Island community races to save former charity home as fears grow over private sale
The 71-acre island property has come on the market for £755,000
An island community has launched an urgent bid to take ownership of a landmark farmhouse long regarded as the island’s economic backbone, amid fears it could be snapped up privately.
Residents on the Isle of Coll, on the west coast of Scotland, are hoping to purchase Ballyhaugh farmhouse.
The building, a roughly three-hour ferry ride from Oban, is the former headquarters of Project Trust—an international volunteering charity founded on Coll in 1967.
The property and surrounding land, plus several staff houses, is now on the market for £755,000 since the charity relocated to the mainland for financial reasons.
A new steering group has formed in response to the sale, backed by a petition signed by more than 40 per cent of the island’s residents.
However, with the building on the open market, the group said it fears an outside buyer could snap up the property before they manage to raise funds.
For an island of just 180 people, residents said Project Trust, during its peak in the 2010s, employed around 30 Coll residents—more than 15 per cent of the population—and attracted young professionals who often stayed, started families, and became embedded in island life.
They said the charity’s departure has been a financial and social blow to the community.
But Coll locals are determined to take control of the farmhouse and to maintain its economic and social influence for the island.
They believe the property, with its modern offices, bunk accommodation, kitchen and dining facilities, social spaces, including a small ceilidh hall, offers huge potential for community use.
Poppy Young, who grew up on Coll and who has recently moved back after studying and working on the mainland, said: “It has been inspiring to see the community support for such a meaningful and ambitious project, after the recent loss of so many jobs and opportunities on the island.
“This project has the potential to help create an exciting and sustainable future for our currently fragile community.”
Scotland’s west coast and rural communities have been battling rising trends of depopulation.
The problem can be exacerbated by out-migration of young people due to lack of jobs and housing.
Val Conway, who grew up at Ballyhaugh, said the community would be the best new owner for the farmhouse, adding: “There is a certain acute feeling of exile that only children of the island can understand, those of us who had to go away for secondary school and board during the school term regardless of where we went to school.
“When I was growing up in the 70’s and 80’s few younger people returned, in contrast recent generations see that they can take opportunities, with increasing connectivity and transport links enabling a sophisticated and modern lifestyle.
“These values and opportunities were, ironically, epitomised by Project Trust.
“Modern Coll has grown up with Project Trust, thus, a fitting legacy indeed, would be for this generation to secure ownership of its flagship building.”
Last month, the Ballyhaugh steering group secured funding from the Scottish Land Fund, allowing it to commission a feasibility study, business plan, community engagement work, and an independent valuation.
Neil McInroy, a former community wealth building advisor to the Scottish Government, said: “It is worrying that the Isle of Coll is losing one of its biggest employers.
“However, out of adversity comes opportunity in the form of the community taking ownership of the building and creating something that will have massive economic opportunities for the island with an enduring impact.”
Mr McInroy said for the farmhouse to become a community-owned enterprise could be key in addressing depopulation, the lack of economic opportunity and wealth extraction.
In a statement announcing the listing of the building, Project Trust said that the farmhouse was only used for three weeks each year and had become costly to maintain.
Steve Price-Thomas, the charity’s chief executive, said at the time: “Although Volunteer numbers have been slowly rising since COVID, the current situation is not sustainable and there is a need to release funds and replenish reserves in order to secure Project Trust for the long term.
“As a result, after long and very careful consideration, the Board has concluded that we must sell our remaining properties on Coll.”
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