Saturday, February 03, 2018

Ulva to be owned by the community

A community trust on the island of Mull will buy the neighbouring island of Ulva for 4.2 million pounds ($5.95 million).

Land is an asset for the many, not the few absent, land-owners whose have hold over Scotland date back to an era when it was a largely agricultural nation run by the wealthy gentry. This had led to about 430 people owning half of Scotland's privately held land.

Ulva, which neighbours Mull on the west coast of Scotland, has been in economic decline for decades and has less than 10 residents, including its owner. The North West Mull Community Woodland Company (NWMCWC), which is behind the plan to buy Ulva, was set up in 2006 to purchase and manage woodlands in the north west of Mull. The NWMCWC said last year it wanted to invest in the 1,860 hectare (4,600 acres) island's infrastructure and local industry to boost its flagging fortunes.

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