A consultation on crofting reform from the Scottish government will run until September 2, 2024, and is seeking views on a range of proposals.

The consultation seeks the public’s views on proposals on:

  • Entry to crofting;
  • Crofting communities;
  • Use of common grazings;
  • Strengthening residency and land use;
  • Enhanced Crofting Commission powers;
  • Simplifying crofting.

A programme of meetings will take place from July 3 to August 15, stretching from Oban to Shetland, on the consultation and its reforms.

Agriculture minister Jim Fairlie said: “Crofting has a special place in the cultural heritage of Scotland, and we want it to play its part in our future too.

“We want to ensure that legislation enables and supports the sustainability of crofting, crofters and crofting communities, while allowing for modernisation, innovation, diversification and adaptation to help meet today’s and tomorrow’s climate and environmental challenges.

“Crofting’s place in agriculture and food production will remain at the heart of the system, but alongside these we now see crofting playing an increasing role in tourism, renewable energy generation, forestry, peatland restoration, beekeeping and small-scale horticulture production.”

Fairlie said the consultation proposals range from relatively small technical changes to significant innovations and encouraged everyone with an interest to respond to the consultation or come to one of the meetings if they are able.

Meetings

All meetings will take place from 7:00p.m until 9:00p.m, with the exception of the meeting held in Tiree, which will take place from 5:00p.m until 7:00p.m.

The dates and locations of the meetings are:

  • July 3 – Kingsmills Hotel, Inverness IV2 3LP;
  • July 4 – The Park Hotel, Thurso KW14 8RE;
  • July 9- Macphail Centre, Ullapool IV26 2UN;
  • July 11 – Kinlochbervie Village Hall IV27 4RG;
  • July 17 – Portree Community Centre, Skye IV51 9BW;
  • July 18- Lairg Community Centre IV27 4DD;
  • July 22 – Mid-Yell Hall, Yell ZE2 9BN;
  • July 23- Mareel, Lerwick ZE1 0WQ;
  • July 29 – Spean Bridge Community Centre (Village Hall) PH34 4EZ;
  • July 30- Muthu Hotel, Oban PA34 5PZ;
  • July 31 – An Talla, Tiree PA77 6UP;
  • August 12 – Caladh Inn, Stornoway HS1 2QN;
  • August 13 – Talla Na Mara, Harris HS3 3AE;
  • August 14 – An Caladh, Balivanich, Benbecula HS7 5LA;
  • August 15 – Barra Learning Centre, Castlebay HS9 5XD.
CROFTERS SCOTLAND