Park (), also known as
South Lochs, is a huge area of land connected to the rest of
Lewis only by a narrow neck between
Loch Seaforth and
Loch Erisort. This had a wall called
GĂ rradh an Tighearna (
"The Laird's Dyke") built across it by the
Earl of Seaforth in the early 17th century, the outline of which can still be seen.
Only the north of Park is now inhabited: settlements in the south were cleared by
Sir James Matheson in the nineteenth century. A famous deer raid took place here in 1887 as a demonstration by starving people, commemorated by a broch resembling a cairn at the Eishken junction. Much of this area is still used for deer stalking.
Proposed community purchase
The Pairc Estate extends to and includes 11
crofting townships with a combined population of nearly 400. In 2011 the Pairc
Community Trust received approval from
Roseanna Cunningham, the
Environment Minister, for a bid to buy the estate under the crofting "Right to Buy" provisions of the
Land Reform Act 2003. Pairc Trust chairman Angus McDowall, said: "This is an historic step forward for our community, and sends an unambiguous message to the landlord that the economic and social development of Pairc in the interests of the whole community should be ranked above private financial gain. It is a complete vindication of the persistence which we and the whole community have shown over so many years in trying to exercise our rights under the Act in order to plan a better future for...
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