UHI Thesis - pdf download summary Power and community in Scottish community land initiatives Braunholtz-Speight, Timothy Herford DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (AWARDED BY OU/ABERDEEN) Award date: 2015 Awarding institution: The University of Edinburgh Link URL to thesis in UHI Research Database General rights and useage policy Copyright,IP and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the UHI Research Database are retained by the author, users must recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. This copy has been supplied on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement, or without prior permission from the author. 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Oct. 2021 Power and community in Scottish community land initiatives A thesis presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Aberdeen Tim Braunholtz-Speight BA (Hons) University of Leeds MA University of Leeds 2014 1 Declaration I confirm that this thesis has been entirely composed by me, the candidate, and is my work. It has not been accepted in any previous application for a degree. All quotations have been distinguished and the sources of information specifically acknowledged. Tim Braunholtz-Speight 12th August 2014 2 Acknowledgements It is perhaps particularly appropriate for a study of power and community to be prefaced with thanks to the group of people whose support has empowered me to produce this thesis. Unfortunately, for the sake of brevity, and anonymity (for those who were research participants), I can't name everyone in my “PhD community”; but I hope no- one is overlooked, or feels it. Firstly, there is my family. Over the last six years, my wife Jane and two children (who have known no other life) have put up with my countless absences: for weeks at a time “at Skye”, and the regular routine of late nights in the library. And when I have been around, they have suffered my agonies and frustrations as I have wrestled with thinking and writing. They are still at my side, encouraging me that I can do it and it will be worthwhile. Thanks! Then, Jane's family have provided vital support, particularly looking after the children while I was away on fieldwork and Jane working. Mine have provided unstinting support and encouragement, and even as I write my parents are proofreading the final draft. Thank you! Secondly, I want to thank my supervisors, Dr Philomena de Lima and Professor Sally Shortall, for their constructive criticism, intellectual guidance, and encouragement and belief in my ability to write this. Thank you both! Thank you also to Professor John Bryden and Dr Issie MacPhail for examining me for my upgrade meeting and for encouragement and suggestions along the way. Then of course there are the people of Sleat, the Sleiteachs. Special thanks to Kevin Donnelly, and Gillian Munro, who provided me with accommodation. Great thanks also to anyone who participated in the research – making time for me, and putting up with my endless questions. But thank you also to everyone else who talked to me, fed and watered me, and generally helped me out, made me welcome and eased my task. There are lots of you – thank you all. Thanks also to the many people outwith Sleat who also participated in the research, as interviewees, or as people who helped with suggestions and conversations along the way. This includes, among many, members of the Abriachan Forest Trust; of Community Land Scotland; and of many other organisations, and individuals. Less directly involved, but still vital, I would like to thank Inverness College and Highlands and Islands Enterprise for the financial support which made this research possible for me. Thanks also to Tony Glendinning at the University of Aberdeen Department of Sociology for facilitating my attendance at one of his department's research methodology courses. Finally, but not least, a general thanks to all my colleagues. I have benefited greatly from support, conversations and encouragement from fellow members of CRRS, fellow UHI research students, UHI Graduate School staff and other researchers across UHI. These include Hilda Zara, Pavla Sykorova, Amanda Thompson, Calum Macleod, Annie McKee, Rob McMorran, Jayne Glass, Sarah Bowyer, Kate Stephen, Amy Nimeeger, Clare Daly, David Worthington, Frank Rennie, Val Cooper, and Janis Mackay, among others. Apologies to anyone I have missed, and thanks of course also to many other friends beyond UHI who have helped me keep going. Every bit helped! 3 Table of Contents Chapter One Introduction.................................................................................8 a. Focus of the thesis and research questions...............................................................8 b. Introduction to the case study and the structure of the thesis.................................10 Chapter Two Literature review and conceptual framework........................13 a. Introduction.............................................................................................................13 b. Power and empowerment.......................................................................................13 c. Community.............................................................................................................39 d. Conclusion: a framework for analysis....................................................................46 Chapter Three Methodology...........................................................................50 a. Introduction.............................................................................................................50 b. Establishing the case study.....................................................................................50 c. Conducting the research..........................................................................................55 d. The process of analysis...........................................................................................67 e. Reflections on the research.....................................................................................69 f. Conclusion...............................................................................................................78 Chapter Four Sleat in context: community land ownership beyond the local ............................................................................................................................79 a. Introduction.............................................................................................................79 b. Social and cultural context: land and community in the Highlands and Islands....79 c. Creating spaces: the making of the community land movement............................90 d. Invited spaces: participation in governance institutions at national and regional levels.........................................................................................................................103 e. Economic power: generating funding...................................................................117 f. Conclusion.............................................................................................................132 Chapter Five Community in Sleat: the context for community initiatives 134 a. Introduction...........................................................................................................134 b. An overview of Sleat............................................................................................134 c. Communities of Sleat – practices and beliefs.......................................................150 d. The good or strong community – meanings and debates.....................................164 e. Conclusion............................................................................................................174 Chapter Six Land and power in Sleat: key spaces and actors....................176 4 a. Introduction...........................................................................................................176 b. Community Land Initiatives.................................................................................177 b. The privately owned estates.................................................................................195 c. Other community actors........................................................................................202 d. Conclusion............................................................................................................208 Chapter Seven Power and change at local level: key projects....................209 a. Introduction...........................................................................................................209 b. Sleat Community Trust.........................................................................................209