Rural Development Minister Ross Finnie and Ian MacNeil of Barra today announced agreement, for MacNeil’s donation of his crofting estate in Barra to Scottish Ministers. The 3600 hectares (9000 acres) crofting estate comprises most of MacNeil’s land in Barra.  The transfer will include adjacent foreshore as well as fishing and mineral rights.  Coupled with existing estates of Scottish Ministers on Barra and Vatersay, the combined estates will cover almost all the land on the two islands, which have a population of about 1300.  They will extend to 6500 hectares (16,000 acres) with over 440 croft tenancies and two working quarries.

Under the agreement, MacNeil will donate the property to Scottish Ministers, subject to their paying for the cost of the transfer.  SEERAD will manage the property for the Scottish Ministers until such a time as, and if requested, ownership is passed to the local community free of charge.  Mr Finnie said: “I welcome the decision by MacNeil to entrust his property to Scottish Ministers.  This ensures that it will continue to be managed for the benefit of the local community.” “We intend to manage this land with a view to its transfer, along with our own properties, to community ownership when the Barra and Vatersay islanders are ready to take control of the land management. “We will encourage community participation in property management through an estate charter similar to those already adopted on other estates owned by Minister.”

MacNeil added: “During my thirty-five years of active management I have tried to run the

Estate of Barra in harmony with the best interests of the crofters and of the community as a whole.  In light of SEERAD’s reputation as a first-class landlord I have no doubt that it will do the same.” “A transfer to SEERAD will also open exciting opportunities for local community ownership and management, if appropriate democratic processes reveal that this is what crofters and wider community of Barra and Vatersay want.”

Both Mr Finnie and MacNeil stressed that the identity of the landlord in no way alters the

statutory rights of individual crofters.  No landlord, no matter who it is, can deprive crofters of their legal rights of tenure, to purchase their housesites or crofts, to have rents subject to Land Court determination, or in the common grazings.

“The actual transfer may take several months to complete.  Meanwhile, the Estate will continue to be managed as in the past.  Thus, until further notice, all inquiries from crofters or others involved with the Estate of Barra should continue to be made either to the Factor, Roderick MacLean, or to me directly.”                                              

 Ian MacNeil of Barra.