn don phròiseact agus fhuair an Urras iasad de £20,000 bho Tighean Innse Gall. Fhuairear taic de £10,000 bho mhaoin Investing in Ideas aig Maoin a' Chrannchur gus sgrùdadh comasachd agus co-chomhairleachadh a dhèanamh leis a' choimhearsnachd.

Thuirt Neach-gairm Chomhairle nan Eilean Siar, Ailig Dòmhnallach: "Tha mi a’ cur fàilte dha rìreabh air an naidheachd gu bheil oighreachd Taobh Siar na Hearadh a-nise ann an làmhan muinntir na sgìre agus 's e là eachdraidheil a tha seo do na h-Eileanan an Iar air fad. As dèidh trì bliadhna de strì, bithear an dòchas gun toir seo piseach air an àite, gun tig barrachd gu bhith a' fuireach anns an sgìre agus gu faic sinn piseach anns an eaconamaidh.  Tha Stiùirichean a' Bhòrd rim moladh airson an obair chruaidh a rinn iad gus an ìre seo a ruighinn.  Tha mi a' guidhe a h-uile soirbheachas dhaibh."

Tha croit aig Murchadh MacAoidh a tha na Chathraiche air Urras Croitearachd Taobh Siar na Hearadh ann an Losgaintìr. Le bhean Iseabail tha iad a' ruith croit far a bheil crodh Gàidhealach agus taigh fèin-sòlarachd.  Thuirt e: "Tha sinn ag iarraidh Eilean na Hearadh a shanasachd mar dheagh àite airson a bhith a' fuireach agus ag obair agus tha sinn gu mòr airson teaghlaichean a thàladh a-steach don àite, croitean ùr a' chruthachadh agus an talamh nach eil air a' chleachdadh an-dràsta a chur gu feum.  Tha sinn air leth toilichte gu bheil smachd againn air ar talamh agus gun toir seo ath-nuadhachadh air a' choimhearsnachd agus gum bi cothroman aig daoine taighean agus teaghlaichean a thogail. Tha sinn toilichte dha rìreabh leis an taic-airgid a fhuair sinn bho Comhairle nan Eilean Siar agus Iomairt na Gàidhealtachd 's nan Eilean a chuidich air an t-slighe airson an £59,000 a dh'fheumar airson an talamh a cheannach.

Bi BPA Roseanna Choineagan, Ministear na h-Àrainneachd agus Gnothaichean Dùthchail  an làthair cuideachd airson co-labhairt, a tha Comhairle nan Eilean Siar a' cur air dòigh mu 'Chroitearachd 's an t-àm ri Teachd' a bhios a' gabhail àite ann an Steòrnabhagh air 26 Faoilleach.

Thuirt Daibhidh Blaney, Cathraiche Taighean Innse Gall (TIG): "Tha e gu math iomchaidh, mar a tha sinn a' tighinn faisg air a bhith a' comharrachadh fichead bliadhna gu bheil e comasach dhuinn iasad de £22,000 a thoirt do Urras Croitearachd Taobh Siar na Hearadh gus an talamh a' cheannach bho Riaghaltas na h-Alba.

“Tha sinn toilichte taic a thoirt do choimhearsnachdan Taobh Siar na Hearadh ann a bhith a' coileanadh an amas aca gus an talamh aca fhèin a' riaghladh. Tha Tighean Innse Gall gu mòr am beachd gum bi seo soirbheachail dha rìreabh agus tha sinn a' coimhead air adhart gu bhith ag obair leis a' choimhearsnachd ann a bhith a' libhrigeadh taigheadas so-ruigsinneach airson muinntir an àite. Tha an eòlas aig Tighean Innse Gall gus taic a thoirt seachad do bhuidhnean leithid Urras Croitearachd Taobh Siar na Hearadh ann a bhith a coileanadh na h-amasan aca."

Tha buill bho difear bhailtean air Bòrd an Urrais agus tha iad gu mòr air am misneachadh le na tachartasan ann an Ceann a Tuath na Hearadh, far an robh muinntir an àite soirbheachail ann a bhith a' ceannach Oighreachd Ceann a Tuath na Hearadh ann an 2003.