The Mountaineering Council of Scotland has called for its
involvement in negotiations over the management of the Skye Cuillins
pointing to the Nevis Partnership as a possible model for the
future.
In a statement on the MCofS web site, MCofS President, John
Mackenzie, says: 'It is clear that discussions have been taking place
at a high level concerning the future ownership and management of the
Cuillin.
'As the representative body for the main group of people visiting
this mountain area we believe the MCofS has a valid claim to be
involved in any such discussions and to be a part of the future
management of the mountains.'
Reading between the lines, the Council surmises that recent
Goverment releases suggesting the range could be gifted to the nation
are an indication that John MacLeod has finally given up on selling
the range to a commercial buyer and it says that questions raised
over the legitimacy of McLeod's claim to the mountains and an article
in the New Yorl Times last year may have played a major part in
deterring potential buyers.
There's more information on the MCofS
web site but here's the Council's news release in its entirity:
The MCofS Calls for Involvement in Cuillin
Management
For immediate
release -
30 July 2003
The Mountaineering
Council of Scotland (MCofS) is calling for an involvement in the
future management of the Skye Cuillin following reports that the
attempt to sell the mountain range has finally failed and recent
announcements that John MacLeod of MacLeod could gift the mountains
to the nation.
In a statement on its
website (www.mountaineering-scotland.org.uk) the MCofS questions the
point of the government news releases from 9 July 2003, in which it
was claimed that MacLeod could gift the mountains.
MCofS Access and
Conservation Officer, Mike Dales, said: 'On the face of it this is a
strange announcemen. Nothing has actually happened yet.'
The MCofS takes these
announcements as a signal that MacLeod's attempts to sell the
mountains has finally come to an end. Concerns over the
realistic value of the mountains and MacLeod's doubtful title
to the land have no doubt combined to scare away any potential buyer
with the necessary size of chequebook.
MCofS President, John
Mackenzie, said: 'It is clear that discussions have been taking place
at a high level concerning the future ownership and management of the
Cuillin. As the representative body for the main group of
people visiting this mountain area we believe the MCofS has a valid
claim to be involved in any such discussions and to be a part of the
future management of the mountains.'
Mike Dales has
highlighted the management of the area around Glen Nevis and Ben
Nevis with the way in which the Cuillin could be managed in the
future. 'The MCofS helped instigate the Nevis Partnership, which is
now accepted as a ground breaking model of community involvement and
shared decision-making. We hope that this model can be adopted
on Skye, so that we can move towards a more inclusive and proactive
way of managing the Cuillin.'
If the recent news
releases from the Scottish Executive, and its agency Highlands and
Islands Enterprise, amount to some kind of turning point, then it may
be as a result of the historical research work carried out by Alan
Blackshaw who discovered strong evidence that MacLeod might not
actually own the Cuillin.
The doubt that
Blackshaw's work has cast over the rightful ownership of the
Cuillin could well have influenced the judgement of potential buyers,
and an MCofS instigated article in the New York Times on 22 July 2002
may well have been the final straw that caused an American, who was
reputed to be considering a purchase, to walk away from the deal.
John Mackenzie praised
the work of Alan Blackshaw with the following statement: 'Alan
Blackshaw has uncovered evidence that may have changed the course of
the history of the Cuillin. There is no doubt that the
promotion of the Cuillin on the international property market
represented a considerable threat to the mountains, and although we
may never know what interest there was, it is quite likely that
Alan's research findings helped prevent a sale to an
unsympathetic buyer.'
It will be a great
relief to mountaineers all over the world if the Skye Cuillin is
taken off the international property market. This should allow
their future management to be discussed without the threat of a
possible sale hanging over the proceedings.
The MCofS will be keeping mountaineers informed of the progress of
this story via its website, which is at:
www.mountaineering-scotland.org.uk
