On a high... village to buy Duke’s 4,000 acres
RESIDENTS of Scotland’s highest village have voted to buy almost 4,000 acres from one of the country’s biggest landowners.
Locals in Wanlockhead, Dumfriesshire, were balloted on taking over the land around the village, owned by the Buccleuch organisation.
The body represents the business interests of the Buccleuch family, including the Duke of Buccleuch.
The Wanlockhead Community Trust will now move towards purchasing the 3,863 acres of land using cash from the Scottish Land Fund.
It claims more could be done to promote the village as a tourist desvillage tination and believes community ownership would help to regenerate the area and make it sustainable in economic, social and environmental terms for future generations.
A total of 56 per cent of those who voted in the village community centre on Wednesday backed the buyout, at 69 for to 55 against.
All residents over 18 were eligible, including holiday home owners on the electoral register in the area, and turnout was more than 80 per cent.
The trust said a vote in favour of the buyout ensures ‘future decisions made on the land will be decided by the community’.
It added: ‘We, the residents of Wanlockhead, will be able to elect and decide democratically what we want to keep and improve in the village.’
Trust treasurer David Tkocz said: ‘It is an amazing opportunity for the now and for the whole community. We’ve got some young families in the village and they are very excited. We are very happy.’
He believes the land valuation is nearing completion and the next step for the trust is to work with the Scottish Land Fund on a funding application.
A previous community consultation report highlighted the need to capitalise further on assets such as the Southern Upland Way, the ski slope and the extensive lead-mining heritage of the village which, at 1,531ft above sea level, has been called ‘God’s treasure house’.
It owes its existence to the lead and mineral deposits in the surrounding hills, including, at 22.8 carats, some of the world’s purest gold.
A spokesman for Buccleuch said: ‘The ballot is an important step in obtaining approval and funding from the Scottish Land Fund. We will continue our dialogue with the Wanlockhead Community Trust, which has been constructive throughout.’
‘An amazing opportunity’