Mulling it over

In July 2017 the Scottish Government halted the open market sale of the remote island of Ulva off the coast of Mull by Jamie Howard, whose family had owned it for 70 years. During this time, Mr Howard’s family has paid to keep the

public ferry running to Mull, as well as meeting the maintenance costs of the Boathouse Restaurant for the six island residents. At the SNP autumn conference last year, Nichola Sturgeon announced that she was giving the North West Mull Community Woodland Company the right to register an interest in a community buyout of the 5,000-acre island of Ulva.

On 8 January 2018, after a postal vote involving 401 people

living in Mull and including the six Ulva residents, it was announced that a majority of the 40.6 per cent of those entitled to vote had backed the buyout and are pledged to raise the £4.2 million for the purchase over the next five months. All that remains is for Roseanna Cunningham, Cabinet Secretary for Land Reform, to rubber stamp the scheme’s go-ahead. The buyout organisers have already launched an appeal but it is

believed that “the Scottish Land Fund which is funded by the Scottish Government is expected to be a major financier of any purchase” (The Scotsman, 9 January).

In Scotland today there are massive health care, social care, childcare, education and housing problems which are all in areas devolved to the Scottish Government but have been neglected and underfunded by them as “independence transcends everything”. I have no objection to private individuals such as MSP Mike Russell and his ilk choosing to fund the Ulva buyout out of their own pockets. I personally object strongly to public money being used at present for this optional extra!

SALLY GORDON-WALKER

Caiystane Drive, Edinburgh