Wednesday 14th January 2009 will be Rum's wee Apollo landing moment – one small step in the transfer process but a giant leap for ALL of the Small Isles. What are Rummachs voting on? Well, SNH have owned and run Rum as a National Nature Reserve for fifty years. But they've realized their expertise is wildlife and conservation – not housing, drains and tea-room opening hours. Or community development. Hence the plan, hatched by Environment Minister Mike Russell, 
to transfer the assets of Kinloch – the only place on Rum where people live – to community control. Hence my involvement at his behest as the Chair of the Rum Taskforce to focus minds on the task. Hence all the pictures of basking sharks that've been appearing en route to Rum from Arisaig over the last year!
Anyway, the complex business of transferring government owned land to a community was moving at a glacial pace. Until minds were focused wonderfully by the February 28th deadline for an £800k Growing Community Assets (GCA) application to build chalets, a tearoom and upgrade the village hall (amongst other things). To qualify, the Isle of Rum Community Trust (IRCT) would have to own the land upon which their projects would be built. So IRCT and SNH agreed a phased transfer, with the lottery-connected land transferred by Feb 28th and land containing other assets (like roads, housing, electricity and other infrastructure) transferred in a second phase -- date to be agreed before Feb 28th.
And that's what folk are voting on this Wednesday.
People might be surprised at just how few people are eligible to vote – just 17. There are only 29 people on Rum including 6 children – so just 23 adults. Six of them didn't register – some sent the forms in too late, some are seasonal staff who don't live on Rum all year round and some are registered to vote elsewhere.
But despite the small numbers, if Rum residents vote yes on Wednesday it'll be recognition of tremendous co-operation, joint effort and dexterous thinking by everyone involved – SNH, islanders, the government and local agencies.
And recognition of the fact that in these straitened times, quangos like SNH and private landowners can't access cash set aside for community development. Only perky, dynamic communities can do that. And hopefully this week, Rum residents will take the first step.
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