Ministers assess hostile buy-out of Lewis estate

Crofters on Lewis want to take over the land in a community buy-out

Scottish ministers have begun consulting on a community's plans for the hostile buy-out of a crofting estate in Lewis, in the Western Isles.

The 60-day process will assess whether the move by crofters on the Pairc Estate is in the public interest.

The crofters are trying to force the hand of landowner Barry Lomas after they failed to reach agreement to buy the estate from him in 2004.

The bid is Scotland's first test of the controversial Land Reform Act.

The crofters are also attempting to buy an interposed lease, which could give them development rights for a proposed wind farm on the estate.

It follows a proposal by Scottish and Southern Energy for a large wind farm there.

However, if planning permission is granted before the community buy-out is approved by ministers, the value of the land and its purchase price could rise significantly.

The Pairc Trust is applying under section 3 of the Land Reform Act to buy the majority of the 10,840 ha estate and the interposed lease set up by Mr Lomas, an accountant based in England.

If ministers give the go-ahead for the buy-out, an independent valuation of the land will be carried out to fix the price at which local crofters can purchase the land.