BUYING 10,500 acres of moorland from one of Scotland’s biggest landowners will cost a community £6 million, documents show.
If successful, the bid – which includes nine residential properties – will become the biggest community land buyout in the south of Scotland.
Residents of former textile town Langholm, near Lockerbie, are in “advanced discussions” with Buccleuch Estates, owned by the Duke of Buccleuch, to acquire a significant section of Langholm moor through local charity The Langholm Initiative.
The process – backed by 800 locals in a petition – began last year after Buccleuch Estates announced it would sell 25,000 acres of the moor, which was formerly used for driven grouse shooting and is home to wildlife including curlews, wild goats and hen harriers.
Now as the buyout bid takes “significant steps” forwards the cost of the move has been revealed.
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The sum was agreed in valuations for both parties and The Langholm Initiative has approached the Scottish Land Fund for £3m of the “just over” £6m total. It is also seeking support from the new South of Scotland Enterprise agency and will launch a crowdfunding drive next month.
Project leader Kevin Cumming told The National he hopes the “global issues” related to the Southern Uplands buyout will attract widespread support.
Plans include the creation of a protected area to be called the Tarras Valley Nature Reserve, which will boost community regeneration and tourism while conserving wildlife and supporting climate change action and peatland restoration.
Cumming said: “We didn’t know what the price would be. We purposely didn’t go in with any expectations – we’re no experts in valuing land. Now it’s about raising that money.”
The John Muir Trust, Scottish Natural Heritage and RSPB Scotland are amongst those to have written a letter of support, as have the SNP’s Joan McAlpine, Labour’s Colin Smyth and Oliver Mundell of the Tories.
A decision from the Scottish Land Fund could come as early as next month and Buccleuch Estates hopes to “reach a positive conclusion before the end of this year”. Cumming said: “The south of Scotland lags far behind the Highland and Islands in the support it has received for community land ownership. This is despite facing many of the same issues as that part of Scotland, such as an ageing population, youth migration and loss of industry. This is one of the most important and forward thinking community plans in the UK. We are in a climate emergency and the decisions we make now will have a massive impact on future generations.”
However, it’s also personal for the former estate manager, who moved to the town two years ago to prepare for the birth of his first child, Freya, in October. He said: “She was born here, this is her home – this is about her future too. Langholm has had a lot of hardships over the last 10-20 years, but the people are very resilient and care so much about what happens. That inspires you.”
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