Philanthropist gifts 8,000 acres to neighbouring Highland community

Badentarbat Estate is being bought by millionaire Ian Wace who will gift it to the surrounding community. PIC: Strutt & Parker

A philanthropist is set to gift around 8,000 acres of land to a Highland community in an “unprecedented” move.

Ian Wace, who took ownership of Tanera Mor in the Summer Isles seven years ago, is giving an undisclosed sum to the Coigach Community Development Company ( CCDC) to buy the majority of the Badentarbat Estate by Achiltibuie in Wester Ross.

CCDC described the development as a “fabulous opportunity” and “unprecedented”.

The estate sits close to the village of Achiltibuie and is home to around 70 crofts. PIC: Strutt & Parker.

The estate is broadly common grazings and is home to a mix of around 70 tenanted and owner occupied crofts.

Residents voted in support of the move at a packed meeting in Coigach Community Hall in Achiltibuie on Thursday night, which was attended by around 100 people. Around 90 per cent of those eligible to vote backed the proposal.

Adam Blaker, chief executive of Summer Isles Enterprises, which which runs Tanera, said:

Ian Wace owns Tanera Mor in the Summer Isles, which sits just across the water from Badentarbat Estate. PIC: Contributed.

“We have spent seven years regenerating and renovating properties on Tanera and the Coigach community is the community to which the Badentarbat crofted lands should belong.

"It has been an extremely rapid process. This is about doing something meaningful. It gives people in the community the opportunity to own their own property and to govern their own decisions. People will see and feel the benefit of this for generations to come.”

The Badentarbat Estate has been owned by the Rex family for around 50 years and is one of two main estates on the Coigach peninsula, which is home to around 250 to 300 people.

The estate includes four small islands in the Summer Isles

The estate covers just under 9,000 acres with Mr Wace, a hedge fund manager who broadly uses Tanera as a retreat for the charities he supports, to retain around 900 acres around Achnahaird Farm and an estate lodge.

Mr Blaker added: “Ian was only interested in buying the remainder of the estate if he could put the community into a position where it could afford to buy the principal part.”

The old Achnahaird farmhouse is being converted into one of two new inns being built by SIE.

Richard Williams, Chair of CCDC said: “Coigach Community Development Company are delighted by the positive outcome of last night's public meeting held in the Coigach Community Hall.

"We had a great turnout with around 50 per cent of the village in attendance, both in person and via zoom. The event was ably chaired by Topher Dawson, from Ullapool, who presided over a respectful and informed discussion about the opportunity, risks and potential benefits.

"Representatives from Highlands & Islands Enterprises and Community Land Scotland were present too, and able to share the benefit of their experiences which contributed greatly to everyone's understanding around the potential benefits and unprecedented nature of the opportunity being presented.

“CCDC are hugely grateful to Ian Wace for enabling this incredible opportunity for the community and we look forward to working with Ian and his team over the coming months to make this a reality. CCDC have committed to working with all the Estate's crofting townships to explore a transfer of the crofting title into their ownership, should they wish to do so. We look forward to working in partnership with the crofting tenants, with Summer Isles Enterprises and the wider community to realise the multitude of benefits now possible from this fabulous opportunity over the months and years ahead.”