A SUPER-RICH, powerful leading character, a group of anxious people wary of raising their voices, and a simmering sense of inequality: themes that could easily have slid from the pages of a George Orwell novel.

The Inner Hebridean Isle of Jura, where in the aftermath of the Second World War Orwell penned Nineteen Eighty-Four, his dystopian novel of oppression, inequality and misuse of power is, of course, a huge leap in the imagination from the fictional Big Brother state of Oceania. 

And yet, as nervous locals – some fearful of speaking too openly – wait to see if a development bid by an estate owned by a wealthy Australian hedge-fund trader is approved, there are some who may well find it hard not to make subtle comparisons. 

In a fortnight’s time, a group of Argyll and Bute councillors will take the rare step of visiting Jura to judge whether its main village will be overwhelmed if plans for staff accommodation for 12,000-acre Ardfin estate goes ahead. 

The move is unusual: some councillors will have to spend up to three days making the trip, island-hopping by ferry and then bumping for four miles over a singletrack road to reach Craighouse. 

There, a spot has been chosen for what the estate says is a “critical” one-and-a-half-storey development to house up to 40 permanent and seasonal staff to man its 18-hole golf course and luxury hotel. 

The Herald: Ardfin estate wishes to house up to 40 permanent and seasonal staff to man its 18-hole golf course and luxury hotelArdfin estate wishes to house up to 40 permanent and seasonal staff to man its 18-hole golf course and luxury hotel (Image: Newsquest)

“The site has been chosen to locate the staff as close as possible to the essential local amenity services at Craighouse, and to create a residential environment that is separate and distinct from their working environment,” states Ardfin’s architects in a design statement submitted to Argyll and Bute Council.

“The chosen site is within a pre-determined settlement zone, adjacent to existing utility services, and offers minimal visual impact when compared with alternative sites on the estate.”

Positive move?

SUCH a development for a small Hebridean island – the kind where so often locals are heard calling for investment and new families – might sound positive. 

Yet it is the latest move by the estate, owned by wealthy Australian hedge-fund manager Greg Coffey – nicknamed “the Wizard of Oz” for his knack of making vast sums of money – to rile locals.

Although rarely seen on Jura, since his takeover the once “benign” estate has evolved into a destination for the wealthy. 

An 18-hole golf course, carved from moorland and which saw a working farm on prime land closed to make way for it, was originally for private use. Instead, it has opened to those who can afford around £1,500 for a hotel room and £500 on top to play the course. 

Few who visit, say islanders, pause to spend money at local businesses. 
Jura House, built in the early 19th-century, meanwhile, was converted to a luxury retreat where a three-night minimum stay costs £24,000 per night and its famous walled gardens, loved by locals and tourists, closed to visitors. Meanwhile, dotted around the island, properties have been snapped up by the estate – some to lie empty – which it is claimed has pushed up property prices even higher.

Staff accusations

TO add to islanders’ disquiet, some of its temporary workers are said to have caused a range of problems, from drunk-driving to drug-taking and road accidents. 

“People are anxious about putting their names to this because the estate employs a number of people on the island and has a lot of influence,” said Sheena Gow, one of a handful to speak out.

“Even if people are not employed directly, they might have family members employed by the estate or might have contracts with it through their businesses. 

“This is a small community, and we all have to get along together. People are cautious. But what has been proposed is out of keeping with the rest of the island", she added. “A sudden influx of 40 people to an island with a population of around 230 is going to create a big impact.”

Some point out that 40 new residents will boost the island’s population by one-fifth, with impacts on infrastructure and services including healthcare and policing. 

“For a small community like this to be sustainable, we need people living here who have an interest in the island as opposed to transient workers who come and go,” she said.

“Voluntary organisations such as the development trust, the coastguard, fire services even the parent council rely on people who are committed to living here and want to contribute something back. There’s a feeling we’re not getting that from the estate. 

“The estate has the potential to do a lot of good in terms of supporting infrastructure but that hasn’t happened. It seems to be a case of ‘we do what we want to do’.”

Ardfin estate was approached for comment but has not replied. Instead, its planning statement says the 40-bed development is “critical to the operation of Ardfin Estate and Golf Course, and it is anticipated that the employment generated by the business will contribute to sustaining population levels on the island and provide long-term employment opportunities including skills and knowledge.”

Its proposed location in the village, however, has reignited memories of the last time a large group of temporary workers arrived to work at the estate.

“When the golf course was being built and Jura House was renovated, workers were housed in modular cabins on scrap land next to village,” says Local councillor and former police officer Dougie McFadzean said: “Mr Coffey has invested a lot of money in the island and employed people at the hotel, but it is a transient workforce. 

“He wants his staff to be five or six miles away from his resort but that will change the dynamic of the village. 

“People perceive it as if the island has been taken over for his benefit. 
“This isn’t ‘not in my backyard’,” he added. “People on Jura love the growth of their island, but they want constructive growth.”

‘Ignorance’

LOUISE Muir, a Jura islander for 18 years, agrees there is a touch of an Orwellian novel about it. She said: “The ignorance they have of the power and influence they have on the island beggars belief.” 

Former GP Lesley Morrison, who has close ties to the island, says recent events have highlighted the divide between the estate’s owner and the community. 

“He has raised awareness of the power imbalance on the island. 

“This person has bought one-fifth of the island and shown no awareness of the social fabric and how people feel about the land. He is totally disregarding the impact of his plans on the fabric of the community and using his money and power simply for his own gain.

“At a time when housing is urgently needed to retain the young families who want to contribute to island life, he is removing properties and potential land from their reach. He is engaged in 21s-century clearances.”

Ardfin estate was approached for comment.