No. 7630 Established 1876
Friday 7 October, 2022
www.argyllshireadvertiser.co.uk
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Tri and tri again, say Golden Girls MID ARGYLL STUDENTS CELEBRATE THEIR GRADUATION DAY
Community racing against time to fund land buyout by John McCallum editor@argyllshireadvertiser.co.uk
A community group in Mid Argyll remains defiant in a race against the clock to raise adequate funds to stage a community buyout of an estate valued at £10 million. Community charity Tayvallich Initiative would like to buy Tayvallich Estate and use the land to build affordable housing, attracting families and working-age people back to the area. Martin Mellor, Tayvallich Initiative chairperson, feels there is huge energy behind a long-term plan for the area that will allow the group to buy the expansive estate – containing more than half of the peninsula’s affordable rented houses – and bring it into community ownership. Helping to bring a community of more than 200 people around one vision is no easy task, especially with a deadline looming for submitting a bid to the estate agents Strutt and Parker in November.
But the initiative is confident that it can meet the funding level required to submit a bid, with or without money from the Scottish Land Fund (SLF) in time for the deadline. And because there may not be enough time to secure funding from the SLF, the initiative is looking for alternative sources of funding at the same time. Martin said: ‘There is a mix of emotions at this stage. It’s very exciting on one level, thinking about the collective aspiration here in Tayvallich of community ownership, while knowing that we don’t have a lot of time to get to where we want to be. ‘Our fund is in the hundreds of pounds, with one private backer even gift ing us £50,000, and we think when people hear about this kind of belief in what we are trying to achieve, we could receive further support of this level.’ The 3,500-acre Tayvallich Estate extends along a peninsula in Knapdale and is owned by the family of Catherine Pollock, from whom the estate
was inherited. Ms Pollock worked as a social worker at the now-closed Argyll and Bute Hospital. But she also managed the estate for many decades to maintain its rare species, including marsh fritillary butterflies, juniper, otters and Greenland white-fronted geese, all of which are of national or international importance. She also grew and planted many native trees. The estate has three Sites of Special Scientific Interest, a large Special Area of Conservation and the peninsula sits between two Marine Protected Areas. Mr Mellor was wary of direct comparisons with other places in Argyll where community buyouts have happened, such as in the island of Gigha. He continued: ‘There has been a dramatic increase in the price of land during the past several years and the maximum amount available from the Scottish Land Fund Continued on page 2.
Coastguard call-out to tie the knot It was all coastguards on parade recently – not for a rescue mission but for a wedding ceremony. Frank and Jillian Penman, deputy station officer and station officer respectively for Inveraray Coastguard Rescue Team, got married at the scenic Dunollie Lighthouse north of Oban – with a special guest in attendance to preside over the ceremony. Find out more on page 2.