Lead Partner: The Scottish Land Fund
Description
The Scottish Land Fund was launched on 26 February 2001 by the New Opportunities Fund, a National Lottery distributor, with the aim of contributing to sustainable development in rural Scotland by assisting communities to acquire, develop and manage local land or land assets. The Fund was made available to help communities establish the feasibility, complete the purchase, and undertake the development and management of local land and land assets.
Highlands and Islands Enterprise administered the Scottish Land Fund on behalf of the New Opportunities Fund.
The Fund supported three types of assistance:
Technical – assisting the planning and feasibility study of proposals; For example, in this category, a grant was approved for the Woodhead - Windyhills Community Group (Aberdeenshire) to investigate the possibility of acquiring the 40-hectare Windyhills woodland, including sections of ancient woodland and an internationally significant underlying geology. The group subsequently incorporated as a legal body and applied successfully for acquisition funding. This was a classic example of technical assistance priming the acquisition stage of the project.
Other cases for technical assistance included grants to Glen Beag Woodland (Lochalsh) and Gordon Community Woodland Association (Borders) for the investigation of possible woodland purchases. Also, the Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust received support to carry out a detailed study of the renewable energy potential of the untapped resources of the island.
Acquisition – for the actual purchase of land and land assets; acquisition of building examples include projects from Mull and Iona Community Trust (Argyll), who sought to secure the only butchers shop on the island. Another grant assisted the Ross of Mull Historical Centre to acquire a derelict historical mill in Bunessan for sympathetic conversion into a historical centre.
A core purpose of the Fund was to support the acquisition of land. The first actual land acquisition grant was awarded to Deskford and District Community Association (Moray) to enable extension and redevelopment of their village hall. The North Sutherland Community Forest Trust (Sutherland) was awarded assistance to pursue a land management agreement with Forest Enterprise over the Naver Forest. The Fund recognised that well negotiated and documented land management agreements provide communities with many of the advantages of actual land ownership.
Land Development – for the development of land and land assets associated with larger projects demonstrating land and natural resource management for rural development, conservation or amenity in the development category, Fernaig Community Trust (Lochalsh) had land development and project officer funding approved. Fernaig appointed an officer for 3-years and completed drainage, fencing and new road and bridge infrastructure work. Also in the development category, the well established Abriachan Forest Trust (Inverness) received funding to acquire environmentally sympathetic forestry machinery and revenue funding for paths infrastructure development in the Abriachan forest above Loch Ness.
The Scottish Land Fund is now closed but Highlands and Islands Enterprise are to deliver a successor programme called ‘Growing Community Assets’ on behalf of BIG.
Contact Details
Highlands and Islands Enterprise Cowan House, Inverness Retail and Business Park, Inverness IV2 7GF, ScotlandTel: 01463 234171 Fax : 01463 244469 E-mail : hie.general@hient.co.uk Chief executive: Sandy Cumming