Scotland’s island residents do it better

In only ten years the residents of Benbecula, Ersikay and South Uist have achieved far more than any private landowner has ever done. They now have a £10 million wind farm, a £10 million marina and a world-renowned golf course. They have total assets of £35 million and have big plans for the future to create new jobs and increase the population of, currently 3 500.

Their plans include a new distillery, an extended harbour at Lochboisdale which will enable bigger ferries and cruise ships to enter and a new village to accommodate workers at the new harbour.

It clearly pays to take control of your own lives. However, there is still some way to go. See:

Scotland has the most inequitable land ownership in the west. Why? at:

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/aug/10/scotland-land-rights

Also, see this from the Scottish Government:

‘It is claimed that currently 432 private land owners own 50% of the private land in rural Scotland. The latest estimate of Scotland’s population is 5,327,000 , so this means that half of a fundamental resource for the country is owned by 0.008% of the population.^[1] As a measure of inequality in a modern democracy, this is exceptional and is in need of explanation.’

http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2014/05/2852/298170

https://sbnn.co.uk/2017/04/23/ambitious-growth-plans-scotlands-largest-buy-islands/