Estate of crisis

Further to Lesley Riddoch’s article (“An unfair fight in battle for survival”, Perspective, 5 May), I believe there is a stir in Scotland’s outlying areas. It is long overdue.

Landed estates have been an economic curse on many parts of Scotland, particularly the more remote parts – and they have certainly contributed and helped to make more remote such parts.

But estates have enjoyed the big clout, with their champions influentially ensconced in Westminster’s halls of privilege within ear-whisper distance of the commoners’ representatives who too often have mistaken electoral mandates for blank cheque policies.

There are far too few enlightened landowners and far too many frustrated, not to mention dwindling, communities.

Scotland’s days as an empty landscape for rich folk with grandiose schemes to indulge their often bizarre outdoor whimsies and obsessions in are numbered.

The people have been a long time overtaking the sheep, both literally and metaphorically.

But precisely that is happening now.

While community buy-outs, like national independence, are not automatic panaceas for every discrepancy and injustice, and rely much on the characters of the people who implement them, they do confront and hopefully tackle the various discrepancies and injustices that have prompted them in the first instance.

Communities, like individuals, die, but premature death must always be a matter of concern to everyone.

The empty and un-estated houses on Islay that Lesley highlighted in her article echo, alas, the dirges of empty glens and departed people.

Ian Johnstone

Forman Drive

Peterhead