Crofting Inquiry - Rannsachadh Croitearchd

PLEASE NOTE THAT ANY COMMENTS THAT ARE DEEMED TO BE DEFAMATORY, LIBELLOUS OR INAPPROPRIATE FOR PUBLIC DISPLAY WILL BE DELETED FROM THE FORUM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

Many people felt that crofting would shift to include a greater diversity of non-agricultural activities.

It was anticipated that local food production would become ever more important as a result of increasing fuel charges and concerns about carbon footprints.

It was generally agreed that there would be fewer cattle and sheep, while the greater influence of the ‘green agenda’ would mean a move towards growing more fuel crops and timber.

Future is going to be very difficult in Uist till the gross excess of grazing Greylag Geese are adequately controlled.

yes geese are a problem now in the crofts

test

Fewer young people are returning to work their family crofts in the 21st century and only a small percentage (12% of those interviewed) aspired to be crofters at all.
The system is now archaic. Crofting tenure was constituted as a response to the “Clearances” of the mid 1800’s. Both the political position and the practicalities of farming have moved on since then. The fact that crofting is in a natural state of decline, despite such extensive regulation to protect it, points to the fact that further legislation is not required particularly in areas where there is neither a crofting tradition at present nor any substantial demand for such a tradition to be “created”.
The Committee found that amongst respondents there was significant concern regarding affordable housing. They also found that respondents were concerned about crofters’ absenteeism. The Committee found that in the existing crofting counties, many young people did not want to take over their parents’ croft. It seems futile to require the Crofters Commission to find a suitable crofter for a particular area of land (and clearly there are difficulties in doing so in many cases) where that area of land could otherwise be sold on the open market to a young person working in the area, farming or starting a business (perhaps remotely). Restricting the holding of crofts in this way is not helping the position as regards affordable housing particularly for young people coming into more remote areas and in fact prejudices the position more than it assists.
Crofting and its legislation is archaic in 21st century Europe. It should now be phased out and planning legislation introduced to permit people to live and work in the countryside if that is their life-style choice.

Crofting is unique in the world, and far from being anachronistic, it holds the greatest hope for the 21st century as a model for a changing world economy, where 20th century systems are beginning to break down.
What is lacking is vision and leadership. See my other post in "Why is crofting so popular?".

I am with you on this one,
It is such a shame that Ag Law and Crofting Law are not one and the same in today's world.