Crofter's Duties

What are Crofter’s Duties?

Both tenant and owner-occupier crofters have a duty to:

• To be ordinarily resident on, or within 32 kilometres of their croft
• Cultivate and maintain the croft
• Not to misuse or neglect the croft

Misuse - This refers to a croft being used for something which is not considered as cultivation. Tenants require the consent of their landlord or, failing that, the Crofting Commission if they wish to put their croft to another purposeful use.

Neglect - This refers to the management of the croft which should meet the standards of Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC).

Cultivate - This refers to the croft being used for cultivation or put to another purposeful use. This includes horticulture, keeping livestock including poultry and bees, growing of crops and the planting of trees.

Maintain - This refers to the maintenance of the croft; to enable the croft to be cultivated it must be maintained in a fit state except where another purposeful use is incompatible with the croft being kept in such state.

Please note: only tenants require the consent of their landlord or, failing that, the Crofting Commission if they wish to put their croft to another purposeful use.