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March 19, 2005
Assynt Foundation bidding for estate
The Assynt Foundation have been given permission to try to raise 2.9 million pounds to buy the 40,000 acre Assynt Estate in Sutherland.
The foundation is open to everyone on the electoral roll in Assynt, Drumrunie and Inverpolly) and the estate is mostly wild, uninhabited land, including Glen Canisp and the Suilven and Canisp mountains. It’s an extraordinarily beautiful area.
The project is interesting because it would involve local people in natural heritage protection, however it’s a moot question whether the wild land would not be better protected by a national park, with the community taking over the ‘economic’ land that can be used for crofting, housing etc.
Allan MacRae, chairman of the Assynt Crofters Trust in Lochinver, is saying that conservation organisations like the John Muir Trust should not be partners in the project, as this would restrict agricultural development, so there may well be tensions in the future between the foundation and natural heritage bodies.
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/4362593.stm
www.lochinver.bordernet.co.uk/organisations/5.html
www.bratach.co.uk/bratach/archive/Feb05/feb05_assynt-foundation.html
Posted by Simon Holledge at March 19, 2005 12:10 AM
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