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The Modern Antiquarian Forum » Cumbria » How can Blencathra be for sale? |
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tjj 3606 posts |
May 04, 2014, 20:00
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When I visited Castlerigg for the first time three years ago, the sunlight and shadows moving across Blencathra moved me deepy. How can a mountain as iconic as this one be for sale? The current owner, Lord Lonsdale, mentions China and Russia as having people wealthy enough to bother. A spurious suggestion - am guessing to promote some outrage. I think its working ... http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/uk/lakedistrictandcumbria/10752789/Saddleback-Mountain-for-sale-yours-for-1.75-million.html
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thesweetcheat 6210 posts |
May 04, 2014, 20:09
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Good grief. Surely the nation should buy it off him? Better than wasting money on Trident of somesuch. As long as Cameron or Osborne didn't then sell it on to one their mates, obviously.
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GLADMAN 950 posts |
May 04, 2014, 20:24
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Well, Macleod tried to flog the Black Cuillin a few years back. No offence to Blencathra, but when that can happen, nothing is safe.
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ryaner 679 posts |
May 04, 2014, 23:23
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Sellafield? Sell a nation. as the old anti-nuke protest slogan goes. To the Russians? The ironies of our modern world just pile up.
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Howburn Digger 986 posts |
May 05, 2014, 10:41
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The excrement will really hit the air conditioning when new legislation is shoe-horned in to sell off fracking rights from under the feet of current landowners. Wont those landowners weep and shreik! Diddums! http://frackingdigest.co.uk/horiz2.htm The only consolation is that the wheelbarrowloads of fiat currency used to purchase such esoteric things as mountains and valleys is really just skidmarked toilet paper passed between toxic banks. They would sell you the air that you breathe and charge you to look at a view if they could. It's hilarious. Keep breathing and enjoy the views!
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spencer 3069 posts |
May 05, 2014, 11:52
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!!!! HMQ has recently become even more stinky rich through the granting of coastal/offshore energy licences. Over to you, maam...then give it to the NT. Thats what s h o u l d happen anyway. Such a beautiful backdrop to Castlerigg.
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nix 201 posts |
May 05, 2014, 18:28
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John Macleod was my uncle. The sale was to fund massive repairs to Dunvegan Castle (which was a semi ruin). He didn't sell in the end and Hugh his son managed to get partial funding from Historic Scotland etc. I don't know if this applies to Blencathra because land law is different south of the border but owning mountains like these in Scotland is a mainly expense. There is the right to roam so anyone can walk there (thankfully). It is an area of outstanding natural beauty and can't be built on or developed (thankfully). But the owner has a responsibility to maintain paths, fences (thankfully). There is a little income from sheep grazing on the lower slopes and some camping. BUT, you can point at them and say: "I own them"!
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GLADMAN 950 posts |
May 05, 2014, 19:00
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nix wrote: John Macleod was my uncle. The sale was to fund massive repairs to Dunvegan Castle (which was a semi ruin). He didn't sell in the end and Hugh his son managed to get partial funding from Historic Scotland etc. I don't know if this applies to Blencathra because land law is different south of the border but owning mountains like these in Scotland is a mainly expense. There is the right to roam so anyone can walk there (thankfully). It is an area of outstanding natural beauty and can't be built on or developed (thankfully). But the owner has a responsibility to maintain paths, fences (thankfully). There is a little income from sheep grazing on the lower slopes and some camping. BUT, you can point at them and say: "I own them"! We were talking about this last night in my house.... guess Blencathra provides some (relatively low grade?) gazing, but would assume there's probably some old common right for locals to use that anyway... so except for the 'I own that' pride bit, what monetary benefit would there be with regards owning the mountain? Obviously The Cuillin up the ante considerably since they are so iconic. Never been up Blencathra but simply had to get up Sgurr Alasdair one way or another a few years back whilst I still could. Guess they probably don't provide as much grazing as in Cumbria due to all that naked rock! Glad that got resolved since Dunvegan's got all that Fairy Flag vibe going on.... special place.
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nix 201 posts |
May 05, 2014, 22:19
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GLADMAN wrote: [ except for the 'I own that' pride bit, what monetary benefit would there be with regards owning the mountain? Quite. Not much I think - and hope. In the case of the Macleods, there was the line of history stretching back. No one would want to break that lightly. Really these places would probably be better off in national ownership via the NT or Historic Scotland but these organisations do not take every place they are offered by any means because they then incur the expense of owning / running them. To take on the repair of Dunvegan, originally they required everything - and it would have been somewhat of a shame if the fairy flag became just another item with a government label on it, rather than a treasure passed down in the stewardship of a family / clan!
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GLADMAN 950 posts |
May 05, 2014, 23:46
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nix wrote: GLADMAN wrote: [ except for the 'I own that' pride bit, what monetary benefit would there be with regards owning the mountain? Quite. Not much I think - and hope. In the case of the Macleods, there was the line of history stretching back. No one would want to break that lightly. Really these places would probably be better off in national ownership via the NT or Historic Scotland but these organisations do not take every place they are offered by any means because they then incur the expense of owning / running them. To take on the repair of Dunvegan, originally they required everything - and it would have been somewhat of a shame if the fairy flag became just another item with a government label on it, rather than a treasure passed down in the stewardship of a family / clan! Too right. Imagine if you had Hadrada's 'Land Ravager' banner in your hall? Could almost touch the history. And that is apparently nowhere near as old.
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