Millionaire gifts community buyout group £1.75 million for estate purchase

A HIGHLAND community has accepted a £1.75 million donation from a millionaire owner of a Scottish estate to buy the majority of a neighbouring 9000-acre estate.

The Coigach Community Development Company (CCDC) has officially approved to accept the donation from millionaire financier Ian Wace to purchase the 8887-acre Badentarbat Estate on Wester Ross.

In July, Wace offered to gift the CCDC funding for the estate which includes Achnahaird beach and four of the neighbouring Summer Isles and more than 90% of the group voted to accept his proposal.

The estate agent Strutt and Parker listed Badentarbat Estate, which is on the tourist hotspot NC500 route, and described it as a “significant portion of the Coigach peninsula”.

The group said that if it had refused the donation, Wace intended to buy the estate himself.

Previous attempts to submit four buyout applications over the last five years had failed and the next seemed a "longshot" until the gift from Wace was offered.

The philanthropist bought Tanera Mòr in 2017 to to create a retreat for up to 60 paying guests across three communities, at Ardnagoine, Tigh-an-Quay and Garadheancal. The island is the largest of Achiltibuie’s Summer Isles and the ongoing project currently supports around 150 jobs.

By 2014, Tanera was uninhabited but guests now include members of the charities Wace supports, with NHS staff and military veterans among the visitors.

CCDC said in community update statement: “Yesterday evening the Board of Coigach Community Development Company met and approved the documents that will allow it to accept the donation of £1.75m from Ian Wace (under the Donation Agreement negotiated between us) and use those funds to buy the majority of the crofted lands in the Badentarbet Estate.

The six-bedroom lodge on the estate (Image: Strutt and Parker) “Adam Blaker of Summer Isles Enterprises explained that Ian Wace was offering to donate money to enable the community to purchase the non-crofted parts of the estate, through CCDC as the appropriate registered body to hold land on the community’s behalf.

“CCDC is organizing an initial meeting for Badentarbet estate residents to discuss what they wish to happen next and explore opportunities together on November 27th. Representatives from HIE and Community Land Scotland will be present and we are open to suggestions for other invited speakers/advisors.

"This will not be the only opportunity to engage. Crofters and other residents are welcomed and encouraged to continue to work with CCDC on future plans on an ongoing basis.”