Today, 23rd July 2010,  the people of Bute have bought a section of Rhubodach Forest at the north end of the island from the director and actor Lord Attenborough. It was just in September 2009, that the Bute Community Land Company was formed to apply for permission under the Land Reform Act of Scotland to buy Rhubodach Forest.  The support and enthusiasm for the buyout on Bute has been unbelievable with over 1,700 signatures gathered in just one week in Sept 2009 to present to the Scottish government with the application.  Following this registration a community ballot had to be held within 3 months and over 50% of the registered electoral on Bute had to vote under the rules of the legislation. The ballot held in February was the biggest community ballot ever held in Scotland. The people of Bute rose to the challenge with 52% of the electoral voting and of those an amazing 93 per cent of voters in favour of the buyout. A let down by a funding agency at a very late stage left things in doubt, yet the buyout was able to go ahead. There was a further delay regarding the subsale of the commercial forestry, as quite understandably, Lord and Lady Attenborough requested that the commercial forestry remain in local ownership. Fortunately, Mount Stuart Estate made a reasonable offer for the commercial forest allowing forestry jobs to remain on the island. As a result of these complex negotiations we have a acquired 161 hectares, including ancient oak woodlands with negotiated rights for use of lands sold on for walks and cycle paths, plus a hydro scheme.

Our forest!

What an exciting time with the purchase finally being sealed today! Our achievement is even more amazing given the tight time lines imposed by the right to buy legislation and the constraints of the wider UK economy at this time. At the BCLC Extraordinary General Meeting on May 3rd members were made aware about the difficult funding climate that BCLC faced and how this made compromises inevitable. Those present supported the proposal to own less of the forest without any debts to pay back. We are delighted that this has been successfully achieved today and look to developing the community proposals for walking and mountain bike trails, woodland play areas, hydro power, eco lodges and a unique forest hub with the view of attracting the green tourist market to Bute in the forest at Rhubodach.

Douglas Cowan, HIE’s Area Manager for Argyll and the Islands, said: “HIE has been a strong supporter of this project, with both our Community Land Unit and the Argyll Area Office at HIE providing advice and funding towards the land purchase, legal staff and office costs, alongside ongoing advice and support. The value in terms of community confidence which this project has achieved should not be underestimated. The buyout of Rhubodach Forest has the potential to bring significant and long-term benefits to the residents of Bute through strengthening the economy, increasing visitor numbers and creating business, training and employment opportunities for the whole community.”

John McGhee, Chair of BCLC commented: “The purchase of the Forest has been a huge challenge for us, particularly given the lack of public funds, but what is fantastic is the way the community has pulled together and demonstrated its ingenuity and determination to have a say in the future prosperity of the Island”.

Commenting on the successful buyout Jim Mather, local MSP, Enterprise Minister said: “I am so proud of the Bute Community Land Project and the local people who have made this all happen. They have shown enormous perseverance, imagination, energy and resilience to get this result and they will not stop now. They have started a process and unleashed new levels of confidence that are now unstoppable and will deliver real benefits for Bute and its people”.

Roseanna Cunningham

For her part, Roseanna Cunningham agreed that: “This has been an extraordinary achievement and I congratulate all those involved for their creativity in reaching a solution to the funding issue despite the current challenging financial circumstances. With that level of commitment by the local community I am certain that the venture will be a huge success for the people of the island and look forward to future developments with great interest”.

As those of you at the EGM are aware we have not been solely restricting our efforts to the forest. BCLC are opening a shop, Brandish Bute,  to showcase local Bute produce and arts and crafts. In this we hope to replicate the success of our close neighbour Arran, in branding and marketing our Bute products. Our new shop manager, Claire Murray is keen to take this forward.

We do remember that we are on a steep learning curve and things can take a wee while to get going – so if you have suggestions and questions about the work and projects in the forest please liaise with Claire at the Brandish Bute shop which is acting as an info hub for forest projects and she will assist in taking forward all suggestions and ideas to the BCLC board. We would encourage everyone to come in to Brandish Bute to browse or buy some local produce in celebration of our historic achievement and to support the shop and Bute producers!

This press release from the Environment Minister Roseanna Cunninghams office says it all.

Ms Cunningham said:
“This is an exciting opportunity for the Island of Bute and a huge success story for the community land company which has managed the biggest ballot held under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act so far. The plans in place should act as a catalyst for economic and community regeneration on the island, enhance the visitor attraction, create a significant number of new jobs and generate opportunities for future generations to live and work there.

Peter McDonald, a Director of BCLC, said,
“This buy out is an important opportunity for the community of Bute and in times of financial downturn it represents a real chance to transform the economic prospects of the island. We appreciate the support of the Scottish Government in this process and we are working extremely hard with various funding agencies to secure the necessary acquisition price by the due date. We are confident that we will succeed.”

Other developments to be encouraged include education and outreach projects, health improvement programmes, outdoor activities – such as bike hire, a horse riding centre, artist workshops, provisions for youth groups and shuttle transport to Rothesay.

And:
Abriachan Forest Trust

Abriachan is a scattered rural community of about 140 people set high above the shores of Loch Ness in the Highlands of Scotland. There are still some active crofts but the majority of inhabitants are employed in Inverness and beyond. The local school closed in 1952 so Abriachan’s children now attend Dochgarroch Primary and Charleston Academy.

In 1998 the community purchased 534 hectares of forest and open hill ground from Forest Enterprise. Since then, as a social enterprise, the Abriachan Forest Trust has managed this land to create local employment, improve the environment and encourage it’s enjoyment by the public through a network of spectacular paths, family suited mountain bike trails and innovative education opportunities.
Visit the Abriachan Website

VOTES CAST  -  2739
That’s a 52.5% turnout

YES votes  -  2557

NO votes  -  177

Spoiled Paper  -  5

That’s an overwhelming YES from the people of Bute.

Thank you and now let’s get on and get this project off the ground for real.

PRIZE DRAW

Congratulations to the winner of the ballot prize draw.

Hester Edgar of Bishop St, Rothesay

Producing logs for firewood at Aline

Community Buyouts of woodland and other property are not uncommon in Scotland. In the last 10 years numerous communities have taken opportunities and purchased large areas of their local surroundings. The motivation for these buyouts varies, however a unifying theme is that the communities wish to create something that will benefit the local area including creating  jobs for local people, recreational facilities for tourists and educational facilities for children.

Aline Community Woodland
Up on the Isle of Lewis a very similar community buyout took place in 2007.  The Erisort Trust purchased Aline Community Woodland in 2007 and since then have set about creating a project that offers local employment, training opportunities and facilities for locals and tourists to enjoy the woodland. They have a firewood project that employs 5 full time workers and has trained 18 people.
VISIT THE WEBSITE

Culag Community Woodland Trust
Although a much smaller project than Rhubodach, Culag demonstrates what a committed community can achieve. As well as managing the Culag Wood and creating walkways and play areas, the Trust recently formed Culag Enterprises Ltd, a commercial arm to the business. To quote their website – “This is providing sustainable local employment with opportunities to learn new land-based skills to recognised national standards.  The long-term aim of this innovative initial project will be that the company will go on to win other land-based contracts for a range of clients.”
VISIT THE WEBSITE

Abriachan Forest Trust
In 1998 the community purchased 534 hectares of forest and open hill ground from Forest Enterprise. Since then, as a social enterprise, the Abriachan Forest Trust has managed this land to create local employment, improve the environment and encourage it’s enjoyment by the public through a network of spectacular paths, family suited mountain bike trails and innovative education opportunities.
VISIT THE WEBSITE

These communities have seized the chance to create something that will bring major benefits in the future.

WE CAN DO THIS TOO!