Ex-owner of Ulva slams SNP over island buy-out

THE former laird of Ulva has attacked the Scottish Government, questioning its tactics over the £4.65million community buy out of the island.

Ex-owner Jamie Howard’s family voiced their unhappiness days after the Argyll island was transferred into public hands, following a Scottish Land Fund award of £4.4million.

In a statement, they said: ‘The Howard family wish the very best for the residents of Ulva and for their future. However, the road to this moment has been a somewhat dark one.

‘The strong indication is that the driving impulse for this acquisition has been, and is, not so much for the welfare of Ulva and its community but more to satisfy the personal ambitions of a few individuals on the island of Mull; to benefit SNP party politics and prejudices; and to feed media headlines.’

Mr Howard put Ulva, which has five residents, on sale last summer; but was instructed by the Government to take it off the market after interest in a community buy out was lodged by North West Mull Community Woodland Company.

But the Howards became concerned after Nicola Sturgeon told the SNP’s 2017 autumn conference she had ‘granted permission to the people of Ulva to bring their island into community ownership’.

Mr Howard told The Times the Government did not inform him of the development, saying: ‘The community had been prebriefed an exciting announcement was to be made, but I had been told nothing.’

He said the island was due to go back on the market after a deadline for the community group to bid had expired.

An SNP spokesman said: ‘Scotland’s land is a valuable asset which should benefit the many. The SNP is committed to empowering communities through land reform.’ The community group declined to comment.

‘Party politics and prejudices’