The Future of Highland Communities – Ailsa Raeburn

The document linked below is the talk given by Ailsa Raeburn, former chair of Community Land Scotland, at the conference “Celebrating 50 Years of The Making of the Crofting Community”.

The conference brought together academics and non-academics to discuss and reflect upon the impact of this seminal bit of work by James Hunter, first published in 1976.

Ailsa’s talk reflects upon the influence The Making of the Crofting Community, and Jim’s wider work, has had on Scotland’s land reform journey and specifically the increased opportunities for community ownership. Ailsa also draws upon her wealth of experience and expertise working with community ownership projects across Scotland, highlighting the successes, challenges, and opportunities for communities to create more sustainable futures.