Community buyouts in Scotland

Recent land reforms in Scotland have allowed some communities to buy their land. The most notable example is the island of Gigha, where a combination of local fundraising and government grants allowed the islanders to take control from the previous landowner.

The results have been startling. For the first time in generations, new houses are being built, businesses set up and the population is rising. Much of this is due to the proactive community trust, which has the principle of sustainable development at the heart of its approach.

New businesses include an aromatherapy centre and a boathouse café, while a small-scale community-owned wind farm will produce annual dividends of tens of thousands of pounds. All this money will be reinvested in projects on the island.

While Gigha should set standards for other communities to follow, it may be an exception rather than an example. Unless within a crofting area, communities only have a right to buy the land when it comes on the open market. Most of Scotland’s land has not been sold in generations. So while we can all praise the worthy efforts of the islanders of Gigha, its success should not obscure a vision of a fairer land system for all of Scotland.