THE sale of a £10.4 million estate off the west coast is an exciting opportunity to address depopulation in the area and enhance the natural environment, a community group has said.
The upcoming sale of the 3500-acre Tayvallich estate in Argyll has been described by estate agents as a “once in a lifetime” opportunity for potential buyers.
However, members of the Tayvallich Initiative Steering Group are attempting to raise funds for a community buyout of some of the land to try and address the lack of affordable housing in the area.
The property is being sold by the family of Catherine Pollock who inherited the estate after her death.
Pollock, a former social worker, managed the estate for decades to maintain its rare species, including marsh fritillary butterflies, juniper, otters and Greenland white-fronted geese. She also planted many native trees.
The family have offered to gift the community some land and a house on the estate, but campaigners fear that this won’t do enough to prevent the depopulation of the area.
According to the National Records of Scotland, Argyll and Bute has lost around 5000 residents (5%) since 1981 and 2700 (3%) since 2011. A further drop of 10% is predicted by 2041.
Of the 17 affordable long-term rental properties on the peninsula in Knapdale, 10 are located on the estate.
Community members fear that long-standing members of the community may be forced out and their houses turned into holiday homes if the entire estate is bought outright by a private owner.
A local resident said a community buy-out of the land could “transform” the area.
They said: “If the community owned more land we could build more affordable homes and provide workshops and studios. It would also help us secure existing jobs in farming and create new jobs in starter farms or smallholdings, producing more local food.
“We could allow Atlantic rainforest to regenerate in areas that are not needed for grazing and look into renewable energy. This really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and could transform the community by providing many opportunities for young people and following generations.”
The group is preparing a bid to the Scottish Land Fund (SLF), which offers grants of up to £1 million for community organisations to buy and own land.
However, the sale has a fixed closing date in November meaning that any money given by the fund is unlikely to be granted in time.
After a request for more time to raise funds was rejected the community group has stated it is looking elsewhere for funding.
