RESIDENTS on the Carloway Estate on the Hebridean island of Lewis took control of their land on May Day yesterday, after voting overwhelmingly for a community buyout last year.

Kenny Maclennan, chairman of Carloway Estate Trust, hailed the transfer of ownership from the private landlord as “a great step forward” for the community of 700 which lives and works on the 11,000-acre estate.

“We have been on a three-year journey which proved to be exciting, challenging and hard working but we have now achieved the goal that the community entrusted us with and we see it as a great achievement.”

Residents voted by 254 to 86 to support the buyout in a postal ballot in February 2014, on a turnout of 67.6 per cent.

Kenny Maclennan said the community had been in the “fortunate position of having a willing seller” but would now look to use public funds to develop the estate.

Last year’s ballot was the first time that 16 and 17-year-olds were eligible to vote on a community land buyout.