In 2011, the residents of Scalpay said "yes, please" when the businessman who owned the island offered it to them as a gift.
Two years later, a grant from the Scottish Land Fund means the community's plan to own and run the land has taken a firm step forward.
For many, there will be considerable romantic and emotional elements to this trend of communities in Scotland taking control of their land, perhaps played to a soundtrack of the old folk song This Land is Your Land, but there are solid pragmatic reasons for encouraging the trend too.
Not only does ownership offer residents a personal stake in the land, it also offers them a role in the regeneration and economic health of where they live. Many communities have seen reversals in their social and economic fortunes after buyouts and the residents of Scalpay already have plans to expand their marine and tourism sectors.
The money from the Scottish Land Fund will help in this regard. After a few bumpy years, the fund has helped finance many buy-outs and, if it can regenerate communities, it is money wisely spent. Around half a million acres is in local hands. The Scottish Land Fund can help make it more.
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