News

Extension of Crofting Areas

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

PROPOSAL FOR EXTENSION OF AREAS FOR CROFTING WELCOMED

The proposals for the extension of areas for crofting announced today are good news, according to the Scottish Crofting Foundation.
SCF Director Hugh Donaldson said, “The possibility to create crofts in parts of the Highlands and Islands historically left out of the crofting counties is an exciting opportunity. Crofting is really important in retaining a rural land-based population and can offer tremendous benefits. The possibility announced today is basically an opt-in scheme giving land owners the powers to create new crofts. If well used, this power could have a real impact in areas where access to land is difficult and housing is beyond the reach of many local people. It is particularly being looked at in some areas as an opportunity to create forest crofts.

Extension_Crofting_Areas.pdf

Crofting Inquiry Forum

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Crofting Inquiry Forum
The Forum on the Crofting Inquiry Web site is now up and running properly. It is a good way of putting your views across and we would encourage people to use this. The Forum can be find on:

Crofting Inquiry Website

Crofting Inquiry Survey

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

SURVEY SHOWS VALUE PLACED ON CROFTING SYSTEM

A survey published today by the Crofting Inquiry highlights the importance attached to the crofting system by all people living in crofting communities.
SCF Chairman Norman Leask said, “This survey of attitudes towards crofting is one of the most comprehensive undertaken, I believe, in decades. It is fascinating for many reasons, but principally because it shows the level of support for the crofting system and the crofting way of life, both by crofters and non-crofting neighbours. Concerns are very evident that crofting food production is not getting the return needed, the system is becoming eroded by market pressures and therefore access to crofts is too difficult for young people. I think it is incredible that under these pressures the large majority of crofters are still not willing to sell-out, thank goodness.

Crofting_Inquiry_Survey.pdf

SCF in Meeting with Minister

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

CROFTING CONCERNS RAISED WITH MINISTER

The Scottish Crofting Foundation recently met with the crofting Minister Michael Russell MSP to consider the pressing issues facing crofting and wider Scottish culture. The SCF Chair, Norman Leask said “The bull scheme was top of the agenda, but until the Shucksmith Inquiry reports and the economic appraisal is complete, no satisfactory progress can be reported. We wait with bated breath. On the theme of the remit of the Crofters Commission, discussion took place on the possibility of completing a map based register of crofts and common grazings. This has been a long standing bone of contention as the lack of accurate records is causing all sorts of problems and hindering development. However, we appreciate that it can not be rectified overnight, but crofters do need to see progress on this.

SCF_meets_minister.pdf

Assessors Meeting

Friday, December 07, 2007

CROFTING FOUNDATION WELCOMES POSITIVE ASSESSORS’ MEETING BUT FEARS FOR FUTURE OF BULL SCHEME

The Scottish Crofting Foundation (SCF) today congratulated the Crofters Commission on the revitalisation of the Panel of Assessors which had its annual seminar this week in Inverness. SCF Vice-chairman Neil MacLeod, also a long-standing Commission Assessor, said, “The Panel of Assessors should be the eyes and ears of the Crofters Commission on the ground. Unfortunately in recent years the Commission failed to make use of this resource and it became dormant. It was therefore very heartening to see a revitalised Panel of Assessors gathered together. As well as familiar faces and old friends, the new panel has a good percentage of young people and of women, representing the future of crofting.”

Assessors__Bull_Scheme.pdf

SCF Welcomes Reletting Action in Skye

Monday, December 03, 2007

The Scottish Crofting Foundation (SCF) has welcomed Crofters Commission action to require reletting proposals from the owners of three unused crofts at Harrapool in Skye. SCF has made repeated calls for the Commission to use its powers to make such neglected crofts available to those seeking a croft tenancy.
SCF Chairman Norman Leask said, “It is good news that the Crofters Commission is at long last to exercise its powers in this regard. However we must bear in mind that the situation in Harrapool has been created by the Commission itself allowing repeated subdivision of a croft for speculative reasons. In our response to the Crofting Reform Bill last year we asked for a minimum area to be set beyond which subdivision would not be allowed.”

Harrapool_reletting.pdf