Well, you might soon get the chance. And this weekend is your opportunity to find out more, and to give your views, about the proposed community purchase of the Rhubodach forest at the north end of Bute.

This Sunday, January 17, will see a public consultation event at the Pavilion in Rothesay where you can meet the people from the Bute Community Land Company who are campaigning in favour of the planned buy-out - and make sure they know what you think.

Although the land under discussion is mainly commercial forest, it can be run for community benefit as well as for profit, while those profits can be reinvested in a variety of appropriate community projects.

The area also includes a Site of Special Scientific Interest, which would be carefully managed to improve the environment for the existing wildlife and its habitat, while some parts of the forest could also be available for outdoor activities, such as walking, cycling and horse riding.

You'll also be able to find out on Sunday about community buy-outs in other parts of Scotland and about the work of the Scottish Land Fund in paving the way for improvements to isolated, rural and island communities.

Sunday's consultation day, which runs from 10am until 4pm, will be followed by a postal ballot early next month in which registered
voters will be able to decide whether or not the land at Rhubodach, and its future profits, should be owned by the people of Bute.

More information about the ballot will appear in the next couple of weeks.

See also:

ButeForest.com - the website of the Bute Community Land Company

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