Galson Estate

A Steering Group was formed in November ’02 following a public meeting organised by Ness Community Council and Iomairt Nis Ltd.  The meeting, held to explore the potential of a buyout of Galson Estate, was attended by members of the community, representatives of Galson Estate, Calum MacDonald MP, Alasdair Morrison MSP, solicitor Simon Fraser, and a representative from the North Harris Trust and the Community Land Unit. 

The Steering Group, which meets regularly within the community, operates as a sub-group of Iomairt Nis Ltd and has a remit to investigate the potential and viability of a community buyout.

For more information on the proposed buyout or the work of the Steering Group, please read the April 2004 newsletter produced by the Galson Community Land Ownership Steering Group.

The inhabited areas within Galson Estate are located mainly in the north, in the seventeen villages or townships in Ness, and along the west coast, straddling the A857 main road between Ness and Barvas.  Each village contains between 20-50 small crofts (5-8 acres), apart from the 150 'crofts' on Cross Skigersta Road, which are classed as Fishermans Holdings and do not enjoy the rights and opportunities that are available to crofters.

Approximately 90% of estate land is under crofting tenure, much of this being moor.  There are a number of designated grazing areas on the expansive moorland that forms much of the Galson Estate.  These are managed by local grazing committees, principally for sheep grazing and domestic peat extraction.  The villages lying between Ness and Barvas are all situated within a mile of the coast, on the flatter, more productive, machair land that the crofts occupy.

Crops traditionally grown on Lewis crofts include, oats and barley, potatoes, turnip and swedes, root vegetables and hay.  Crofts also offer seasonal grazing to cattle, sheep and other livestock.