A West Highland trust which lost out to a global business empire when it tried to buy a huge local estate, is optimistic it can still get its buyout.
East Lochaber and Laggan Community Trust, ELLCT, wanted to buy 120,000 acres owned by Rio Tinto Alcan last year when the company announced it was selling its assets, including the aluminium smelter near Fort William and two hydro power stations.
Despite offering an eight figure sum for the land itself, their bid was unsuccessful and Rio Tinto sold the estate in its entirety to GFG Alliance at the end of last year.
But a packed meeting of members in Fort William on Tuesday night heard that the land “is waiting to fall into our laps”.
Chairman, John Hutchison, said: “We are still in the frame and we have very strong Scottish Government backing as it has set a target of one million acres to be in community ownership by 2020.
“The trust has over 1,000 members now throughout the region. We have had strong support from organisations, businesses and across the political spectrum. I have never come across anything like it before.
“We have a good relationship with GFG Alliance and it wants to do the right thing by the community. The company will be making serious money through aluminium production and selling electricity to the national grid, so why should it consider holding on to the land?”
GFG Alliance wants to invest £10million boosting the output of the existing hydro-electric plants and introducing new hydro generators, as well as improving water flow through the 15-mile long Treig tunnel.
But members heard that, while the company owns the water rights, it doesn’t need to own the land.
Trust director Ben Thompson, said: “We want to generate income for the community. Financially the estate is quite small, but geographically it is huge. The land is waiting to fall into our laps.”
Members heard that the land could be used for a number of projects including small hydro schemes, affordable housing, as well as leisure activities.
After the meeting Mr Hutchison said: “I was very happy with how it all went and we have had a lot of statements of support. We will press on in good faith.”
Trust member, David Sedgwick, added: “Anything that can be done to bring great economic benefits to the community is a very positive thing.”
A spokesman for GFG Alliance said: “We are pursuing open-minded and enthusiastic conversations with local communities, Scottish Government, other stakeholders and independent experts on how we can work together to maximise the potential of the estate lands for the benefit of everyone concerned.”