News from 2014

On the 26 November 2014, the First Minister, as part of the Programme for Government, announced plans to introduce a radical Land Reform Bill – consulting on proposals designed to achieve the aims of key recommendations from the Land Reform Review Group including: ...

SGRPID recently wrote to all farmers and crofters with regards to the classification of their land under the new CAP. It is important that these letters are read fully, if you have any concerns about the way your land is classified you must contact your local area office for a re...

The Crofting Commission is holding their second Assessor seminar on the 19 and 20 November 2014. Attendance at this year’s gathering in Inverness will top the 100 mark, with a great turn-out by Assessors, who cover areas across the length and breadth of the crofting countie...

At the end of October the Crofting Commission undertook an unprecedented data gathering exercise across the crofting community with over 18,000 Crofting Census forms sent out.  Crofters are legally obliged to complete the census forms and return them to the Crofting Commi...

The Crofting Commission is carrying out an unprecedented data gathering exercise across the crofting community. Following the implementation of the Crofting Reform (Scotland) Act 2010, the Crofting Commission has a duty to issue an annual notice to all tenant and owner-occupie...

The Crofting Commission is marking two significant milestones in the registration of crofts and common grazings. The Commission has received the first full registration for all common grazings within a single estate and the 600th croft has been registered on the Crofting Register...

A rural Scotland that is sustainable, outward looking and dynamic - with a diverse economy and active communities, where rural prosperity can increase in ways that make best use of all resources - is important to the Scottish Government. To assist in achieving this the Scott...

The Crofting Commission is carrying out an unprecedented data gathering exercise across the crofting community. Following the implementation of the Crofting Reform (Scotland) Act 2010, the Crofting Commission has a duty to issue the Crofting Census and Common Grazings Census, ...

Registers of Scotland (RoS) has announced the winner of their ‘click your croft’ photography competition.   Heather Gray of Shetland won with her photo ‘Hentin Totties’, which shows a family of all ages working the land.   The competition, ru...

Board representation for interests of landlords of crofts. Minister for the Environment and Climate Change Paul Wheelhouse today announced the appointment of David Campbell as Commissioner to represent the interests of landlords of crofts on the Board of the Crofting Commissio...

Earlier this year, Environment and Climate Change Minister Paul Wheelhouse MSP announced that efforts to encourage community applications to the Crofting Register were being stepped up.  The Minister announced that Registers of Scotland (RoS) would lead a project, jointly fu...

The consultation recently conducted by the Crofting Commission into the Duty to Report form has shown a surprising divergence of opinions. While some welcome the form and see it as their opportunity to report on the problems which affect their township, others are very negative,...

If you use pesticides then you will need to be aware of an important forthcoming change in the rules of pesticide use under the Grandfather Rights (GFRs) exemption. The GFR exemption currently allows anyone born before December 31, 1964 to use pesticides authorised for professio...

Registers of Scotland are inviting crofters and their families throughout Scotland to take part in a ‘click your croft’ photography competition. The competition, run in association with the Scottish Crofting Federation and the Crofting Commission, aims to find out ...

Scottish Ministers’ pledge following meeting with Scottish Crofting Federation The Scottish Government remains firmly committed to securing a sustainable future for crofting, Ministers have said.  The assurance was given by Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead ...

Less Favoured Area Scheme 2013 payments start   Thousands of hill farmers and crofters in Scotland’s most fragile and remote areas are set to receive vital support payments by the end of this week.   Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead has confirm...

The Crofting Commission have been contacted by numerous crofters following the recent press article “New effort to record working crofts in Scotland” and would like to clarify the position regarding the Annual Notice for Crofters and Owner Occupier Crofters. The...