This looks interesting….
There will be a public meeting at 2.30pm next Saturday (January 18th 2014) at Leadhills Village Hall to discuss the possibility of a community land buyout scheme at Leadhills, South Lanarkshire.
The meeting, which is open to everyone, will hear talks from two prominent figures involved with community land buyout schemes as well as presentations by local residents on the community land buyout process and the benefits these schemes can bring.
A brighter future for the wildlife in and around Leadhills? We think so.
Further details of the meeting here
Photo: this red kite was found critically-injured in Leadhills village in August last year. It had been shot. It didn’t survive (see here).
Raptor Persecution UK 
Thought you might like that…..
Who wouldn’t?! (Apart from the obvious, of course).
Shame it wasn’t Langholme with its great history of BOPs + the £3.5 million now wasted on a Red Grouse moor paid for with public money.
It doesnt actually say the estate is wanting to sell?….but what a wonderful change that would be for the locals, as long as they dont just change one grouse moor manager for another…plant or encourage tree growth as part of any plan..when they are not being killed this area attracts a fantastic variety of upland birds..which could be a superb tourist attraction.
Ok so let’s say hypothetically that Hopetown Estates wanted to sell Leadhills (which I don’t believe for a second they will) and did so through a community buy out scheme. This would be almost entirely funded by government aid and lottery funding as the community doesn’t have the surplus cash to plough into an estate. Before anyone says this happens already through grants and subsidies it will be a fraction of the money require by the community to buy and run an estate. As for it generating employment and income if Leadhills was to be managed as a more conservation point of view it may provide employment for one Ranger/wildlife manager at the most as opposed to 6-8 gamekeepers. Along with the loss of 7 families to the local community where is all this ‘wildlife tourism’ money going to come from? Leadhills is a within a couple of hours drive from major population centres from both the north and the south via the motorway. People are just going to come, visit for the day and go home again likely without even buying a sandwich or a coffee locally! Hardly enough revenue to run a 12000 acre tract of land and a total waste of public money!
As the Red Grouse moors provide no tax to any governments there seems little reason to think that this type of management is doing any good to any communities. The fact that upland management is now proven to be causing £billions of damage in flooding down stream http://www.monbiot.com/2014/01/13/drowning-in-money/ there has got be a change. Mull is a million miles from a big population but creates £5 million a year to the local economy from eagles. Leadhills has easy access off the M74. It only needs brains to see a scheme could work. And those keeper families would be replaced by incomers wanting to life in a new vibrant community.
Good points John..I also read the Monbiot piece….surely even the tories and their landowner friends will realise the stupidity of bare hillsides when their downstream holdings are getting flooded?..Another very good reason for doing away with “managed” grouse moors…….Now, what about an “open site” on a harriers nest at Leadhills [as I almost got at Langholm before the politicians and scientists scuppered it]…they will come back if the killers are removed…manage some of the hills for them..the possibilities are limitless.