Photographer Cailean Maclean

It is a puzzle why the undoubted success of 20 community buy-outs of land in the Highlands and islands over the past 20 years has attracted so little political support. In his book From the Low Tide of the Sea to the Highest Mountain Tops Jim Hunter recalls that only one Scottish First Minister has ever visited a buyout (Jack McConnell, Assynt in 2002). Despite a supposed commitment to land reform, the SNP has done little to advance the cause during six years in power.

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