91Èȱ¬

Sia bliadhna air ais, cheannaich muinntir Uibhist a Deas an oighreachd air an robh iad a’ fuireach bhon t-seann uachdaran a bha ga chumail mar oighreachd spòrs. Chun an latha an-diugh, ‘s e fhathast an ceannachd coimhearsnachd is motha chaidh a dhèanamh ann an Alba. Bhon uair sin, tha an t-uachdaran coimhearsnachd ùr, Stòras Uibhist, air grunn leasachadh a thoirt air aghaidh leithid tuath gaoithe Loch a’ Chàrnain is maoineachadh airson Loch Baghasdal ath-leasachadh.

Aig a’ cheart àm, chan eil sgath de dh’Uibhist a Tuath fo shealbh na coimhearsnachd. Tha bìdeagan fearainn air an cumail le SGRPID , uachdaran poblach, ach tha a’ chuid is motha dhen chòrr leis an uachdaran prìobhaideach Oighreachd Uibhist a Tuath.Ìý A dh’aindeoin oidhirp a rinn feadhainn airson deasbad a thòiseachadh ann an Uibhist a Tuath mu cheannachd a dhèanamh, cha robh na croitearan idir air a shon.

Ìý

Tha Darren Linc a’ faighneachd carson nach eil na Tuathaich air slighe Uibhist a Deas a leantainn, is am bu chòir dhaibh.

Six years ago, the people of South Uist bought the islands of South Uist, Eriskay and part of Benbecula from the old syndicate who ran it as a sporting estate. To this day, it remains the largest community land buyout in Scotland. Since then, the new community landlord Stòras Uibhist has implemented various projects such as the wind farmÌý at Loch Carnan and secured funding for the redevelopment of Lochboisdale.Ìý

At the same time, across the North Ford, none of North Uist is owned by the community. Pockets of land are owned by SGRPID, a Scottish Government agency, but most of North Uist is privately-owned by North Uist Estates. Despite local initiatives to open a debate about the possibility of a buyout, crofters have remained uniformly opposed.

Ìý

Darren Laing asks why North Uist hasn’t embarked on the same journey as South Uist, and whether they should at all.