John Maher's photos help save abandoned Scottish island cottages
Roshina Jowaheer
Updated
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Deadline News/REX_Shutterstock (4805408a) One of John Maher's photos of abandoned homes on the Western Isles Photos taken by Buzzcocks drummer John Maher could bring abandoned island homes back to life, Scotland - May 2015 *Full story: http://www.rexfeatures.com/nanolink/qfyt Pictures taken by the former drummer of the Buzzcocks are set to bring up to 1,000 abandoned island homes back to life. Eerily beautiful pictures of the derelict croft houses slowly rotting away in the Western Isles were taken by former Buzzcocks drummer John Maher. The remarkable images featured in an exhibition and have now led to talks with one of the world�s biggest charitable foundations, The Carnegie Trust, in a bid to make them habitable again. There are about 1,000 empty properties frozen in time, many of which have been empty since their owners passed away or moved to the mainland. Meanwhile there is a big housing problem with around 1,000 people waiting for a home on the islands. A housing agency now plans to renovate the first properties this autumn in a project that could save the islands� dwindling rural communities.
Pictures taken by the former drummer of the Buzzcocks will bring up to 1,000 abandoned island homes in Scotland back to life.
The eerily beautiful photos of the derelict croft houses slowly rotting away in the Western Isles were captured by the Buzzcocks' John Maher.
The remarkable images featured in an exhibition and have now led to talks with one of the world's biggest charitable foundations, The Carnegie Trust, in a bid to make them habitable again.
There are around 1,000 empty properties frozen in time, many of which have been empty since their owners passed away or moved to the mainland.
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Deadline News/REX_Shutterstock (4805408d) One of John Maher's photos of abandoned homes on the Western Isles Photos taken by Buzzcocks drummer John Maher could bring abandoned island homes back to life, Scotland - May 2015 *Full story: http://www.rexfeatures.com/nanolink/qfyt Pictures taken by the former drummer of the Buzzcocks are set to bring up to 1,000 abandoned island homes back to life. Eerily beautiful pictures of the derelict croft houses slowly rotting away in the Western Isles were taken by former Buzzcocks drummer John Maher. The remarkable images featured in an exhibition and have now led to talks with one of the world�s biggest charitable foundations, The Carnegie Trust, in a bid to make them habitable again. There are about 1,000 empty properties frozen in time, many of which have been empty since their owners passed away or moved to the mainland. Meanwhile there is a big housing problem with around 1,000 people waiting for a home on the islands. A housing agency now plans to renovate the first properties this autumn in a project that could save the islands� dwindling rural communities.
Meanwhile, there is a big housing problem with around 1,000 people waiting for a home on the islands.
A housing agency now plans to renovate the first properties this autumn in a project that could save the islands' dwindling rural communities.
Brian Whitington, project manager at the Tighean Innse Gall, told Rex Features the photographs were "the catalyst" for the ground-breaking project.
Members of the Carnegie Trust saw the images and wanted to get involved in a possible rescue project for the homes.
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Deadline News/REX_Shutterstock (4805408f) One of John Maher's photos of abandoned homes on the Western Isles Photos taken by Buzzcocks drummer John Maher could bring abandoned island homes back to life, Scotland - May 2015 *Full story: http://www.rexfeatures.com/nanolink/qfyt Pictures taken by the former drummer of the Buzzcocks are set to bring up to 1,000 abandoned island homes back to life. Eerily beautiful pictures of the derelict croft houses slowly rotting away in the Western Isles were taken by former Buzzcocks drummer John Maher. The remarkable images featured in an exhibition and have now led to talks with one of the world�s biggest charitable foundations, The Carnegie Trust, in a bid to make them habitable again. There are about 1,000 empty properties frozen in time, many of which have been empty since their owners passed away or moved to the mainland. Meanwhile there is a big housing problem with around 1,000 people waiting for a home on the islands. A housing agency now plans to renovate the first properties this autumn in a project that could save the islands� dwindling rural communities.
So far they have been given £50,000 to get the project started and hope to raise hundreds of thousands.
John Maher and Ian Paterson took the pictures for the exhibition.
John said: "The pictures had quite an impact with the people in the Carnegie Trust.
"If it results in some people moving into a renovated home it can't be looked at in any other way than positive."
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Deadline News/REX_Shutterstock (4805408g) One of John Maher's photos of abandoned homes on the Western Isles Photos taken by Buzzcocks drummer John Maher could bring abandoned island homes back to life, Scotland - May 2015 *Full story: http://www.rexfeatures.com/nanolink/qfyt Pictures taken by the former drummer of the Buzzcocks are set to bring up to 1,000 abandoned island homes back to life. Eerily beautiful pictures of the derelict croft houses slowly rotting away in the Western Isles were taken by former Buzzcocks drummer John Maher. The remarkable images featured in an exhibition and have now led to talks with one of the world�s biggest charitable foundations, The Carnegie Trust, in a bid to make them habitable again. There are about 1,000 empty properties frozen in time, many of which have been empty since their owners passed away or moved to the mainland. Meanwhile there is a big housing problem with around 1,000 people waiting for a home on the islands. A housing agency now plans to renovate the first properties this autumn in a project that could save the islands� dwindling rural communities.
Jim Metcalfe, head of practice and development at Carnegie UK, said the trust has been involved in the project for about six months and is now on the steering group.
"It could be a very profound contribution to the sustainability of the islands," he said.
"It's a really intriguing and very unusual project."
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Deadline News/REX_Shutterstock (4805408h) One of John Maher's photos of abandoned homes on the Western Isles Photos taken by Buzzcocks drummer John Maher could bring abandoned island homes back to life, Scotland - May 2015 *Full story: http://www.rexfeatures.com/nanolink/qfyt Pictures taken by the former drummer of the Buzzcocks are set to bring up to 1,000 abandoned island homes back to life. Eerily beautiful pictures of the derelict croft houses slowly rotting away in the Western Isles were taken by former Buzzcocks drummer John Maher. The remarkable images featured in an exhibition and have now led to talks with one of the world�s biggest charitable foundations, The Carnegie Trust, in a bid to make them habitable again. There are about 1,000 empty properties frozen in time, many of which have been empty since their owners passed away or moved to the mainland. Meanwhile there is a big housing problem with around 1,000 people waiting for a home on the islands. A housing agency now plans to renovate the first properties this autumn in a project that could save the islands� dwindling rural communities.
The Carnegie Trust is a charitable foundation founded by Scots industrialist Andrew Carnegie in 1913.
He led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry and gave away the equivalent of £3bn to charity.
His life has often been referred to as the original 'rags to riches' story.
