Not-for-Profit Landowning Organisations in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland

Organisational Profiles

Andy Wightman, December 1996

Contents

Introduction

The purpose of this paper is to provide a profile of the not-for-private-profit (NfP) landowning organisations in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. The profiles have been generated from information provided by the organisations themselves in a self-completion questionnaire. A summary of their key features is given in Tables 1 to 3. A full list of organisations together with brief descriptive profiles is also provided.

These profiles cover:

What are Not-for-Profit Organisations?

Not-for-private-profit (NfP) organisations are bodies set up to pursue both commercial and social aims for a defined constituency of people. They have been around for a long time and can trace their origins back to the Chartists, Co-operatives and Friendly Societies of the mid-19th Century. Their aim is to bring social benefit to their members either through economic activity or collective action. They range from local community associations, self-help groups and voluntary associations to large consumer and producer co-operatives, voluntary conservation organisations and mutual financial institutions. Not-for-profit organisations are defined through their legal structure and constitutions as being organisations, in which:

In addition, NfP organisations are characterised by certain values and attributes. For example:

It should be stressed that NfP organisations are not necessarily non-profit making. The critical issue is that any profits made cannot be distributed to external shareholders but are retained by the organisation (or its members in the case of co-operatives and mutuals) in order to further its objectives.

Who are the Not-for-Profit Landowning Organisations?

This paper is concerned with those NfP organisations which own, lease land, manage land by agreement, or aspire to own land in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland and who do so as a primary or major part of their activities. For the purpose of this report NfPs are taken to include those bodies which although they may not meet the strict definitions outlined above, aspire to do so through sharing many of the values and attributes of NfP organisations.

Such bodies include the Woodland Trust, Clan Donald Lands Trust and Hoy Trust whose membership has no role in the election of their Board of Council but who nevertheless share all other characteristics of NfP organisations.

The report also covers NfP bodies, which do not currently own land but aspire to do so in the future. They include:

A number of such organisations have been set up specifically to purchase or receive gifts of land in the Highlands and Islands. The Stornoway Trust was the first to succeed in a significant way, being gifted 69,000 acres in Lewes in 1923. This was followed by the setting up of the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) in 1931 who embarked on a series of purchases. Most notable were Glencoe and Kintail, which were made possible by the fundraising efforts of mountaineers including the wealthy benefactor Percy Unna. After the war there was a steady expansion of ownership by the NTS but few other NfPs were involved. The major expansion came in the late 1970s and 1980s when voluntary conservation organisations began purchasing large areas of land. In the early 1990s crofting groups extended this to purchases initially by Assynt Crofters Trust in 1993 and more recently by Melness Crofters. In the past few years' community-based groups, such as the Laggan Forestry Initiative, have emerged with aspirations to own land. Most recently, partnerships of community-based groups and conservation interests have formed such as the one currently attempting to purchase the Isle of Eigg.

The NfP sector is significant in the Highlands and Islands (defined as land north of the Highland Line and comprising around 10 million acres). Existing NfPs own, lease or manage by agreement 506,725 acres or over 5 percent of the land area (see Table 3). This is equivalent to around half the area of land owned by the Forestry Commission in the region, almost twice the area of the Scottish Office Agriculture Department Crofting Estates and over six times the land area of Scottish Natural Heritage in the region.

The land area owned, leased or managed by agreement by the NfP sector has more than doubled since 1980 from around 250.000 acres to over 500,000 acres. If the current trends continue, it might double again in a similar period.

Table Showing Comparative Areas Owned by NfP Organisations (including land leased and managed by agreement) and Public Bodies

Key Characteristics

Not-for-Profits range from local organisations with only a few members and negligible turnover to large UK bodies with thousands of members and turnover in the £ millions. Some of the key characteristics of such organisations are as follows.

Legal Status

A range of legal structures is available for NfP organisations depending on their purpose. Historically, Friendly Societies and Co-operatives were the most common but in recent years more organisations have taken advantage of the flexibility of a company structure under the 1985 Companies Act.

The most common legal structure for NfP landowners in Scotland is a company limited by guarantee without a share capital. This structure allows for the full participation of members who control the company and whose personal liability is limited, usually to under £10. The absence of share capital prevents members benefiting personally from involvement in the company.

Trusts are set up through a Trust Deed, which sets out the objectives and structure of the Trust. It is unusual for a Trust to be a democratic body although this is possible as, for example, in the case of the Stornoway Trust. It is less flexible than a company but this can be of benefit where land is intended to be held in perpetuity for fixed purposes. It should be noted that the word Trust is often used in the names of organisations, which are not legally Trusts (e.g. Scottish Wildlife Trust, John Muir Trust, Assynt Crofters' Trust) but which are actually companies.

In addition to the legal structure, some NfP organisations enjoy charitable status. In Scotland this is obtained via the Inland Revenue. In England and Wales, charities are registered with the Charity Commissioners.

Of the 23 NfP bodies listed in this report:

Objectives

The objectives of NfP landowning bodies range from:

Scale

The scale of NfP landownership varies widely. Some organisations consist of a small number of local people (to whom membership is restricted) whose sole function is to own and manage a local landholding and whose financial turnover is low. At the other end of the scale are organisations with a national (Scottish or UK) scope, owning parcels of land across the country with thousands of members and financial turnover in the £ millions.

Broadly speaking the smaller organisations tend to have:

The larger organisations tend to have:

Land Ownership

Organisations my own a small local area for local community benefit or be national organisations with national objectives owning large areas of land across the country.

Key Features of Not-for-Profit Landowning Organisations in the Highlands and Islands

The following 3 tables summarise the legal and charitable status of organisations, their membership size and annual financial turnover and the amount of land that they own, lease, manage or aspire to own.

Table 1: Legal Structure and Charitable Status

Table 2: Membership Levels and Financial Turnover

Table 3: Land Ownership

Notes:

Brief NfP Organisational Profiles

This section of the report contains brief thumbnail sketches of the 23 NfP organisations that provided information via the self-completion questionnaire. Organisations are presented in alphabetical order.

Abriachan Forest Trust

Margaret Davidson, Abriachan Nurseries, Abriachan, Inverness-shire IV3 6LD Tel: 01463 861 232

Abriachan Forest Trust is a community group who are hoping to purchase a 2,132-acre Forest Enterprise wood in order to secure local amenity, promote community participation and create jobs.

Case studies provide further information: www.caledonia.org.uk/socialland/case.htm

and www.forestry.gov.uk

Assynt Crofters' Trust

John MacKenzie, Culkein, Drumbeg, by Lairg, Sutherland IV27 4NL Tel: 01571 833 258

The Assynt Crofters' Trust purchased the 21,300-acre North Assynt Estate in Sutherland in 1993. The Trust operates through a Board of Directors, which is elected by crofting tenants in the 13 townships on the estate. The Trust employs a part time Project Officer and its aims are to improve the social, educational and cultural environment of the crofting community and of the natural environment of Assynt in Sutherland. The Trust has already succeeded in creating a number of projects and has been responsible for raising the profile of crofter and community ownership of land in the crofting counties.

A case study provides further information: www.caledonia.org.uk/socialland/case.htm

Borve and Annishader Township

Alaistar Nicolson, 5 Borve, Portree, Isle IV51 9PE Tel: 01470 532 425

The Borve and Annishader Township owns the 4,502-acre Borve and Annishader Estate on the Isle of Skye, which it bought in 1993. It as the second major community ownership success in 1993 but unlike North Assynt, where membership and full voting rights are restricted to crofting tenants, membership of Borve and Annishader Township is open to all residents on the estate. To-date the company has initiated a new woodland scheme and hopes to increase community participation and develop further land management projects.

A case study provides further information: www.caledonia.org.uk/socialland/case.htm

Church of Scotland General Trustees

Pamela Burnside, c/o Secretary and Clerk, Church of Scotland General Trustees, 121 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 4YR Tel 0131 225 5722 Ext. 268

The Church of Scotland General Trustees was set up in 1921 and are responsible for the administration of property and funds to best advance the interests of the call of the Church of Scotland to bring the ordinances of religion to the people of Scotland through a territorial Ministry. The management of the 15,000-acre includes some 750 letting units and is carried out by Glebes Committees operating in consultation with Parish Ministers and Presbyteries. The Trustees employ 10-full time and 7-part time paid staff.

Clan Donald Lands Trust

International Director, Clan Donald Centre, Armadale, Isle of Skye IV45 8RS Tel:01471 844 305

The Clan Donald Lands Trust was set up in 1972 to purchase 20,000-acres of the former Macdonald of Sleat Estate. The Trust manages the estate, which includes a large Visitor Centre, accommodation and a licensed restaurant. Its mission statement is to make a visit to the Clan Donald Visitor Centre a special experience offering quality and educational value. To aid the conservation usage and sustainable development of the Trust's properties. To maximise profits thus enabling these aims. The Trust employs 18-full time and 18 seasonal staff and is governed by a Board of 15 Trustees. A further 600 members support the work of the Trust but do not have any role in the election of the Board.

Culag Community Woodland Trust Ltd

John Gibson, Unapool House, Kylesku, by Lairg, Sutherland IV27 4HW Tel: 01971 502 344

Culag Community Woodland Trust is a community-based charitable company, which was set up in 1995 to promote the concept of community woodlands in the local area. Its objectives are to manage Culag Wood, to develop forestry and woodland skills, to enhance the environment, and to provide recreation and woodland related employment. It leases the 89-acre wood from Assynt Estate on a 50-year lease with the option to renew.

Case studies provide further information: www.caledonia.org.uk/socialland/case.htm and www.forestry.gov.uk

Dalnavert Community Co-operative Ltd

Euan MacAlpine, Druim nam Beithe, Dalnavert, Kincraig, Kingussie, Inverness-shire PH21 1NQ Tel: 01540 651 253

Dalnavert Community Co-operative is a company (operating as a co-operative) set up in 1982 by six people in Strathspey when 150-acres of land at Dalnavert near Feshiebridge came on the market in 1982. The co-operative bought the land and the members of the co-operative each have a shareholding together with one vote per household. Members of the co-operative own their own homes on the farm but the shareholding of the co-operative cannot be transferred either to members or to outside interests and remains with the house. The economic activities of the co-operative are based upon 35 Aberdeen-Angus cattle and the production of 25 to 40,000 heathers in a nursery. One member of the co-operative is employed as a farm manager.

A case study provides further information: www.caledonia.org.uk/socialland/case.htm

Geary Common Grazings

Norman MacKinnon, 14 Geary, Waternish, Isle of Skye IV55 8GQ Tel: 01470 592 241

The Grazings Committee purchased the 970-acre Geary Common Grazings in 1980. Common Grazings are established under crofting legislation and are registered and regulated by the Crofters Commission.

Highland Renewal

Director, Taigh Sithe, Knockvologan, Fionnphort, Isle of Mull PA66 6BN Tel: 01681 700 587

Highland Renewal is a company limited by guarantee set up in 1994 and has an open membership of 63 people. It leases 1,544-acres of land on the Ross of Mull and aims to develop knowledge and practice in the holistic regeneration of Highland rural land. A pilot project, the Tigreragan Project has been launched, which has improved access to the land, established native woodland, re-introduced the lazy-bed system and published a historical account of the area.

Case studies provide further information: www.caledonia.org.uk/socialland/case.htm and www.forestry.gov.uk   Website: www.highlandrenewal.ndo.co.uk

Hoy Trust

Dr Tony Tricket, Glebelands, Longhope, Orkney KW16 3PQ Tel: 01856 701 460

The Hoy Trust was set up in 1973 to take over the Hoy Estate, which was put in trust by the owner, Malcolm Stewart. The Trust owns the estate for the preservation, improvement, administration and management of the estate. In 1983, 9,700-acres of the estate were sold to the RSPB. The Trust is now actively developing tourism ventures and environmental work.

Inverroy and Bohuntin Crofters

John Toal, Kinturk, 17 Inverroy, Roy Bridge, Inverness-shire PH31 4AQ Tel: 01397 712 489

The Inverroy and Bohuntin Crofters Steering Group was set up in 1995 to consider the feasibility of purchasing a block of Forest Enterprise land. The proposal remains under consideration.

Isle of Eigg Trust

Maggie Fyffe, Trust Secretary, Cuagach, Isle of Eigg PH42 4L Tel: 01687 482 486

The Isle of Eigg Trust was set up in 1991 with the aim of owning and managing the island for the benefit of the residents and to promote sustainable development. Currently the Trust is engaged with the Scottish Wildlife Trust and The Highland Council in a joint purchase bid. A business plan has been prepared and a fund-raising appeal has been launched.

A case study provides further information: www.caledonia.org.uk/socialland/case.htm   Website: www.isleofeigg.org

John Muir Trust

Nigel Hawkins, John Muir Trust, 12 Wellington Place, Edinburgh EH6 7EQ Tel: 0131 554 0114

The John Muir Trust is a membership body formed in 1983 and named after the Scots born conservationist, John Muir, who campaigned in the USA for wilderness protection. The aims of the Trust are to bring Britain's finest wild landscapes into stable long-term conservation ownership. It already owns 34,000-acres of wild land in Knoydart, Skye and Sutherland and has over 5,000 members. It places an emphasis on managing land in partnership with local communities. The Trust employs 11 staff and has a turn of £350,000.

A case study provides further information: www.caledonia.org.uk/socialland/case.htm Website: www.jmt.org

Knoydart Foundation

Duncan MacPhee, 101 High Street, Fort William. Tel: 01397 701 000

The Knoydart Foundation was formed in 1995 with the aim of securing a sustainable future for Knoydart. Its origins lie in the confusion, which has surrounded the future of the Knoydart Estate. Members include local residents, adjoining landowners and the John Muir Trust and it hopes to be able eventually to purchase the Knoydart Estate.

A case study provides further information: www.forestry.gov.uk

Laggan Forestry Initiative

Lucy Grant, Laggan Forestry Initiative, Community Office, Laggan, Newtonmore PH20 1AH Tel: 01528 544 383

The Laggan Forestry Initiative is a sub-committee of the Laggan Community Association, which is involved in a process of negotiating greater involvement in the management of the 3,000-acre Strathmashie Forest. The Initiative has aspirations to purchase the forest but these have been put aside in favour of a partnership arrangement with Forest Enterprise. The aims of the Initiative are to improve employment opportunities for the local community, to enhance the environment, to act as a catalyst for other community projects and to help other communities similar to Laggan.

Case studies provide further information: www.caledonia.org.uk/socialland/case.htm   and www.forestry.gov.uk

Melness Crofters Estate

Mark Brennan, Dalvraid, West Strathen, Melness, Sutherland IV27 4YT Tel: 01847 601 324

The Melness Crofters Estate was set up in 1994 to take over the ownership of the 10,773-acres of land in Sutherland. Its members are the registered crofters on the estate and its aims are to manage the estate for the benefit of the community.

A case study provides further information: www.caledonia.org.uk/socialland/case.htm

National Trust for Scotland

Regional Director (Highland), National Trust for Scotland, Abertarff House, Church Street, Inverness IV1 1EU Tel: 01463 232 034

The National Trust for Scotland is the largest national voluntary conservation organisation in Scotland employing 375-full time staff and 700 seasonal staff, with 230,000 members, an annual turnover of £29 million, and an estate of 176,827-acres including Glencoe, Kintail and Mar Lodge estates. Its purpose is to promote the permanent preservation of places of historic interest or natural beauty on behalf of the nation. It was established in 1931.

A case study provides further information: www.caledonia.org.uk/socialland/case.htm   Website: www.nts.org.uk

RSFS Forest Trust Company

Michael Osbourne, 62 Queen Street, Edinburgh EH2 4NA Tel: 0131 225 8142

Members of the Royal Scottish Forestry Society set up the RSFS Forest Trust Company in 1995. It owns 3,000-acres of hill ground at Cashel on the east bank of Loch Lomond and has launched a project The Forest for a Thousand Years, which will re-establish native woodlands on the site. The project is part of the Millennium Forest for Scotland Initiative. Membership of the company is open to all members of the Royal Scottish Forestry Society.

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

Peter Mayhew, RSPB North Scotland Office, Etive House, Beechwood Park, Inverness IV2 3BW Tel: 01463 715 000

The RSPB was established in 1889 and is the largest wildlife conservation organisation in Europe with over 950,000 members in the UK (65,000 members in Scotland). It owns 83,180-acres of land in the Highlands and Islands. The RSPB acquires land as a last resort when it believes that other conservation mechanisms will not protect the land and its conservation interest. It employs 900 staff and has an annual turnover of £35 million in the UK.

A case study provides further information: www.caledonia.org.uk/socialland/case.htm   Website: www.rspb.org.uk

Scottish Wildlife Trust

Reserves Manager, Scottish Wildlife Trust, Cramond House, Kirk Cramond, Cramond Glebe Road, Edinburgh EH4 6NS Tel: 0131 312 7765

The Scottish Wildlife Trust was established in 1964 and is a voluntary conservation organisation concerned with the protection of all forms of wildlife and plant life in Scotland. It manages 107 nature reserves and has 15,000 members. It owns 23,159-acres of land in the Highlands and Islands, leases a further 167-acres and manages by agreement a further 15,292-acres. It employs around 100 staff and has an annual turnover of £2.9 million.

A case study provides further information: www.caledonia.org.uk/socialland/case.htm   Website: www.swt.org.uk

Stornoway Trust

Iain MacIver, Stornoway Trust Estate Office, 20 Cromwell Street, Stornoway PA 87 2DD Tel: 01851 702 002

The Stornoway Trust owns the entire Parish of Stornoway and was constituted through Deed of Trust in Parliament in November 1923. The Trust was established to receive a grant of land and assets from Lord Leverhulme. The estate covers an area of 69,400-acres and includes 39 crofting townships covering 1,300 crofts and includes the town of Stornoway. The Trust is managed by a Board of Trustees elected by the 13,000 residents who are on the Electoral Roll of the Parish. The Trust employs 14 staff and has an annual turnover of £240,000.

Treslaig and Achaphubuil Crofters (Woodland) Trust Ltd

Michael Foxley, 2 Achaphubuil, by Fort William PN33 7AL Tel: 01397 772 775

Treslaig and Achaphubuil Crofters (Woodland) Trust is a share company set up in 1994 by the crofters from the two crofting townships on the shores of Loch Eil. It owns 160-acres of native woodland consisting of birch and oak, which it is managing in conjunction with crofting activities. The company has been involved in further bids for forest land being sold by Forest Enterprise but has to-date been unsuccessful in purchasing further woods.

A case study provides further information: www.forestry.gov.uk

The Woodland Trust

Angela Davis, Operations Director Scotland, Glenruthven Mill, Abbey Road, Auchterarder, Perthshire PH3 DP Tel: 01764 662 554

The Woodland Trust was established in 1972 and is a UK body, which aims to restore woods and all forms of wildlife in the UK and thereby to secure and enhance the enjoyment of the natural environment by the public. It owns 80 properties in Scotland covering 16,500-acres. The Trust employs over 130 staff and has an annual turnover of £16 million in the UK.

A case study provides further information: www.caledonia.org.uk/socialland/case.htm   Website: www.woodland-trust.org.uk

Acknowledgements

This paper was prepared for participants at the Not-for-Profit Landownership Seminar held in Inverness on 27 November 1996. Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Scottish Natural Heritage and the European funded Highland LIFE Programme provided funding for these activities.

The author would like to thank everyone who took the time and effort to complete the questionnaires, which form the basis of these organisational profiles.

The efforts of both George Campbell in leading, organising and co-ordinating the project and Graham Boyd for additional assistance and discussions on the NfP landowning sector were appreciated and welcomed by the author.

The views expressed in this paper do not necessarily reflect the views of all the contributing organisations or the funders. Any errors or omissions are the responsibility of the author.

Further Information

Those wishing to obtain further information on social landownership, Scottish land ownership patterns and other land related issues will find the following publications invaluable: