I’ve had two emails asking why I haven’t written anything about the final report of the Crofting Inquiry, while The Croft linked here yesterday as part of a response to the report.
The simple answer is that I haven’t had time to do more than skim the Summary of Main Recommendations and read a couple of media reports, including the BBC’s very short summary and a more detailed report in the Press & Journal.
Once I’ve had time to read the report in more detail, I’ll write a considered response but that’s likely to be a couple of days away.
In the meantime, a few things stand out.
I think it’s a step in the right direction to require crofters to both reside on (or close by) their croft and to work the land.
I’m less certain about the proposed Local Crofting Boards as it was obvious when we were looking for a croft that, in some areas, people were not welcoming of incomers, particularly if they were seen to be taking land from locals.
Obviously, there needs to be a balanced approach to allocating crofting tenure to both locals and incomers, but if the new Crofting Boards have final say over who holds in a croft in their areas, then there is a danger of switching from one problematic system to another. (I need to look at this in more detail, and see what avenues of appeal are proposed.)
The Scottish Executive’s announcement that the islands of Arran, Bute and Cumbrae would be added to the crofting areas is also welcome, but I do get irritated by the description of Argyll, Caithness, Inverness, Orkney, Ross & Cromarty, Sutherland and Shetland as the six “traditional” crofting counties.
In fact, crofting was traditional to these areas and to Moray, Nairn, Banff, Aberdeenshire, Perth, Dunbartonshire and Bute prior prior to the original 1886 Crofting Act.
The act gave the six counties the legal status of being the officially recognised crofting areas, but at the expense of crofters elsewhere.
In Aberdeenshire’s case, it was narrowly excluded as a crofting county. If 17 MPs had voted differently in 1886, we’d be in an official crofting area.
I’d like to see crofting extended further as it would provide people like us with support and recognition for being prepared to maintain small-scale, traditional Scottish agriculture and land use. It would also support small communities.
I’d be more than happy to be required to live on the croft and work the land in return for that support and recognition.
Perhaps one day…
Until I’ve read the report in full, that’s the extent of my thoughts for now.
Recent Comments