Residents of Lismore Save Only Shop on Scottish Island

FLickr/James WestThe Isle of Lismore

NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 12:02

Residents of the Scottish island of Lismore have saved the only shop on the island from destruction by buying it themselves.

Lismore is an island with approximately 160 permanent residents and a number of people who have a holiday home there. The only shop on the island, which also serves as a post office, was in danger of disappearing because the owner was a teacher who wanted to teach the classroom again.

If the store were to close permanently, residents would have had to take a ferry to the Scottish mainland for groceries, a journey that would take them more than three hours in total.

The residents decided to start a campaign to buy and run the store collectively. In just over a month, 230 people bought a share in the store, including tourists who once visited the island. A total of more than 80,000 pounds was raised, equivalent to around 92,000 euros, reports BBC. With the money, the store can remain open for at least five years and there was also room for renovations. The store reopened last week.

Insulation

“We have a vulnerable population and the loss of the store would have contributed to the feeling of isolation,” one of the initiators of the takeover told the BBC. According to him, a closed store could have led to many residents leaving the island.

Lismore is a popular place for tourists to take walking tours and watch the approximately 130 bird species that occur on and around the island.

2023-11-26 11:02:04
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