Crofting Inquiry - Rannsachadh Croitearchd

The spirit of the act of 1976 was to allow a crofter to 'go it alone'. Often families have had a croft for generations, and this was the logical culmination of something which they regarded as 'theirs'. It certainly did not mean that a crofter had bought 'landlord's rights' over the croft and nothing more. I think the WHFP is ludicrous when they suggest this. If people want to step outside of dependency why shouldn't they?

Can you give a precis of the Free Press position? I allowed my subscription to lapse to save money.

Just that the crofters' right-to-buy is a hollow right. You only buy Landlord's rights. IE. you are meant to let it out to a tenant. I think the Act offers crofters the opportunity to become independent and do with the land as they will. Dare I say I don't think crofting is sustainable as it was originally conceived. In the past crofts were handed on to family or people known to the community. Also, they were essential to survival, which ensured they were worked. Nowadays anyone can come along with a plan, but will it be fulfilled? The WHFP is asking us to subscribe to a vision where people we hand our crofts on to, can be trusted to carry on crofting traditions, or failing that be compelled by the Commission to honour these traditions. The latter is not going to happen given the Commission's lack of resources. Let's face reality.
If people want crofts - there's plenty of land - make new ones. Get rid of the dead hand of landlordism - don't punish the individual!

Any Agricultural land- the law is the law and if it isn't in the law the law will make a way to ensure it's existence in some precedence or other, archaic or otherwise.