EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
Purchase of
Drumrunie Estate by the Coigeach Community Company
An experienced consultancy team, led by economist
Steve Westbrook, were commissioned by Coigeach Community Company to carry out a
feasibility study into the purchase and subsequent management of the 11,900
acre Drumrunie Estate by the community.
The estate includes a Stalker’s Cottage in Elphin.
The study assesses the viability of the purchase, the
development projects which could be progressed, and the benefits that community
ownership might generate for the local community and the wider public.
The land is designated nationally and internationally
for its natural heritage importance.
This constrains development, especially buildings, but offers the
community an opportunity, with grant funding from public agencies, to manage
the land in a way that enhances its qualities and creates a degree of
employment for local people.
The Key
Proposals put forward in the study, based on local consultation, can be
summarised as follows:
·
Land
Management Agreements:
Negotiating funding over ten years with Scottish Natural Heritage and Forestry
Commission Scotland would allow a full time stalker / monitor to be employed to
manage the deer population, improve habitats, etc. Other employment would be achieved through supplementary contract
stalking over the first three years, periodic work for ghillies and field
research assistants. Initially, a
detailed long term management plan would be produced.
·
Landscape
Partnership: Heritage
Lottery Fund support would be sought for a package of projects related to the
area’s outstanding landscape in partnership with neighbouring estates, public
sector bodies and other funders. Themes
could include:
- restoring or enhancing habitats and
species, geological features and countryside practices
- improving access and interpretation
- conserving historical features and
enhancing cultural associations
- encouraging people to learn about and
participate in projects connected with their landscape heritage
There
could be a link with the area’s new Geopark status.
·
Tourism
Promotion: The area’s
distinctive features would be brought to the attention of transient and new
visitors to increase length of stay and attract visitors outwith the main
season. Niche markets would include
walkers, anglers, and people with an interest in geology, nature study, etc.
·
Eco
Tourism: Local people
would be encouraged to become involved in eco tourism through training as
guides, developing outdoor activity businesses, etc.
·
Woodland
Development: A plan
would be drawn up to protect and expand (modestly) Drumrunie’s ancient
semi-natural woodlands.
·
Other
Developments: Coigeach
Community Company’s remit covers its whole population catchment area, and its
structure and voluntary commitment will enable it to facilitate development
projects in the wider community. Any
surpluses from estate operation (likely to be modest in the short term) could
be used to pump prime other developments, with partnership funding from a range
of agencies.
Financial Viability
Jointly, the Scottish Land Fund (SLF) and Highlands
and Islands Enterprise’s Community Land Unit (CLU) can provide up to 93.75% of
the purchase price of the estate. The
John Muir Trust, if invited by the community, has expressed a willingness to
contribute towards the cost of purchase and assist towards future estate
management costs.
The community, and other partners, would need to find
an estimated £66,125 towards the purchase of the estate, the environmental and
deer management vehicles and equipment that would be required and modest office
set up expenses, after anticipated contributions from the SLF and CLU. We are confident that this should be
achievable without borrowing or excessive fundraising within the local community.
An annual surplus varying from £2,000 to £3,000
(approximately) has been indicatively projected, dependent on annual income
from management agreements and contributions from other organisations of around
£42,000 per annum. Stalking, venison
and angling will bring in useful annual revenue – although the estate will be
run less intensively than currently for sport.
Partnership operation with the neighbouring Glencanisp
Estate would give economies of scale and allow co-ordination of management
regimes.
The Key
Benefits of community ownership are as follows:
·
The community
will be able to take a long term sustainable approach to estate management that
will balance economic, social and environmental benefits and responsibilities.
·
Community
control will allow the scale and pace of any development on the land to be
agreed by the community.
·
With careful
management, the estate should cover its operating costs, with a modest surplus,
but it will be essential to obtain sufficient annual funding from Scottish Natural
Heritage and Forestry Commission Scotland.
·
The estate
will have a secure future, responsible access will be welcomed, local and
national interests will be met, local jobs will be created, and the community
will have a real stake in its own future.
·
Local tourism
businesses will benefit from increased trade both from increased visitor
numbers and longer visitor stays.
·
Road safety
would be improved through reduced deer numbers.
Over the next 10-50 years, it is impossible to know
what new opportunities might emerge, and land ownership by the community could
prove a very good long term investment.
Steve Westbrook, Economist
Graeme Scott, Chartered Accountant
Duncan Bryden, Rural Development and Conservation
Atholl Newlands (Bowlts), Estate Management
February 2005