Gigha island to be put on market

Published on Thursday 12 June 2003 01:00

AN ISLAND community is to reverse recent trends by offering to sell part of the land in its control to a private buyer who will acquire a historic title into the bargain.

Residents who bought Gigha last year from a private landlord, are trying to increase interest in their largest property, which is up for sale, by throwing in an island for free.

The ten-acre, uninhabited Craro Island, which is a haven for seabirds, was acquired as part of the deal to take over the 3,447-acre island of Gigha last year.

It is to be put on the market in the summer as part of a package with Achamore House, the former residence of the laird, to help in the islanders’ campaign to raise funds.

Several people have already shown an interest in Achamore House, which comes with the title Baron of Gigha, including potential buyers in the UK and America, although so far no deal has been done.

It was decided earlier this year that if the talks did not produce a sale by this Easter, the 19th century property would be advertised for sale with an asking price of more than 600,000.

Selling agents Savills have now been appointed to market the house and islanders will offer Craro as part of the package to make it more attractive to potential buyers.

In March, the 110 islanders celebrated the first anniversary of the island being handed over to the community-led Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust.

The 4 million buy-out from the previous laird, Derek Holt, was secured with a 3.5 million grant from the Scottish Land Fund (SLF) and a further 500,000 from Highland and Islands Enterprise’s community land unit.

The trust has to pay back 1 million of the purchase cost to the SLF by next March, including 200,000 by community efforts.

Alan Hobbett, the trust’s development manager, said: "We were looking at ways of how we could enhance the attractiveness of the property in ways that would not detract from our own development plans.

"The barony of Gigha will now go with the house and Craro Island so the new owner would have their own west coast island as well as the title to Achamore House which I think would be highly attractive.

"It is a reversal of recent events, but it is for a specific need to help us pay this 1 million debt."

He added: "It is a small price to pay in order to own the whole island."

He said while not ideal for development, a house could be built on Craro, subject to planning permission, and it is also possible to put in a small landing slip.

Craro lies off the west of Gigha and has a rock formation shaped like a bull.

Legend has it that when a local ship was stopped by pirates, a cabin boy who was facing death asked God to bless his mother in Gigha. To prove he came from the island, the pirate captain asked him which direction the Craro bull faced and, when told north-east, the boy was spared from the sword as the pirate also had family on Gigha.

The same pirate is also said to have buried a cache of gold at Ardlamy Farm on Gigha.

Mr Hobbett also stressed that the future Baron of Gigha, who once had the power to order summary executions, will have no power over the new landlords: "Thankfully that does not apply any more."

Since the takeover, the trust has started work to build 14 new houses, the first for 25 years on Gigha, to meet increasing demand.

It has also secured increased housing improvement grants after a survey done shortly after the buy-out showed that only one of the 41 houses the trust took over was in good shape.

In all, 75 per cent of housing available for permanent let was considered below tolerable standard and the remainder in "serious disrepair".

A community-owned construction company is also being set up to carry out improvements to the trust’s stock over the next six years and new business units have also been opened.

The building of the new houses, and the re-allocation of existing properties, is expected to add another 35 people to the Gigha population.