Community buyout saves Skye ferry

Area:

Scotland

Programme:

Investing In Communities

Release date:

11 3 2007

For at least 400 years there has been a ferry plying the route between Glenelg and Kylerhea. Boswell and Johnson used it while on their Hebridean tour, meeting Flora MacDonald near the landing.

The current vessel, The Glenachulish is the last turntable ferry in operation in the UK and probably the world. Turntables were once common on sea lochs up and down the west coast.

"Without this money from the Big Lottery Fund there was every chance the ferry would have closed,” said Jennifer Frances of Isle of Skye Ferry Community Interest Company.

“The owner had put it on the open market, but it is a big undertaking for any private individual to take on. Its only viable future is through community ownership and we are absolutely thrilled that is what we have achieved.  It is not only a vital link for local people; it is a tremendous tourism asset opening up unimaginably spectacular views for the passenger. It is also a great cultural asset. There has been a ferry running on this route for over 400 years and Boswell and Johnson mention it in their diaries. With this backing from the Big Lottery Fund we will now work to secure its future. We plan much more publicity and promotion. It has been a bit of a hidden gem which many visitors don't even know is there. We aim to do something about that."

The Big Lottery Fund’s Scotland Director, Dharmendra Kanani, said: “There is romance here, but there is also tremendous practical potential and an enthusiasm to make the most of it. Rather than simply preserving the ferry as an intriguing historical novelty, the community sees it as a terrific asset they can develop, not just for their own direct needs to get around, but as an untapped tourism magnet which can act as an economic driver for the area. We were impressed by what they had in mind and we are delighted to back them.

He continued: “This is yet another example of how people and communities can make most of their legacy, local resources and seize opportunity for wider benefit.”

Further information

Contact George Anderson at the Big Lottery Fund Scotland Press Office on: 0141 242 1458 or 07789 033457
Public Enquiries Line: 08454 102030
Textphone: 0845 6021 659
Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available at: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk

Notes to Editors

• The Big Lottery Fund rolls out close to £2 million in Lottery good cause money every 24 hours which together with other Lottery distributors means that across the UK most people are within a few miles of a Lottery-funded project.
• The Big Lottery Fund, the largest of the National Lottery good cause distributors, has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since its inception in June 2004.
• On 1 December 2006 the Big Lottery Fund was officially established by Parliament and at the same time assumed the residual responsibilities of the dissolved National Lottery Charities Board (Community Fund) the New Opportunities Fund, and the Millennium Commission. The Fund is building on the experience and best practice of the merged bodies to simplify funding in those areas where they overlap and to ensure Lottery funding provides the best possible value for money.
• Since the National Lottery began in 1994, 28p from every pound spent by the public has gone to Good Causes. As a result, over £19.5 billion has now been raised and more than 250,000 grants given out across the arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.

Scotland

The Big Lottery Fund has £257 million to invest in Scotland’s communities before 2009 as follows:

£231 million for the Fund’s Unified Investment Plan (Investing in Communities)*
£20 million for the Young People’s Fund
£24 million for Awards for All (until 2006)
The Fund’s future funding plans are detailed in the manifesto ‘Investing in Communities'.

*Investing in Communities is the Big Lottery Fund Scotland’s new funding portfolio, which consists of four investment areas:

Growing Community Assets, to help communities obtain, improve, develop, manage, sustain and protect assets that will help them become stronger and more sustainable.

Life Transitions to support people at times of change in their lives – at different life stages and in different circumstances.

Supporting 21st Century Life to provide support to people and communities to deal with the pace of change, enjoy positive relationships, improve quality of life, and establish connections across 21st century society.

Dynamic and Inclusive Communities (DINC) to fund improvements to the capacity and infrastructure of national, intermediary or second tier organisations, to allow communities to engage in civic society and influence civic processes so that they can build strong and more inclusive local communities.

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