The Registers of Scotland: The Crofting Register

The Crofting Reform (Scotland) Act 2010, required the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland to establish and maintain a public register of crofts, common grazings, and land held in runrig. This register is different to the Crofting Commission Register of Crofts as it shows the boundaries of crofts and Common Grazings on a map.

The Crofting Register is not yet complete. Registration of croft land in the Crofting Register is required on certain events which are known as “trigger” events. Many of the applications made to the Crofting Commission are trigger events for first croft registration or updating already registered croft land.

Who should apply to register a croft for the first time and when, is dependent on the trigger event. For further information please see Who should register, and when - RoS Knowledge Base

The most commonly used forms in relation to croft registration are the First Registration (FORM A) application and the Subsequent Event (FORM B) application.

Each application to the crofting register should be accompanied by a map of the croft land boundary. For details of how to prepare a map of your croft and the correct form please refer to the Registers of Scotland website. Application forms for crofting - RoS Knowledge Base

Each application to the Crofting Register is subject to a fee, currently £90.

Most regulatory applications for unregistered crofts to the Crofting Commission cannot be progressed until a first croft registration application (FORM A) has been received. In cases where an application seeks to make a change to an already registered croft, the decision of the Crofting Commission is not “effected” (doesn’t come into effect) until a form is submitted to register that change following a Commission approval decision.

The following pages in this section explain the registration requirements for each of the different application types.