Community bodies have applied for more than 20 times the total amount that the Treasury put into a controversial fund last year from the profits of the Crown Estate.
Last night, the figures were seized on by the Scottish Government, which repeated its calls for all Crown Estate revenues and rights to be devolved north of the Border.
Scottish ministers claimed the fact that there was so much demand backed up their arguments that "100% of our Crown Estate revenues should remain in Scotland".
A year ago, in a move widely seen as an attempt to undermine the SNP's demands, a £23.7 million Coastal Communities Fund was established by the Treasury. This receives all the Crown Estate's profits, which last year amounted to £230m from £7 billion-worth of assets.
The equivalent of half the Crown Estate's marine revenues made up the fund .
In Scotland, these are likely to rise to around £40m by 2021 as offshore energy projects are developed. But for now Scotland's coastal communities fund is worth £4m with £1.85m ring-fenced for the Highlands and Islands. However, the Big Lottery Fund has received 174 applications from community bodies in the Highlands and Islands.
Between them they are seeking £41,308,926 more than 20 times the £1.85m available.
The figures are contained in a letter from the Big Lottery Fund to Community Land Scotland (CLS), which had applied to the fund for support on behalf of members in the Western Isles
David Cameron, CLS chairman, said: "If the Crown Estate had not taken so much out of coastal communities down the years to give to the Treasury, perhaps there would have been less pent up demand right now."
A Treasury spokeswoman said: "Coastal communities play an important role in the wellbeing of the whole country and that's why we have made £1.85m of new funding available."
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