Boost for Cape Wrath buy-out plan

Delighted Durness residents learned this week that they had overcome the first hurdle towards a possible community buyout of a parcel of land surrounding the area's foremost visitor attraction, the Cape Wrath lighthouse. The Scottish Executive has accepted the community's registration of interest, under land reform legislation, in a 45hectare parcel of ground along with a number of run-down buildings presently owned by the Northern Lighthouse Board.
 Durness Development Group secretary and community councillor Ronnie Lansley said: "We heard this week that Scottish ministers are satisfied that our application is in the public interest. We were optimistic of a positive outcome, as we felt there would have to be a very good reason not to have accepted our application." The community's entry into the Executive's register of land interests effectively puts a stop to the lighthouse board selling or transferring the land without first consulting or offering it to the Durness community. Mr Lansley said: "We feel that what we've done is ensure that nothing will happen to that land without input to the community. Our next step will be to talk with the lighthouse board about the future of the land.
"They did get a copy of our application to comment on and their solicitor indicated that the board had in place longterm objectives for the existing properties at Cape Wrath which were similar to our ideas. We would like to know what the board's objectives are and if we can work with the board to achieve them.
"If they're thinking of selling the land, then the community would be interested in a possible purchase. The registration of interest lasts for five years and we can then renew it without an awful lot of problems."
Thousands of tourists, including a large number of foreign visitors, cross the Kyle of Durness by ferry every summer and are taken by minibus along the 11.5 mile single-track road to visit the lighthouse which stands 123 metres high and was automated in 1998.
But local people have recently become increasingly concerned about the lack of any facilities at the site and the dilapidated condition of the buildings. The big storm in January 2005 wreaked devastation on the area, taking roofs off the buildings and blowing down walls, although the lighthouse itself escaped unscathed.

Mr Lansley added:
"Cape Wrath is a very important corner of the British mainland and an important economic asset to the Durness community. We want to have an influence in bringing it up to a good standard. We're not going to put in flashing lights and double-track roads, but we do want to make it a welcoming place to visit with interpretative panels explaining the background." Earlier this year, the Ministry of Defence, which operates Europe's only live bombing range at Cape Wrath, also indicated an interest in acquiring the ground surrounding the lighthouse. The relationship between the MoD and the community has been uneasy in recent years, with complaints about the noise level from the bombing and the ministry's allegedly "cavalier" use of the ground. Mr Lansley said: "If the MoD was negotiating with the lighthouse board regarding a possible purchase of the land, then these negotiations were certainly not on record because, if they had been, then our application would automatically have been dismissed. "We have so far avoided bringing the MoD into the issue because the community has its own reasons for purchasing the land. We're not fighting the MoD and, in any case, you cannot register an interest merely to stop another party buying the ground. "We have met with the MoD since submitting our application. They did show some concern about our intentions, but they are certainly willing to discuss the future of Cape Wrath with all parties concerned and we are trying to build up a decent relationship with them."

13/01/2006