Langholm Moor buyout takes 'major step' forward
- Published
The community wants to buy thousands of acres of land near Langholm
Another "major step" has been made towards a community buyout of land in southern Scotland.
South of Scotland Enterprise (Sose) has announced up to £1m towards Langholm Initiative's bid to purchase part of Langholm Moor from Buccleuch.
It comes after a similar sum was awarded by the Scottish Land Fund earlier this year.
Project leader Kevin Cumming said the group still faced a "race against time" to raise all the funding required.
The initiative hopes to buy more than 10,000 acres of land with the creation of the Tarras Valley Nature Reserve at the heart of its plans.
It needs more than £6m to complete the purchase.
Mr Cumming said: "This generous support is a major step towards a successful outcome for the community.
"We have been working closely with Sose over recent weeks, and couldn't be happier with their commitment to support the people of Langholm.
"We are investigating every possible option to ensure the buyout is a success."
Prof Russel Griggs, who chairs Sose, said it was making a "significant contribution" towards the "ambitious funding package".
"Community ownership is a catalytic step in community development and empowerment as it enables communities to make decisions about how assets within their communities are used," he added.
- Published27 August 2020
