An application by a community trust in the Western Isles to purchase a local crofting estate has gone out for consultation.

Scottish Ministers are inviting comments on the Pairc community's plans for the hostile buyout of the estate from landowner Barry Lomas.

The community want to purchase the majority of the Pairc estate in south-east Lewis and the associated lease which could grant them development rights for a proposed wind farm on the land.

Over the next 60 days ministers will assess whether the move is in the public interest.

In Scotland's first test of the 2003 Land Reform Act, local crofters are trying to force the buyout after an earlier attempt to buy the estate from Mr Lomas failed.

If ministers give the go-ahead for the buy-out, an independent valuation of the land will be carried out to fix the price at which local crofters can purchase the land.

Pairc Trust chairman Angus McDowall said: “This is an important step forward in our efforts to buy the estate on behalf of the community, with all the benefits for the sustainable development of our area which this will enable.

“Following the consultation period, Ministers will take a decision on whether it is in the public interest for the buyout to proceed. An independent valuation of the assets to be acquired will then be carried out and the landlord will receive the market value as fixed at this point in time.

“I would emphasise however that we stand ready to discuss with the landlord a voluntary transfer of the estate at any time. It is unfortunate that the landlord has chosen not to co-operate with the valuation of the estate recently carried out for the Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) with a view to facilitating a voluntary transfer. We do not rule out further discussions with the landlord on this basis, but if these are not forthcoming we will proceed with our Part 3 applications.

“We have a clear mandate from the community following the ballot last December and are determined that, whether through Part 3 of the Act or by a voluntary transfer, the community should gain the powers needed to create local jobs and reverse a century of population decline.”