As part of its 2024 Gathering, the Scottish Crofting Federation is holding a community-focused event – “Crofting and Community Land Ownership: Past, Present & Future” in Stornoway on Friday 22nd November.
The event is part of Community Land Scotland’s Linn an Fhearainn/100 Years of Community Ownership programme, and is being run with on-the-ground support from Community Land Outer Hebrides.
“Crofting and Community Land Ownership” is both a celebration of 100 years of community ownership of crofting estates in the Western Isles, and a solution-based conversation about how the relationship between crofters and community landowners can be strengthened going forward, for the benefit of both.
The programme for the day is structured around the theme of Past, Present and Future, and opens with stories of land ownership journeys from Iain Maciver of the Stornoway Trust, Angus McDowall of Pairc Trust, Calum MacKay of Urras Ceann a Tuath na Hearadh/North Harris Trust and Jemma MacVicar of Urras Oighreachd Ghabhsainn/Galson Estate Trust. This will be followed by a panel discussion that focuses on current positives and challenges in community land ownership of crofting estates.
In the afternoon, Donald MacKinnon of SCF and Urras Oighreachd Chàrlabhaigh/Carloway Estate Trust will set the context of current and future agricultural policy reform and what this means for crofting and community landowners. This will lead into a discussion about the opportunities for crofters and community landowners to work more closely together to take advantage of new opportunities. Donald will be joined by Finlay MacLennan of Community Land Outer Hebrides, Ben Inglis-Grant from Peatland Action, and Laura McEwan from the Croft Woodlands Project.
Finlay MacLennan is really looking forward to the event: “I think crofting has been integral to the development of community land ownership in the Outer Hebrides and both have a crucial role in supporting sustainable communities for the future. I’m looking forward to reflecting on the journey so far and exploring what future potential we can unlock by continuing to work together”.
Iain Craig, curator of Linn an Fhearainn at Community Land Scotland is delighted to be supporting this event, as part of the 100 years of Community Ownership project. “The CLS project will deliver a new digital archive of community ownership; gathering and sharing the diverse lived experiences of community owners across Scotland, so that others can understand the process, the challenges, the opportunities and benefits of communities being in charge of their own future. Reflecting on the past and learning from each other, to inform how we move forward, is at the core of Linn an Fhearainn.
The archive can be found at www.100years.scot
The day will be punctuated with plenty of opportunities for networking and informal conversation, including over a soup and sandwich lunch!
Tickets are available through the SCF website.
