Bays of Harris Community Estate

Bays of Harris Community Estate is a not-for-profit company founded in 2023 by a group of community volunteers.The prospect of a community buy-out of the Bays of Harris Estate took a huge step forward in July 2023 with the formation of the Bays of Harris Community Estate as a company limited by guarantee.

On 4 August 2026, Bays of Harris Community Estate Ltd announced that it has been awarded £1,082,680 by the Scottish Land Fund, securing the funding needed to bring the Bays of Harris Estate into community ownership.

The award marks a major milestone in a journey that began 14 years ago and brings the community a significant step closer to achieving its long-held ambition of owning and managing the Estate for the benefit of present and future generations.

“This success has only been made possible through the dedication and support of a great many individuals, organisations and funders over the years,” said Euan Galloway, Chair of Bays of Harris Community Estate Ltd. “We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has helped us reach this point. The Scottish Land Fund’s support means we can now move forward with confidence towards completing the purchase by the end of the year.”

The award follows the community ballot in favour in 2022 and the agreement achieved with the owners last year to sell the Estate.

The Scottish Land Fund award covers the purchase of the Estate, associated legal costs and funding for an Estate Manager during the first year of community ownership.

Work is now underway with solicitors and other professional advisers to finalise the remaining legal processes, including detailed mapping of the Estate boundaries, with the aim of completing the purchase within the next six months.