Na h-Eileanan an Iar MSP Alasdair Allan and MP Angus MacNeil have today welcomed today welcomed the success of Gallan Head Community Trust and the Keose Glebe Steering Group in securing a total award of £305,500 from the Scottish Land Fund.

Gallan Head Community Trust received an award of £200,000 and will use this to acquire the former Ministry of Defence site at Aird, Uig, Isle of Lewis while Keose Glebe Steering group were awarded £105,500 to purchase the Keose Glebe Estate and foreshore situated in the Lochs area on the east side of Lewis in the Western Isles.

Alasdair Allan commented:

“This very welcome contribution from the Scottish Government’s Land Fund means that the communities in both Keose and Aird Uig will be able to ensure the land is used in the public interest and to the benefit of the people of who actually live there.

“I believe that we need to enable to enable a fairer, wider and more equitable, distribution of land across our nation, where communities and individuals have access to land. Community Right to Buy has been one of the Scottish Parliament’s landmark achievements and the Scottish Government has set an ambitious target of 1 million acres of land in community ownership by 2020.

“It’s fantastic to see just how far community ownership has come in the Western Isles and I wish the people of both communities every success with their plans for the future of the land.”

Angus MacNeil MP commented:

“The welcome news of funding for Gallan Head Community Trust and Keose Glebe Steering Group brings the total amount of funding from the Scottish Land Fund for Na h-Eileanan an Iar communities to over £1.7million over the last four years.

“This funding has allowed communities to steer their own futures and create sustainable economic and social opportunities.

“This fund has already benefited Urras Sgire Oighreachd Bharabhais Community Company; Great Bernera Community Development Trust; Grimsay Community Association; North Harris Trust; Pairc Trust and Urras Oighreachd Charlabhaigh and I hope the new programme which opens in 2016 will allow even more projects to move forward.”