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Crofting

Crofting is a unique system of small-scale land tenure and agricultural production confined to the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, wherein crofters maintain tenancies on compact holdings averaging approximately five hectares of arable land, typically including a dwelling and access to shared common grazing areas exceeding 550,000 hectares in total across the system.^[1]^[2] This tenure model, which emphasizes residency, active land cultivation, and communal resource stewardship, originated from pre-industrial subsistence practices but was legally entrenched in the late 19th century to counter exploitative landlordism amid widespread evictions and famines.^[3]^[1] The framework evolved through pivotal legislation, beginning with the Crofters Holdings (Scotland) Act 1886, which followed the Napier Commission's exposé of crofter destitution and granted heritable security of tenure, regulated rents, and rights to compensation for improvements, thereby defining crofting townships and establishing oversight mechanisms.^[3] Subsequent reforms, codified in the Crofters (Scotland) Act 1993 and augmented by the Crofting Reform (Scotland) Act 2010, have introduced provisions for croft decrofting, owner-occupation, and community buyouts while preserving core tenets of sustainability and community cohesion.^[1] Regulated by the Crofting Commission, the system spans roughly 10% of Scotland's landmass and underpins rural economies through livestock rearing, limited cropping, and diversification into renewables and forestry, bolstered by annual public funding surpassing £40 million.^[2] Despite its resilience in fostering biodiversity via low-intensity grazing and peatland management, crofting grapples with persistent hurdles including statutory rigidity that impedes adaptation, declining occupancy due to succession issues and high entry costs, and vulnerabilities to climatic shifts exacerbating soil erosion and habitat degradation.^[2] These dynamics have spurred ongoing debates over liberalization versus tradition, with recent proposals in 2024-2025 seeking to streamline registration, enhance lending access, and integrate environmental imperatives without undermining tenure security.^[4]

Historical Development

Origins and Pre-Modern Practices

The origins of crofting trace to the medieval introduction of the term "croft," derived from Old English and West Germanic roots denoting a small enclosed field or homestead, which entered Scottish usage via Anglo-Norman influences in the Lowlands before spreading to Highland contexts.^[5] In the Scottish Highlands and Islands, pre-modern land practices were rooted in the clan system, where land was collectively regarded as clan property under the nominal stewardship of the chief, who granted usage rights to tacksmen—middle-tier leaseholders—who sub-divided holdings among kin-based tenants for subsistence purposes.^[6] This structure emphasized communal obligations over individual ownership, with tenants paying rents in kind, such as cattle or labor, rather than fixed monetary sums, fostering a pastoral economy centered on livestock herding and limited arable farming.^[7] The dominant pre-modern tenure system was runrig, a form of communal arable allocation persisting from at least the late medieval period into the 18th century, particularly in Highland townships. Under runrig, infield areas near settlements were intensively cropped in rotation with legumes and fallow to maintain fertility, while outfield margins were sporadically cultivated using temporary lazy beds or spade-dug plots; strips were periodically redistributed—often annually—by lot or community decision to equalize access to variable soil quality and prevent any single tenant from monopolizing prime land.^[8] Livestock, including hardy breeds of cattle and sheep, grazed on shared machair or hill commons during summer shieling transhumance, where families relocated to upland pastures, returning to lowlands for winter housing of animals in byres.^[9] Crops were primarily oats, bere (a primitive barley), and potatoes after their introduction in the late 18th century, supplemented by fishing and weaving for survival, with yields constrained by the rocky, acidic soils and short growing seasons of the region.^[10] These practices reflected adaptive responses to marginal environments, prioritizing collective risk-sharing over enclosure, though they began eroding in the mid-18th century as lowland agricultural improvements influenced Highland landlords to impose fixed divisions for efficiency, marking the transition toward individualized crofts by the 1770s in areas like Argyll.^[10] Population pressures from the 1750s onward, driven by potato cultivation enabling larger families, strained runrig's flexibility, setting the stage for later consolidations without yet involving the large-scale evictions of the Clearances.^[7]

Highland Clearances and 19th-Century Pressures

The Highland Clearances encompassed a series of evictions across the Scottish Highlands and Islands from the 1760s to the 1850s, primarily driven by landowners' pursuit of greater profitability through large-scale sheep farming rather than subdivided subsistence tenancies. Following the abolition of heritable jurisdictions and feudal tenures after the 1745 Jacobite Rising, clan chiefs increasingly operated as commercial landlords facing debts and the need for fixed cash rents, which traditional runrig systems—characterized by communal arable farming and cattle rearing—could not reliably provide. The introduction of hardy Cheviot sheep breeds, suited to upland pastures, capitalized on surging wool demand during the Napoleonic Wars (1799–1815), with sheep farms generating rents several times higher than those from multiple small tenants; for instance, a single sheep farm could yield £1,000 annually compared to £5–15 from individual crofter holdings.^[11]^[12]^[13] Rapid population growth in the Highlands, doubling between 1755 and 1821 to over 400,000, intensified land pressure as subdivided holdings became unsustainable for supporting larger families reliant on potato monoculture for subsistence. Evictions often relocated tenants to coastal fringes on inferior, rocky soils unsuitable for extensive sheep grazing, forming compact crofting townships with small infield arable plots augmented by common grazings, fishing, and kelp harvesting for supplemental income. Notable examples include the Sutherland Clearances of 1807–1821, where factors employed by the Countess of Sutherland displaced around 15,000 people from inland glens to make way for sheep walks, though exact figures vary due to incomplete records. While some resettlements aimed at "improvement" by providing sea access, methods frequently involved burning homes to enforce compliance, contributing to widespread emigration—approximately 10,000 Highlanders left in the initial phase from 1763 to 1773 alone.^[14]^[15]^[16] In the mid-19th century, additional pressures mounted from the collapse of the kelp industry after 1815, as wartime naval demand ended and cheap foreign soda imports flooded markets, eroding coastal crofters' earnings. The Highland Potato Famine (1846–1857), triggered by blight devastating the staple crop on which over half the population depended, led to widespread destitution, with 1846–1848 seeing acute starvation and rent arrears; landlords responded with further clearances, such as those on Skye and the Outer Hebrides, to consolidate holdings amid falling revenues. These events entrenched the crofting system on marginal lands, where tenants eked out livelihoods through diversified, low-yield activities, but also sowed resentment over insecure tenure, culminating in the 1880s land raids and agitation for reform. Economic analyses emphasize that while tenant hardships were severe, clearances reflected broader agricultural rationalization, as overpopulated subsistence models yielded diminishing returns against commercial alternatives.^[12]^[17]^[18]

The 1886 Crofting Act and Legislative Foundations

The Crofters' Holdings (Scotland) Act 1886, enacted on 25 June 1886, established the first statutory framework for crofting tenure in the Scottish Highlands and Islands, responding to decades of evictions, rent arrears, and agrarian unrest exacerbated by the Highland Clearances.^[3]^[19] The legislation arose directly from the findings of the Napier Commission, appointed in 1883 under Lord Napier to investigate crofter conditions across the Gàidhealtachd after events such as the 1882 Battle of the Braes on Skye, where tenants resisted eviction.^[20]^[21] The Commission's eight-month inquiry, involving hearings in locations including Skye, Tiree, and Lewis, documented systemic issues like over-renting, sub-tenancy, and lack of fixity of tenure, recommending legal protections to stabilize small-scale farming communities.^[22]^[23] Central to the Act's provisions was the grant of security of tenure to existing crofters, defined as year-to-year tenants paying under £30 annual rent in designated crofting parishes across counties such as Inverness, Ross and Cromarty, Sutherland, Caithness, Argyll, Orkney, Shetland, and parts of Aberdeen, Perth, Forfar, and Stirling.^[24]^[25] Removal from a holding was prohibited except for non-payment of rent, breach of statutory conditions (e.g., improper land use or subletting without consent), or voluntary surrender, with evictions requiring judicial approval.^[26] Crofters gained rights to fair rent reviews via arbitration or the newly created Crofters Commission—a body empowered to fix rents, adjudicate disputes, and enforce compensation for improvements like drainage or buildings upon tenancy termination.^[27]^[28] The Act also formalized inheritance rights, allowing crofters to nominate successors, typically family members, subject to commission oversight to prevent fragmentation.^[23] As the legislative cornerstone of crofting, the 1886 Act differentiated croft tenure from standard Scots agricultural law by embedding communal elements, such as rights over shared grazings, and prioritizing tenant stability over landlord prerogative, thereby halting arbitrary clearances.^[29]^[3] It applied retrospectively to tenants in place at enactment but excluded new crofts or larger holdings, limiting its scope to subsistence-scale units amid ongoing population pressures from earlier enclosures.^[30] Subsequent reforms, including the 1891 and 1911 Acts, expanded and refined these foundations, but the 1886 measure remains the origin of crofting's regulated, inheritable smallholding system, preserving rural Highland demographics against market-driven displacement.^[31]^[32]

Evolution in the 20th and Early 21st Centuries

The Small Landholders (Scotland) Act 1911 extended crofting-like protections to small agricultural tenants across Scotland, replacing the original Crofting Commission with the Scottish Land Court to adjudicate disputes.^[32] The Land Settlement (Scotland) Act 1919 sought to create new crofts for returning World War I veterans, though implementation was constrained by limited suitable land and economic challenges, resulting in only modest expansions.^[33] By the mid-20th century, crofting faced depopulation, with the population in crofting counties declining more rapidly after 1951 than in prior decades, driven by urbanization, limited mechanization on marginal lands, and reliance on subsistence mixed with off-croft employment.^[34] The Crofters (Scotland) Act 1955 re-established the Crofters Commission—abolished in 1912—and confined crofting to seven defined counties, imposing statutory duties on crofters to cultivate or improve their land to prevent neglect.^[35] ^[29] This act addressed post-war abandonment, as older crofters died without successors, leaving many holdings vacant during the 1950s and 1960s.^[36] The Crofting Reform (Scotland) Act 1976 introduced rights for crofters to purchase their holdings at 15 years' rent and extended similar protections to cottars, marking a shift toward greater ownership opportunities amid ongoing economic marginality.^[37] ^[8] Into the late 20th and early 21st centuries, consolidation occurred with the Crofters (Scotland) Act 1993, which streamlined prior laws while maintaining tenure security.^[19] The Crofting Reform etc. (Scotland) Act 2007 enabled decrofting for development purposes and bolstered community right-to-buy powers under the broader 2003 Land Reform (Scotland) Act, facilitating buyouts like those on public estates.^[30] The Crofting Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 mandated a national Crofting Register for improved transparency and administration.^[35] Despite these reforms, croft numbers stabilized around 18,000-21,000 by the 2010s, with persistent issues including an aging workforce, neglect of over 1,200 crofts reported non-compliant in 2020, and diversification into renewables and tourism to supplement declining agricultural viability.^[29] ^[38] ^[39]

Legal and Regulatory Framework

Core Statutes and Tenure Definitions

The foundational statute establishing crofting tenure is the Crofters' Holdings (Scotland) Act 1886, which provided security of tenure for crofters in the Highlands and Islands by prohibiting removal from holdings except for breach of statutory conditions, such as non-payment of rent or neglect of the land.^[24] This Act defined a "croft" as an agricultural holding of less than £30 annual rental value in designated crofting parishes and a "crofter" as the tenant thereof, while also enabling fair rent fixation through arbitration and compensation for improvements upon leaving the croft.^[24] It applied specifically to areas affected by the Highland Clearances, aiming to stabilize small-scale tenancies amid historical evictions.^[27] Subsequent legislation built upon this framework, with the Crofters (Scotland) Act 1993 serving as the primary consolidating statute, which codified crofting rights including heritable security of tenure, the ability to bequeath or assign the tenancy, and restrictions on landlord resumption of land without consent or compensation.^[40] The 1993 Act defines a croft as a piece of land held by a crofter under crofting tenure, typically comprising a dwelling house, small arable area, and rights in adjacent common grazings for grazing livestock. Crofting tenure under this Act emphasizes communal and sustainable land use, distinguishing it from standard agricultural tenancies by imposing duties on crofters to cultivate, maintain, or otherwise use the land productively, with enforcement by the Crofting Commission.^[41] Key reforms include the Crofting Reform (Scotland) Act 2007, which introduced mandatory croft registration in the Crofting Register for legal certainty, expanded crofter rights to develop land for non-agricultural purposes with Commission approval, and imposed a statutory duty of croft land use to prevent neglect or abandonment.^[42] This Act also formalized owner-occupation as a variant of crofting tenure, where the crofter purchases the land but retains regulatory oversight, including residency requirements within 32 kilometers of the croft and obligations to ensure active management.^[43] The Crofting Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 further strengthened administrative processes by enhancing the Crofting Commission's powers to apportion common grazings and resolve disputes.^[44] In essence, crofting tenure is a hybrid of tenancy and regulated ownership unique to Scotland's crofting counties, prioritizing long-term security, succession rights, and environmental stewardship over free market alienation, with breaches leading to potential decrofting by the Land Court.^[45] Unlike conventional leases, it binds successors to statutory conditions, reflecting empirical adaptations to marginal lands where individual holdings alone cannot sustain viable agriculture.^[46]

The Crofting Register and Administrative Processes

The Crofting Register, established under the Crofting Reform (Scotland) Act 2010, serves as a public, map-based record of crofts, common grazings, and land held runrig within Scotland's crofting areas.^[44] Maintained by the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland, it provides a definitive depiction of the extent of crofting land and the nature of interests held in it, enhancing security of tenure compared to the prior textual Register of Crofts overseen by the Crofting Commission.^[47] The register commenced operations on 30 November 2012, initially allowing voluntary registrations until 29 November 2013, after which mandatory triggers apply.^[48] Registration becomes obligatory upon specified trigger events, including the first let or assignation of a croft, division or enlargement of a croft, decrofting applications, or changes in ownership of croft houses and land.^[49] Voluntary registration remains available at any time to clarify boundaries or secure title evidence.^[50] Applications must first be submitted to the Crofting Commission, which assesses compliance with crofting legislation—such as requirements for croft residency or land use—and issues consents where necessary before forwarding to Registers of Scotland for mapping and entry.^[51] The process involves submitting detailed plans, title deeds, and fees, with the first registration incurring a standard fee while subsequent events attract reduced charges; inaccuracies in mapping can lead to rectification applications.^[47] Administrative oversight involves coordination between the Crofting Commission, which enforces regulatory duties like approving grazing committees for common grazings, and Registers of Scotland, which handles technical registration and public searches.^[52] The register's map-based format integrates with Scotland's Land Register, enabling spatial queries via online portals, though full coverage remains incomplete as of 2025, with ongoing voluntary and triggered entries gradually populating it.^[47] Disputes over boundaries or entries may be resolved through the Scottish Land Court, underscoring the register's role in formalizing crofting tenure amid historical informality.^[53]

Reform Proposals and Recent Legislative Changes

The Crofting Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 represented the most substantial legislative overhaul since the Crofters (Scotland) Act 1993, establishing the Crofting Register to provide a public record of croft details, enabling owner-occupancy of crofts while imposing restrictions on fragmentation, and renaming the Crofters Commission as the Crofting Commission with enhanced regulatory powers over absenteeism and neglect.^[44]^[54] The Act also facilitated crofting community buyouts by simplifying procedures for community bodies to purchase crofts and common grazings, aiming to promote sustainable land use and community ownership amid declining traditional farming viability.^[55] Subsequent reforms have addressed persistent issues such as administrative inefficiencies and enforcement gaps identified post-2010. In June 2024, the Scottish Government launched a consultation on crofting law reform proposals, seeking input until September 2, 2024, on topics including easing entry for new crofters via successors or assigns, clarifying duties to cultivate or maintain crofts, and streamlining common grazings management to empower committees in decision-making and dispute resolution.^[4] These proposals responded to stakeholder feedback on the complexity of existing statutes, with nearly all elements drawn from the consultation informing subsequent legislation.^[56] The Crofting and Scottish Land Court Bill, introduced to the Scottish Parliament on June 2, 2025, builds directly on the 2024 consultation and amends the 1993 and 2010 Acts to simplify regulatory processes, such as granting the Crofting Commission expanded enforcement powers against breaches like neglect and authorizing the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland to correct Crofting Register errors without court intervention in minor cases.^[57]^[58] Key changes include strengthening grazings committees' roles in share apportionment and improvements, introducing provisions for croft resumption tied to public interest, and clarifying owner-occupier obligations to prevent speculative land division.^[59]^[60] The Bill's Part 1 emphasizes modernization to sustain crofting communities, with projected benefits including reduced administrative burdens and improved compliance, though it defers broader structural reforms like decrofting liberalization to future phases.^[61]^[62] As of October 2025, the Bill remains under parliamentary consideration, reflecting ongoing efforts to balance tradition with adaptability in the face of economic pressures.^[57]

Operational Characteristics

Land Tenure, Size, and Basic Requirements

Crofting tenure grants tenants and owner-occupiers substantial security of tenure, preventing eviction provided statutory duties are fulfilled, with rents determined to be fair under legislation such as the Crofters (Scotland) Act 1993.^[63]^[64] This system originated from the Crofters Holdings (Scotland) Act 1886, which formalized protections following historical land pressures, and persists as a year-to-year tenancy or ownership with inheritable rights.^[64] Owner-occupiers gained the right to purchase crofts in 1976, expanding tenure options while maintaining regulatory oversight by the Crofting Commission.^[65] Crofts vary significantly in size, ranging from under 0.5 hectares to over 50 hectares, though the average is approximately 5 hectares, insufficient alone to support a full-time livelihood for most households.^[66]^[45] Larger crofts exceeding 1,000 hectares exist but are exceptional, with the majority comprising in-bye land for cultivation and access to shared common grazings for livestock.^[45] Core requirements for crofters include ordinary residency on or within 32 kilometers of the croft, unless granted permission for absence or subletting, applicable to both tenants and owner-occupiers.^[67]^[68] Crofters must actively cultivate and maintain the land, avoiding neglect, to ensure productive use, with the Crofting Commission enforcing compliance through annual returns and potential sanctions for breaches.^[67]^[69] Tenant crofters must be natural persons, and transfers or assignments require Commission approval to uphold these duties.^[70]^[71]

Management Practices and Common Grazings

Crofting management practices emphasize sustainable livestock grazing on marginal lands, integrating individual croft responsibilities with collective oversight of shared resources. On the private "in-bye" land of each croft, typically 2-5 hectares of improved pasture or arable, crofters cultivate hay, silage, or limited crops for winter feed while maintaining soil fertility through rotations and manure application.^[72] Common grazings, comprising approximately 13% of Scotland's actively farmed land and utilized by 22% of Single Farm Payment recipients, extend these efforts across larger, unenclosed hill pastures shared among multiple crofters.^[73] These common grazings are regulated through souming systems, where grazing rights are allocated in "soums"—standard units equivalent to one breeding ewe, several lambs, or adjusted equivalents for cattle or horses—to prevent overgrazing and maintain vegetation cover.^[74] Elected grazings committees, present in about half of all common grazings, enforce regulations approved by the Crofting Commission, covering stock limits, access rights, and maintenance duties such as fencing repairs, drainage, and weed control.^[75] Committees must submit quinquennial reports on land condition, facilitating adaptive management like rotational grazing or controlled heather burning to promote biodiversity and regenerate forage.^[76] Sustainable practices in common grazings prioritize native breeds for their efficiency on coarse hill grasses, reducing supplementary feeding needs and enhancing resilience to harsh conditions.^[77] Challenges persist in unregulated grazings, estimated at 20%, where absent committees can lead to underutilization or degradation, underscoring the role of formal structures in balancing communal use with ecological preservation.^[73] Overall, these practices foster long-term land stewardship, aligning with crofting's emphasis on viability over intensive production.^[78]

Daily Crofting Activities and Adaptations

Daily crofting activities center on livestock management, which constitutes the primary form of production in low-intensity systems across the Scottish Highlands and Islands. Crofters typically maintain sheep, cattle, and smaller numbers of pigs or poultry, involving routine tasks such as feeding, health checks, and fencing maintenance to prevent straying onto common grazings.^[79] ^[80] Seasonal duties include lambing in spring, clipping and dipping sheep in summer, and gathering flocks from hills into communal fanks for collective handling, often requiring coordinated effort among township members.^[81] Arable activities remain limited due to marginal soils and harsh climates, focusing on hay production for winter fodder and small-scale cultivation of potatoes or oats for household use, supplemented by peat cutting for fuel in traditional settings.^[82] ^[80] These tasks demand physical labor adapted to weather variability, with crofters rising early for animal welfare checks and infrastructure repairs to sustain productivity on small holdings averaging 5-10 hectares. Modern adaptations reflect economic pressures, with many crofters holding off-croft employment—such as in fisheries, tourism, or public services—to supplement income, leading to part-time management of holdings.^[2] Diversification includes integrating renewable energy installations, woodland creation, or marine harvesting like scallop diving and kelp collection, enabling crofts to generate revenue beyond agriculture while complying with tenure obligations.^[83] ^[80] Technological integrations, such as GPS collars for tracking livestock, enhance efficiency in remote monitoring and reduce labor demands, supporting biodiversity goals alongside traditional practices.^[84] These adaptations underscore crofting's resilience, as holdings evolve from subsistence models to hybrid operations, though challenges like succession planning and climate impacts necessitate ongoing regulatory support to maintain viable daily operations.^[85] ^[78]

Economic Realities

Income Generation and Household Economics

Crofting households primarily derive income from livestock rearing, particularly sheep and cattle, on marginal land with limited arable potential for crops like hay or potatoes. Sheep farming dominates due to the suitability of upland terrain, with crofters often managing small flocks on common grazings shared among townships. In the 2019-2022 period, the average annual income from crofting activities stood at £4,538, with 53% of crofters earning less than £10,001 and 38% reporting no income from these operations.^[86] This reflects the low productivity of croft land, characterized by poor soil quality and harsh weather, necessitating extensive rather than intensive farming methods. To bolster earnings, crofters frequently pursue diversification within the croft, such as tourism accommodations, renewable energy installations like micro-hydro schemes, or niche products including Harris tweed weaving in areas like the Outer Hebrides. Off-croft employment is commonplace, with many household members engaged in public sector roles, fishing, or seasonal work in aquaculture and construction, as crofting alone rarely sustains full household needs. Aggregate data indicate that crofting-related income streams, including diversified activities, totaled £85.9 million across approximately 16,500 crofters in 2022, averaging under £6,000 per croft after accounting for running costs of £5,145.^[78] ^[87] Most crofters hold full- or part-time jobs outside agriculture, underscoring crofting's role as a supplementary rather than primary economic pillar.^[87] Household economics in crofting communities thus hinge on multifaceted income portfolios, where croft tenure secures affordable housing and cultural continuity amid volatile agricultural returns. Pensions and family support further buffer finances, particularly for older crofters, while younger generations balance croft duties with commuting to urban centers for stable employment. This structure fosters resilience but highlights dependency on non-agricultural wages, with 82% of crofters in the surveyed period deriving some benefit from external employment or schemes.^[88] Overall, crofting contributes modestly to direct household revenue—estimated at £102.2 million in gross value added annually—while enabling broader economic multipliers through local spending.^[78]

Subsidies, Grants, and Public Support Mechanisms

The Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) serves as the primary direct subsidy for crofters in Scotland, functioning as an income supplement for agricultural activities on eligible land. Administered by the Scottish Government, BPS payments for 2025 totaled over £322 million distributed to farmers and crofters, with 77% of eligible funds disbursed by September 1, 2025, despite annual reductions in payment rates to align with post-Brexit reforms.^[89] ^[90] To qualify, crofters must maintain active land use, submit whole farm plans by May 15, 2028, for continued eligibility, and adhere to conditionality requirements tied to environmental and animal welfare standards.^[91] This scheme replaced EU CAP direct payments and provides a safety net for crofting's often low-output systems, with payments calculated per hectare of eligible croft land.^[92] The Crofting Agricultural Grants Scheme (CAGS), part of the Scottish Rural Development Programme, offers targeted capital grants to enhance croft viability through investments in infrastructure and operations. Individual crofters can receive up to £25,000, while groups may access up to £125,000, covering items such as fencing, livestock handling facilities, drainage improvements, and machinery, provided applicants are registered owner-occupiers or tenants residing within 32 km of their croft in the Highlands and Islands Enterprise area.^[93] ^[94] Guidance updated in February 2025 emphasizes business sustainability, with grants reimbursing eligible expenditures post-implementation.^[93] Complementary to CAGS, the Croft House Grant supports renovations to croft dwellings, aiding habitability in remote areas.^[95] Post-Brexit, transitional supports like the Future Farming Investment Scheme (FFIS), launched in June 2025 with £14 million in funding, provide up to 100% reimbursement for capital investments promoting efficiency, climate resilience, and environmental outcomes, explicitly including crofters.^[96] ^[97] Additional mechanisms under the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) within SRDP offer payments for practices like peatland management and biodiversity enhancement on common grazings, while organic crofters gain automatic eligibility for enhanced supports to incentivize sustainable transitions.^[98] ^[99] These programs, funded via Scottish Government budgets replacing EU allocations, underscore public efforts to sustain crofting amid declining market viability, though uptake varies by scheme complexity and regional priorities.^[100]

Broader Economic Contributions and Multipliers

Crofting generates substantial indirect economic benefits through supply chain linkages, household expenditures, and support for ancillary sectors in rural Scotland. A 2024 economic analysis commissioned by the Crofting Commission estimates that the sector contributes £588 million in gross value added (GVA) annually to the Scottish economy, encompassing direct crofting outputs alongside induced effects from local spending and procurement.^[78] Approximately 80% of this value remains within crofting communities, fostering localized reinvestment in goods, services, and infrastructure.^[101] The multiplier effects of crofting expenditure amplify its broader impact, with each £1 of direct economic activity generating £19 in indirect and induced benefits across Scotland, including downstream jobs in processing, transport, and retail.^[78] This includes £23.2 million in GVA from crofters' purchases of inputs and services, sustaining 810 jobs in supplier industries.^[78] Overall, crofting underpins 30,385 full-time equivalent jobs, with 16,000 directly tied to croft operations and another 16,000 in related economic activities, providing resilience against external shocks in remote areas.^[78]^[102] Beyond agriculture, crofting bolsters tourism by preserving cultural landscapes and enabling agritourism ventures, where crofters host visitors for authentic experiences like livestock management and land stewardship. In 2025, expanding such initiatives in the Highlands and Islands has diversified incomes and stimulated demand for local accommodations, crafts, and guides.^[103] These activities enhance the appeal of fragile rural economies, where crofting's low-intensity land use maintains biodiversity and scenic vistas critical to visitor spending, estimated to exceed £1 billion annually in the region.^[86]

Efficiency Critiques and Productivity Challenges

Crofting faces critiques for inherent inefficiencies stemming from its small-scale structure and operation on marginal land, which limits economies of scale and mechanization compared to commercial farming. Average croft sizes, typically 5-50 hectares including in-bye land and shares in common grazings, constrain output per unit of input, with livestock production—primarily sheep and cattle—dominating due to unsuitable terrain for arable crops. This results in low productivity metrics, such as lamb yields often below 0.5 lambs per ewe annually on hill grazings, far underperforming intensive lowland systems achieving over 1.5. ^[86] High production costs exacerbate these challenges, including steep terrain, poor soil fertility, and exposure to severe weather in the Highlands and Islands, where over 80% of crofts are located in Less Favoured Areas (LFAs). Investment in infrastructure like fencing or drainage is often uneconomic without grants, as returns from low-density grazing fail to cover capital outlays, leading to underutilized land and persistent dereliction on up to 20-30% of crofts in some regions. Critics argue that secure tenancies under crofting legislation discourage innovation, as crofters lack full ownership incentives to consolidate holdings or adopt high-yield practices, perpetuating fragmentation and over-reliance on traditional, labor-intensive methods. Subsidy dependence underscores productivity shortfalls, with surveys indicating near-universal agreement among crofters that agricultural activities alone are not viable, generating median farm business incomes below £10,000 annually before support, often offset by off-croft employment providing 70-90% of household earnings. Public schemes like the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme and Crofting Agricultural Grants cover essential costs but distort market signals, potentially reducing technical efficiency by insulating operators from competitive pressures to improve yields or diversify. Economic analyses highlight that without such interventions, many crofts would revert to minimal use, as evidenced by higher abandonment rates in unsubsidized scenarios modeled post-CAP reform. ^[86] ^[104] Common grazings management presents additional hurdles, with shared hill land prone to collective action problems like overgrazing from uncoordinated stocking densities, averaging 0.2-0.5 livestock units per hectare—levels insufficient for sustainable improvement without enforced grazing committees, which face low compliance. This communal system, while culturally rooted, hampers individual productivity gains, as disputes over apportionment delay investments in reseeding or fencing, contributing to soil degradation and biodiversity trade-offs over output maximization. Broader critiques from agricultural economists posit that crofting's regulatory framework prioritizes tenure security over output efficiency, yielding lower gross margins per hectare (often £100-200) than comparable upland farms, underscoring a causal link between institutional rigidity and subdued performance. ^[105]

Community Organizations and Collective Action

The Scottish Crofting Federation (SCF), established and operated by crofters, serves as the primary advocacy organization representing their interests across Scotland's Highlands and Islands. It campaigns for policies enhancing crofters' rights, livelihoods, and cultural preservation, while engaging with government agencies on regulatory and economic issues. The SCF also publishes The Crofter magazine to disseminate information and foster community dialogue among members. At the local level, grazings committees embody collective action by democratically managing shared common grazings, which constitute extensive areas of communal land used for livestock and environmental stewardship.^[106] These committees, elected by participating crofters, enforce regulations, oversee improvements such as fencing or woodland planting, and allocate soums (livestock units) to prevent overgrazing.^[107] By 2020, the number of active grazings committees had increased to 495 from 418 in 2019, reflecting efforts to formalize management amid regulatory pushes.^[106] Broader collective efforts include community buyouts enabled by the Crofting Community Right to Buy under Part 3 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, allowing eligible crofting communities to compulsorily purchase croft land for sustained viability.^[108] This mechanism has facilitated community ownership of land, with nearly 25% of Scotland's approximately 21,000 crofts under such control by July 2024.^[109] Organizations like Community Land Scotland support these initiatives, representing over 140 member groups that manage crofting estates and promote sustainable land use.^[110]

Ties to Gaelic Language and Highland Identity

Crofting is predominantly practiced in regions of Scotland where Scottish Gaelic remains a living language, particularly the Highlands and Western Isles, fostering a symbiotic relationship between land tenure practices and linguistic continuity. In the 2011 census, Gaelic speakers constituted 1.1% of Scotland's population overall, but concentrations were markedly higher in crofting heartlands such as Na h-Eileanan Siar (Outer Hebrides), where over 52% of residents reported some Gaelic proficiency, reflecting the system's role in sustaining rural communities integral to the language's survival.^[111] The Crofting Commission recognizes Gaelic as "integral" to its operations, given historical ties to crofter communities where the language predominates in daily interactions, administrative needs, and cultural expression.^[112] This linguistic embeddedness extends to cultural preservation, as crofting's communal grazing systems and smallholding traditions encode Gaelic concepts of land stewardship, evident in terms like machair (coastal plain) and ràthad (drover's road), which denote practices tied to Highland topography and seasonal migrations. Historical analyses highlight how post-Clearance resettlement into crofts in the late 19th century regrouped displaced Gaelic-speaking populations, mitigating cultural erosion by anchoring families to ancestral locales amid industrialization's pressures.^[5] On islands like Skye, crofting sustains Gaelic usage among practitioners, with the system credited for maintaining oral traditions, folklore, and weaving practices intertwined with linguistic heritage.^[80] In terms of Highland identity, crofting embodies a resilient ethos of collective self-reliance and attachment to dualachas (heritage), distinguishing it from Lowland commercial agriculture and reinforcing a narrative of endurance against historical dispossession. The 1886 Crofters Holdings (Scotland) Act, responding to land agitation in Gaelic-speaking districts, formalized secure tenure, symbolizing a reclamation of communal rights that underpins modern Highland self-perception as custodians of marginal yet culturally vital landscapes.^[14] Scholarly examinations underscore crofting's role in forging a distinct identity, where Gaelic-medium discourse in grazings committees and community decisions perpetuates a worldview prioritizing sustainability over profit maximization.^[113] This framework has buffered against assimilation, though demographic shifts pose ongoing challenges to its linguistic vitality.^[114]

Succession, Demographics, and Sustainability Issues

The crofting population exhibits a pronounced aging demographic, with 45% of crofters aged 65 and over as of the 2015–2018 survey period, compared to just 3% under 35, significantly exceeding the general population figures for crofting regions such as the Highlands (22% aged 65+) and Na h-Eileanan Siar (25%).^[115] This skew reflects historical patterns where 65% of crofters entered the tenure through family upbringing, and 38% inherited a family croft, fostering generational continuity but now contributing to a successor shortage amid broader rural youth outmigration.^[115] Recent trends show modest diversification, including a doubling of female crofters since 2014 and approximately 500 new entrants annually, yet the overall structure remains dominated by older individuals, with long-term crofters (20+ years) far outnumbering younger ones.^[86] Croft succession occurs primarily through testate transfer via will or intestate rules, with the Crofting Commission requiring approval for assignments, often to family members, and imposing timelines such as 12 months' notice for willed transfers or extended steps for intestacy to prevent indefinite delays.^[116] As of a 2023 Crofting Commission survey of 259 respondents, 54% of crofters reported having a succession plan, predominantly designating family successors (95%), of whom 77% would actively take up crofting duties; older crofters (aged 66+) were more likely to have formalized plans, including wills (68% vs. 42% for those 65 and under).^[116] Among longer-established crofters, planning rates reach 71%, compared to 44% for newer entrants, indicating experience-driven preparedness but highlighting gaps among less entrenched households.^[88] Living succession—transferring during the crofter's lifetime—is considered viable by 53% overall, with higher interest among younger cohorts (59% for those 65 and under).^[116] These demographic and succession patterns underpin sustainability challenges, as the absence of plans (46% in the 2023 survey) risks intestacy complications, croft neglect, or abandonment, evidenced by 1,289 notifications for non-compliance with duties in 2020, predominantly involving neglect.^[116]^[117] In depopulating areas like parts of Uist and Barra, aging without successors exacerbates land underutilization, threatening crofting's role in rural population retention and biodiversity management, while economic pressures and high entry costs further deter new uptake despite policy pushes for turnover to active workers.^[116]^[106] The Crofting Commission has responded with campaigns promoting living succession and information packs distributed to nearly 12,000 crofters in 2025 to mitigate vacancy risks and sustain tenure viability.^[118]

Controversies and Debates

Regulatory Overreach and Commission Shortcomings

The Crofting Commission's regulatory actions have drawn accusations of overreach, most notably during the 2016 common grazings controversy in the Outer Hebrides. The Commission dismissed grazings committees in townships such as Upper Coll and Mangersta for not submitting audited accounts of funds—often derived from wind farm leases—and appointed constables to oversee operations, actions later deemed to lack clear statutory authority.^[119] ^[120] Affected committees described the interventions as "appalling," prompting legal challenges and a government review that exposed procedural flaws and overzealous enforcement.^[121] The Scottish Crofting Federation (SCF) criticized this as symptomatic of "elective despotism," attributing it to the body's hybrid elected-appointed structure, which enabled Convener Colin Kennedy to pursue aggressive policies without sufficient checks, including unfounded demands on grazings finances.^[122] The broader regulatory framework underpins these issues through excessive bureaucracy, with crofting legislation—accumulated piecemeal since the 1886 Crofters Holdings (Scotland) Act—creating a labyrinth of approvals for routine activities like assignations, sublets, and developments.^[123] This complexity has fueled delays in addressing neglected crofts, where unclear enforcement of statutory duties allows absenteeism and underuse to persist, exacerbating land access barriers for new entrants.^[117] Critics, including the SCF, argue that such red tape stifles initiative, as seen in restrictions on in-bye land speculation and grazings management, without commensurate benefits in preventing dereliction.^[124] Commission shortcomings compound these problems, with multiple audits revealing persistent governance failures. A 2021 Auditor General report identified "significant weaknesses" in leadership, including inadequate risk management and decision-making amid expanded duties during the COVID-19 pandemic.^[125] In 2022, Holyrood's Public Audit Committee deemed the body "dysfunctional" with "unacceptable weakness" in oversight, citing breakdowns in trust and internal conflicts.^[126] ^[127] Earlier, a 2017 government review highlighted "worrying failures" from personality clashes and mismanagement, leading to ministerial demands for urgent reforms.^[128] These lapses have limited effective intervention, as in the 2021 Isle of Harris case where the Commission could not halt unauthorized land use, underscoring enforcement gaps despite regulatory intent.^[129]

Tensions Between Tradition and Modernization

Crofting's traditional framework, characterized by small-scale holdings averaging 5-10 hectares of inbye land plus access to common grazings, prioritizes sustainable, low-intensity land use suited to marginal terrains in the Scottish Highlands and Islands. This system, secured by the Crofters Holdings (Scotland) Act 1886, fosters community resilience and cultural continuity but generates tensions with modernization imperatives, as croft-derived incomes averaged £4,538 annually from 2019-2022, with 92% of crofters relying on non-croft employment for viability.^[130] ^[29] Proponents of tradition argue that intensification risks environmental degradation and social fragmentation, citing crofting's role in maintaining biodiversity through extensive grazing practices.^[131] Conversely, critics highlight productivity constraints, with complex tenure rules deterring investment in machinery or infrastructure, thereby limiting scalability in a globalized economy.^[132] Regulatory reforms exemplify these frictions, as efforts to streamline crofting law—such as the 2024 proposals to simplify registration and enhance flexibility for diversified uses like renewables and tourism—aim to attract new entrants while preserving hereditary succession and communal governance.^[4] Between 2019 and 2021, 830 new crofters registered, including 44% women and 32% under 40, signaling potential for rejuvenation, yet debates persist over enforcing residency and land use duties to prevent absenteeism without stifling innovation.^[133] Traditionalists, including bodies like the Scottish Crofting Federation, caution that excessive liberalization could undermine the system's egalitarian ethos, as seen in resistance to decrofting provisions that allow conversion to full ownership for development, potentially eroding the rental tenure's protective safeguards against speculation.^[134] The Crofting Commission's expanded powers under recent funding boosts seek to mediate, promoting active management of common grazings for climate adaptation, such as peatland restoration, amid concerns that unmodernized practices exacerbate vulnerability to economic shocks.^[133] These tensions underscore broader causal dynamics: tradition sustains demographic stability in remote areas, contributing £588 million in gross value added annually and supporting 30,385 jobs through multipliers in local supply chains, yet modernization is deemed essential for aligning crofting with net-zero goals and food security amid declining traditional livestock outputs.^[78] Stakeholder consultations, including input from the Law Society of Scotland, emphasize calibrating reforms to enhance economic vitality without commodifying land, as unchecked tradition risks croft neglect—evident in underutilized grazings—while aggressive modernization could accelerate out-migration if cultural anchors weaken.^[135] Empirical evidence from social crofting initiatives illustrates hybrid paths, blending heritage practices with community-led diversification to bolster wellbeing and resilience against market volatility.^[136]

Property Rights Disputes and Land Reform Critiques

Crofting's tenure system provides crofters with heritable security under the Crofters (Scotland) Act 1993, but imposes restrictions on development, subletting, and alienation, requiring Crofting Commission approval for actions like decrofting—exempting land from regulation for non-agricultural use—which often triggers disputes resolved in the Scottish Land Court.^[40] These conflicts arise from tensions between crofter protections and demands for housing or commercial development, with the Commission frequently rejecting applications deemed detrimental to crofting's sustainability, as in the 2016 Archie MacKinnon case where decrofting was balanced against community impacts.^[137]^[138] Boundary and reletting disputes exemplify systemic frictions; in Macleod v MacLean (SLC/65/19, decided 2021), the court upheld a historic straight-line boundary from 19th-century estate plans over a post-1940s fenceline, emphasizing statutory evidence over delay in claims.^[139] Similarly, Macdonald v Kennedy (SLC/75/20, 2020) rejected a landlord's attempt to modify a vacant croft's rent and structure upon reletting, enforcing the Commission's low £18 annual rent and preserving the original tenancy form under the 1993 Act.^[139] Decrofting for housing, as in the 2015 North Ballachulish application, saw the Commission appeal Land Court approvals, citing insufficient crofting purpose, though appeals like MacGillivray v Crofting Commission were withdrawn amid procedural scrutiny.^[140]^[141] Land reforms have intensified property rights debates; the Crofting Reform etc. Act 2007 enabled owner-occupation but fostered multiple tenancies and speculation, with critics noting it failed to curb escalating croft prices or improve access, leading to fragmented holdings that hinder efficient management.^[142]^[143] The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003's crofting community right to buy provision faced ECHR Article 1 Protocol 1 challenges for interfering with proprietors' possessions, as in Pairc Crofters Ltd v Scottish Ministers (2012), where courts upheld procedural safeguards but struck down related disproportionate measures in Salvesen v Riddell (2013), requiring legislative fixes.^[144] Critiques highlight the system's bias toward crofter security, rarely favoring landlords in disputes and restricting full property rights, which discourages investment in low-productivity lands and perpetuates inefficiencies like absenteeism and underutilization despite regulatory intent.^[139]^[145] Economic surveys from 2019–2022 reveal 38% of crofters earning no income from activities, averaging £4,538 annually, with restricted rights cited as barriers to diversification amid marginal soils and climate.^[86] Ongoing reforms, including the 2025 Crofting and Scottish Land Court Bill, aim to clarify obligations but face calls for merit-based decrofting to balance tradition with viable use.^[146]^[147]

Recent Developments (2020–Present)

Policy and Legislative Updates

In June 2024, the Scottish Government launched a consultation on proposals for crofting law reform, inviting views until September 2, 2024, on simplifications to address regulatory anomalies, facilitate new entrants, enable diverse activities on crofts, and empower the Crofting Commission.^[148] The consultation received 163 responses, reflecting broad stakeholder input on issues such as joint tenancies for assignations, ending the creation of deemed crofts, and restrictions on owner-occupier decrofts.^[149] Building on this, the Crofting and Scottish Land Court Bill was introduced to the Scottish Parliament on June 2, 2025, aiming to modernize crofting legislation by amending key acts including the Crofters (Scotland) Act 1993 and the Crofting Reform (Scotland) Act 2007.^[57] The bill seeks to strengthen crofting communities through seven priority areas: enhancing common grazings management, improving succession rules to encourage new entrants, clarifying regulatory powers for the Crofting Commission, and resolving ambiguities in croft boundaries and tenancies.^[150] It also proposes merging the Scottish Land Court with the Lands Tribunal for Scotland to streamline adjudication of crofting disputes.^[151] The legislation responds to long-standing calls for reform, including the reinstatement of the Crofting Bill Group in May 2022 following a hiatus, with a focus on reducing administrative burdens evidenced by over 140 annual purchase notifications handled by the Crofting Commission in 2024/25.^[58] Stakeholder organizations, such as the National Farmers' Union of Scotland, have welcomed the bill for promoting sustainable crofting while maintaining traditional safeguards against absenteeism and speculation.^[152] As of October 2025, the bill remains under parliamentary scrutiny, with committees seeking further views on implementation details.^[153] Parallel efforts include advocacy for amendments to the Natural Environment Bill to bolster deer culling provisions under the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996, addressing overgrazing impacts on crofting viability as raised by the Scottish Crofting Federation in 2025.^[154] These updates align with broader land reform initiatives, such as Part 1 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill amended at Stage 2 in August 2025, which indirectly supports crofting through enhanced community rights over land use.^[155]

Ongoing Initiatives and Adaptation Efforts

The Scottish Crofting Federation has launched the Croft Woodlands Project to assist crofters in establishing mixed native woodlands on croft land and common grazings, providing free advice on planting, management, and funding access to enhance biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and livestock shelter amid climate variability.^[156] Complementing this, the Federation's "Crofting for the Future" training programme, initiated in October 2024, delivers crofter-led workshops across crofting counties on topics including regenerative farming techniques, business diversification into renewables and tourism, and regulatory compliance to bolster economic viability.^[157] Community-driven adaptation to climate impacts includes the Tiree Community Development Trust's efforts since 2020 to mitigate coastal erosion through nature-based solutions like dune restoration and habitat enhancement, integrating local knowledge with scientific assessments to protect crofting infrastructure from rising sea levels and storm surges.^[158] Scottish Government research on Less Favoured Area crofters reveals increasing adoption of sustainable practices such as agroforestry and soil health improvements, though barriers like limited technical knowledge persist; targeted support via subsidies and extension services under the Agriculture and Rural Communities Bill framework aims to accelerate uptake for resilience against erratic weather patterns.^[159] The Crofting Commission has intensified enforcement since 2020, terminating 24 inactive tenancies to facilitate new entrants and prevent land abandonment, thereby sustaining active crofting units adaptable to modern demands like diversified income streams.^[160] Legislative modernization via the Crofting and Scottish Land Court Bill, introduced in June 2025, streamlines duties on croft upkeep and grazing committees, enabling faster approvals for innovative uses such as micro-renewables while preserving tenure security.^[58]

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Jul 24, 2024 · To rent, buy or inherit a croft, you'll need permission from the Crofting Commission. The commission is a government body that regulates crofts.
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Crofting law reform proposals: consultation analysis - gov.scot
Nov 15, 2024 · Each tenant crofter must be a 'natural person', in other words, a human being, rather than, for example a limited company or charity. However, ...Missing: active | Show results with:active
[72]
Common Grazings Dilemmas | Helping farmers in Scotland
Common grazings are areas of land used by a number of crofters and others who hold a right to graze stock on that land. There are over 1000 common grazings ...
[73]
[PDF] Common grazings in Scotland – assessing their value and ...
Abstract. Common grazings make up c.13% of actively farmed land in Scotland, are used by 22% of all Single Farm Payment claimants and account for around 20% ...<|separator|>
[74]
https://www.crofting.scotland.gov.uk/userfiles/file/regulatory_factsheets/factsheet-common-grazings-210414.pdf
[75]
3. Use of Common Grazings - Crofting law reform proposals 2024
Jun 6, 2024 · Common grazings are usually managed by a grazings committee, and approximately half of all grazings currently have a committee in office.
[76]
https://www.crofting.scotland.gov.uk/userfiles/file/common_grazings/useful_documents_grazings_regulations/guidance-for-common-grazings.pdf
[77]
Natural Capital Assessment Template - Native breeds in crofting
The native breeds are more efficient forage converters and would retain condition better on the coarser grasses found on the common grazing. The native ...
[78]
[PDF] The Value of Crofting - crofting.scotland.gov.uk
This was done using data from the Economic Condition of Crofting survey, which showed the average running cost of crofting per crofter was £5,145 and 75% of.
[79]
Crofting - NatureScot
Jan 31, 2023 · More than 750,000 hectares of land in Scotland is in crofting tenure, with 33,000 people living in crofting households in the 'crofting counties ...
[80]
Crofting on the Isle of Skye | Scottish Crofting History
A large proportion of the land on the Isle of Skye and the Highlands of Scotland is divided into crofts, the traditional system of micro-scale farming.Missing: facts | Show results with:facts
[81]
Crofting in the 21st century: The passionate, hardy farmers still ...
Jun 5, 2021 · On gathering days, she and her fellow crofters work together to bring the sheep off the hill into the village fank (or sheepfold). At the end of ...
[82]
Crofting, By-Product of the Highland Clearances - RuralHistoria
May 1, 2024 · Traditionally, crofting has centered on raising livestock and arable crops. This traditional approach, formed from the Highland Clearances.
[83]
The future of crofting - gov.scot - The Scottish Government
Mar 18, 2021 · “We need crofters to adapt to new circumstances and encourage modern approaches to crofting, with diversification into agri-tourism, woodland ...
[84]
Modern technology meets traditional crofting to boost island ...
Island crofters are adopting GPS technology to revolutionise how they manage their livestock, delivering benefits for themselves and wildlife.Missing: adaptations | Show results with:adaptations
[85]
Crofting: national development plan - The Scottish Government
Mar 18, 2021 · These are all crofting areas. It is estimated that more than 80% of Scotland's peatland is in poor condition and could benefit from restoration.<|control11|><|separator|>
[86]
Economic condition of crofting: 2019 to 2022 - gov.scot
Dec 20, 2022 · This report reflects the economic condition of crofting and the measures taken by the Scottish Ministers, the Crofting Commission and others to support crofting
[87]
Croft Diversification - The Crofting Year
Most crofters therefore also have full-time or part-time jobs and many also seek to generate further income from the croft through some form of diversification.
[88]
Economic condition of crofting: 2019 to 2022 - gov.scot
Dec 20, 2022 · The average income was £4,538. Over the last 12 months, 43% of crofters received an income from grants or support schemes. Eighty-two percent of ...
[89]
Farming and crofting support - gov.scot - The Scottish Government
Sep 3, 2025 · Support payments of more than £322 million will reach the accounts of Scottish farmers and crofters this week.Missing: subsidies grants
[90]
Scottish government confirms cuts to 2025 payment rates
Aug 22, 2025 · The Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) and greening payment rates for farmers and crofters in Scotland have been set for 2025, following an annual ...
[91]
Whole Farm Plans in Scotland – What You Need to Do (and Why It ...
Aug 28, 2025 · By the 15th of May 2028, farmers and crofters in Scotland will need to have a WFP in place to continue to be eligible for the BPS.
[92]
[PDF] Basic Payment Scheme
The Basic Payment Scheme acts as a safety net for farmers and crofters by supplementing their main business income. To qualify for this support, you must ...
[93]
Crofting Agricultural Grants Scheme full guidance
Feb 26, 2025 · The Crofting Agricultural Grants (Scotland) Scheme (CAGS) provides grants to tenant and owner-occupier crofters, living in the Highlands and Islands Enterprise ...
[94]
Crofting Agricultural Grant Scheme (CAGS) - Farm Advisory Service
Funding of up to £25,000 is available to individual crofters, and up to £125,000 for groups of crofters. To be eligible, applicants must be registered owner- ...
[95]
Crofting Agricultural Grants (CAGS) & Croft House Grant
Apr 19, 2023 · Up to £25,000 (or £125,000 for groups) is available for registered owner-occupier and tenant (or official sub-tenant) crofters who live within ...
[96]
Future farming Investment Scheme - gov.scot
Jun 19, 2025 · The £14 million Future Farming Investment Scheme offers flexible capital grants to support investments in efficiency, nature and climate friendly farming.
[97]
Future Farm Investment Scheme full guidance
FFIS is a capital grant scheme designed to help farmers and crofters in Scotland improve the environmental performance of their agricultural business.Missing: post- Brexit
[98]
Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP) - Agricultural ...
Rural Development: Crofting Agricultural Grant Scheme - grants to improve crofts which will help to sustain crofting business. Rural Development: Small Farms ...
[99]
Scottish Government backs organic in new rule change for farm ...
Dec 13, 2024 · Organic farmers and crofters will automatically be eligible for government support payments in a post-Brexit policy change to incentivise ...
[100]
New Capital Grant - Future Farming Investment Scheme - SRUC
Jul 16, 2025 · Applications opened on 14 July 2025. FFIS is an upfront capital grant scheme designed to help farmers and crofters in Scotland improve the ...
[101]
Crofting's Economic Impact - The Highland Times
Crofting contributes £588 million GVA to the Scottish economy annually. · The sector supports 30,385 jobs across Scotland. · 80% of the wealth generated by ...
[102]
Crofting: the unsung economic powerhouse of rural Scotland
Sep 27, 2024 · “This report shows that there is a bright and profitable future for crofting, and we need the planned Bill to deliver on that ambition.” A copy ...
[103]
Crafty Crofters open visitor experiences in the Highlands... - News
Jan 22, 2025 · Crofters in the Highlands and Islands are seizing opportunities presented by the boom in agritourism by opening up their crofts as visitor experiences.
[104]
Full article: Effect of public subsidies on farm technical efficiency
Jul 12, 2016 · We find that, in the empirical literature, subsidies are commonly negatively associated with farm technical efficiency.
[105]
[PDF] Support for Crofting
In such a system, crofting as a whole receives a low average payment per ha. ... low environmental performance is in part paid by crofters. Crofting's ...
[106]
Crofting: national development plan - gov.scot
Mar 18, 2021 · By spring 2021, the Commission will have conducted a study of the registration of common grazings, in order to review the challenges and ...<|separator|>
[107]
Crofting and Scottish Land Court Bill: business and regulatory ...
Jun 3, 2025 · Grazings committees also have a responsibility to give notice to each crofter sharing in the common grazing of any proposal to carry out ...<|separator|>
[108]
Community Rights to Buy: overview - gov.scot
Sep 26, 2024 · It is a compulsory purchase right that allows crofting communities to apply for the right to buy eligible croft land, whether the owner wishes to sell or not.
[109]
Almost one quarter of Scottish crofts under community control
Jul 10, 2024 · ALMOST 25 per cent of Scotland's 21,000 crofts are now on community-owned land, the Scottish Crofting Federation has announced.Missing: cooperatives | Show results with:cooperatives
[110]
Our Story - Community Land Scotland
We have 140 member organisations across Scotland, ranging from community landowners of major crofting estates in the Western Isles to inner city community ...
[111]
Languages | Scotland's Census
Feb 4, 2025 · Overall, 0.5% of adults in Scotland said they spoke Gaelic at home. The number of people able to speak Gaelic decreased between 2001 and 2011 ...
[112]
https://www.crofting.scotland.gov.uk/userfiles/file/glp/crofting-commission-glp-2020-2025-final-english.docx
[113]
Full article: Scottish Crofting and an Alternative to Capitalism
Sep 17, 2024 · Footnote In 2019 there were 20,867 crofts in Scotland with over 33,000 people living in them. Each croft is a small unit of land of which a ...
[114]
What is a crofter, and why our staff and students should know… - Blogs
Oct 10, 2022 · It has also proved instrumental in preserving our Gaelic culture and language. It made me think that as veterinary educators in Scotland's ...<|control11|><|separator|>
[115]
2. Profile of crofters - Economic conditions of crofting 2015-18: survey
Dec 18, 2018 · 2.3 The age profile of crofters is older than the wider population – just under half (45%) are aged 65 and over, while only 3% are aged under 35 ...
[116]
[PDF] Crofting Succession Research Paper - December 2024
Croft succession is passing on a croft, often when the crofter dies or is unable to work it. 54% of crofters have a plan, mostly family members, and 77% become ...Missing: issues | Show results with:issues
[117]
The Challenge of Neglected Crofts - The Orkney News
Dec 5, 2022 · The Crofting Commission were notified of 1289 crofters across Scotland who did not comply with their Crofting Duties in 2020, with 70% of ...Missing: statistics | Show results with:statistics
[118]
Crofting Commission launch information drop to prepare families for ...
Jul 17, 2025 · Nearly 12000 crofters across Scotland are receiving information packs to their homes.
[119]
Court challenge to dismissal of Lewis grazings committee - BBC News
May 4, 2016 · Upper Coll grazings committee has been dismissed by the Crofting Commission due to a perceived failure to provide audited accounts. Former ...
[120]
Pressure grows on Crofting Commission as row over committees ...
Apr 28, 2016 · One of the grazings committees, in Mangersta on the Outer Hebrides, has now accused the commission of "appalling" behaviour while a legal expert ...
[121]
Government-ordered review of Crofting Commission under way - BBC
Nov 7, 2016 · The dispute concerned the running of common grazings, areas of land shared by crofters to raise livestock. The row has also seen the commission ...
[122]
An elective despotism is not the Crofting Commission we fought for
Oct 13, 2016 · Thomas Jefferson said: An elective despotism is not the government we fought for. This week the Scottish Crofting Federation called the ...
[123]
Law Society of Scotland calls for action to reform crofting law
Oct 26, 2020 · “Crofting law has developed over time in a piecemeal fashion by the passing of a number of Acts and is a complex and difficult area of the law.
[124]
[PDF] SCF response to the Crofting Reform (Scotland) Bill consultation
Building developments on in-bye and the associated speculation in croft land is seen by many to be symptomatic of a failing regulatory system. Making the ...Missing: overreach | Show results with:overreach
[125]
'Significant weaknesses' found at Crofting Commission
Oct 14, 2021 · A report by the Auditor General has found "significant weaknesses" in leadership and governance at the Crofting Commission.
[126]
Scotland's Crofting Commission is dysfunctional and weak, say MSPs
Feb 20, 2022 · Scotland's Crofting Commission is dysfunctional with "unacceptable weakness" in its leadership, a Holyrood committee has warned.Missing: criticisms | Show results with:criticisms
[127]
MSPs concerned by persistent weaknesses in leadership and ...
MSPs concerned by persistent weaknesses in leadership and governance at Crofting Commission. 21 February 2022. Holyrood's Public Audit Committee is extremely ...Missing: shortcomings | Show results with:shortcomings
[128]
'Worrying failures' at Scottish Crofting Commission - BBC News
Feb 10, 2017 · Scottish ministers have demanded "urgent action" after a report highlighted "worrying failures" at the Crofting Commission.Missing: overreach | Show results with:overreach
[129]
Crofting Regulation shown to have its limits in the Isle of Harris
Sep 21, 2021 · The Crofting Commission had received some criticism for being unable to intervene. The nub of this though is that ultimately the Commission ...Missing: overreach | Show results with:overreach<|separator|>
[130]
Economic conditions of crofting: survey 2019 to 2022 - gov.scot
Dec 22, 2022 · Financial issues in crofting · In terms of income from crofting activities, 53% had made less than £10,001 and 38% had made no income.
[131]
[PDF] 21st century crofting: Strengths and opportunities for community ...
This course covered topics such as histori- cal and contemporary Scottish culture, rural community-development practices, and qualitative research methods. Upon ...Missing: adaptations | Show results with:adaptations
[132]
Crofting: Cutting Edge Tradition - BiGGAR Economics
Sep 25, 2024 · Every £1 in direct impact generated by crofting generates £19 in indirect and wider economic benefits. Far from being a drain on the public ...
[133]
Crofting: national development plan - gov.scot
Mar 18, 2021 · This National Development Plan seeks to set out how crofting can help address many of the issues facing rural and island life in Scotland.Missing: debates | Show results with:debates
[134]
The missed opportunity on crofting reform - Stornoway Gazette
Jan 14, 2024 · Among a host of radical recommendations, the Shucksmith Report called for crofting regulation to be devolved to a local level. The New Year ...
[135]
[PDF] Crofting Consultation 2024: Proposals for Crofting Law Reform
The Law Society of. Scotland has advocated for modernising the legal framework relating to crofting for many years, including publishing a paper on Crofting Law ...Missing: debates modernizing
[136]
Spaces of well-being: Social crofting in rural Scotland - ScienceDirect
This research examines the interconnection between rural development, wellbeing and agriculture in Scotland through a qualitative study of 'social crofting'.
[137]
Decision: Archie MacKinnon v The Crofting Commission
The Commission had carried out the required balancing act, weighing the rebuttable presumption in favour of decrofting where there was reasonable purpose ...
[138]
News | Crofting Commission
Nov 9, 2016 · “The Commission decided that approving the decrofting of a large part of the croft would have had a substantially detrimental impact on the ...
[139]
Agriculture: Crofting disputes: some first principles
Sep 20, 2021 · Discussion of two crofting cases, one on settling a long-dormant boundary issue, and the other on the proceeds for reletting a vacant croft.
[140]
Crofting Commission appeals to Court of Session over decrofting ...
Jan 19, 2015 · Their application to decroft land at North Ballachulish for house building had been rejected by the Crofting Commission because it did not have ...
[141]
Crofting Commission abandons decrofting appeal
Feb 16, 2015 · The Commission has withdrawn its appeal against the Land Court's decision of 18 December 2014 in MacGillivray v Crofting Commission.Missing: disputes | Show results with:disputes
[142]
SCF Response to Crofting Bill Consultation
Sep 3, 2024 · Some of the rationale for the Crofting Commission not overseeing assignations is premised on the view that there is little evidence in advance ...Missing: bureaucracy | Show results with:bureaucracy
[143]
Multiple tenancies show the crofting system is failing hopelessly
Oct 20, 2014 · ... system is hopelessly failing. The Crofting Commission and others blame all the problems of crofting on a group called "absentees", a ...
[144]
[PDF] Property rights and human rights in Scottish land reform. In
The first human rights challenge to land reform concerned the crofting community right to buy provided by Part 3 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003. The ...<|separator|>
[145]
A hundred years' regulation has failed to change crofting&apos
May 15, 1998 · Land reform is marginal to the fundamental problems of crofting, which derive from the barren soil, the unforgiving climate and the dominating ...
[146]
Crofting law reform – The Crofting and Scottish Land Court Bill 2025
Aug 28, 2025 · The Bill proposes reforms to crofting legislation, including environmental use, owner-occupied croft transfers, and changes to the Crofting ...Missing: framework | Show results with:framework
[147]
Crofting law reform proposals: consultation analysis - gov.scot
Nov 15, 2024 · Assess each case on merit. Decrofting applications should be assessed on individual merit, according to some. Suggestions included making it a ...
[148]
Latest - Agricultural holdings including crofting and small landholdings
Crofting law reform proposals 2024: consultation We are inviting views by 2 September 2024, on proposals for changes and simplifications to crofting law. ...
[149]
Crofting Consultation 2024 – reaction on the road to reform
Dec 3, 2024 · The Scottish Government's Crofting Consultation 2024 – Proposals for Crofting Law Reform closed on 2 September 2024 and analysis of the 163 ...
[150]
[PDF] Crofting and Scottish Land Court Bill
Sep 24, 2025 · ... Scotland in · June 2021. 8. The policy memorandum states that the Bill aims to strengthen crofting in seven key areas: • crofting communities.
[151]
Crofting and Scottish Land Court Bill published - gov.scot
Jun 3, 2025 · The Crofting and Scottish Land Court Bill will simplify legislation to make crofting regulation less onerous.
[152]
NFU Scotland Welcomes Publication of Crofting Bill
Jun 4, 2025 · The Bill is in two parts. The first, proposed changes to crofting law, including to the Crofting Commission, common grazing and the Crofting ...
[153]
Committee seeks views on crofting legislation in Scotland
Jun 13, 2025 · empower the Crofting Commission to tackle breaches of duty through streamlined processes, and;; resolve crofting regulatory issues more quickly ...Missing: bureaucracy | Show results with:bureaucracy
[154]
Crofters call for stronger deer culling provisions in Natural ...
We are asking Scottish Government to amend Part 4 of the Natural Environment Bill on deer management in Section 26 of the Deer (Scotland) 1996 Act to allow the ...
[155]
Part One of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill – as amended at Stage 2.
Aug 11, 2025 · Further changes to the framework for the proposed transfer test and pre-notification requirements to expressly focus on the public interest.
[156]
Projects - Scottish Crofting Federation
The Croft Woodlands Project offers free advice and support to crofters, common grazings and the wider crofting community to create new, mixed woodland and ...Missing: adaptation | Show results with:adaptation
[157]
Scottish Crofting Federation delivering “Crofting for the Future ...
Oct 31, 2024 · The Scottish Crofting Federation is delighted to be offering a programme of crofter-focused, crofter-led training events over the next few months.
[158]
Case study: Adapting Tiree to the Impacts of Climate Change
Nov 12, 2024 · Exploring ways to work with nature to adapt to the impacts of climate change in Tiree, with a focus on coastal erosion.<|separator|>
[159]
3.0 Conclusion - Less Favoured Area (LFA) farmers and crofters
Jul 10, 2025 · Research report exploring LFA farmers' uptake of sustainable practices in Scotland, identifying key motivators, barriers, and support needs to inform future ...
[160]
[PDF] BUSINESS PLAN 2025/26 - crofting.scotland.gov.uk
As a result of this we have terminated 24 croft tenancies since 2020, thus affording the opportunity for new entrants to take up crofting. Alongside this we ...