Croft carve-ups in focus after order to re-let Skye plots
CROFTING, which is essentially small-scale farming on a part-time basis in the more remote areas of Scotland, has always been tenuous as a commercial proposition.

Croft owners told land must be farmed
THE owners of a croft in Skye have been told to come up with plans to bring the land back into crofting use in a move seen as a test case in the battle to prevent sites being neglected or sold.

Crofts 'being priced out of locals' reach'
INCREASING demand and high prices are putting crofts out of the reach of local people, an inquiry into the future of crofting has found.

Landowner wants to ban public from 23,000 acres (so they won't be eaten by his wolves and bears)
A MILLIONAIRE landowner plans to ban ramblers from his Scottish estate once he opens a wildlife park, in the biggest challenge yet to the right to roam legislation.

Lamb-in-a-box to stop crofters being fleeced
IT IS a far cry from boil-in-the-bag. Hebridean crofters are offering online shoppers a £100 "lamb-in-a-box" in an effort to bypass the supermarkets.

Army base purchase shows 'right to buy' applies to more than just crofts
COMRIE Development Trust has completed its purchase of the former Cultybraggan army camp from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) - using the community right-to-buy provisions of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003.

Ma ane Heilan' hame
A CRACKDOWN on absentee crofters - some living as far away as the US or Australia - has resulted in more new blood in the industry.

Call for right-to-buy change to beat crofting speculators
LANDOWNERS have called for a change to right-to-buy laws to stop speculators selling off croft land for housing.

Arran pinpointed as best area for testing new Croft Reform Act
HAROLD Macmillan, one of the more successful prime ministers of the 20th century, said his paternal grandfather was a crofter who left his native Arran to escape the drudge and poverty of toiling the land.

The people versus Lord Strathnaver
IT SOUNDS like no contest. On the one hand, a small crofting community who want to buy the land on which they live; on the other, one of Scotland's best-known landowners who doesn't want to sell.

Call to extend land right-to-buy laws
LAND-REFORM legislation should be extended to give some communities the absolute right to buy the land where they live and work regardless of whether the owner wishes to sell, according to a former government minister.

Two quit over board's running of community isles estate
AN ACRIMONIOUS split has developed in the company set up following Scotland's largest community buy-out, with two leading directors resigning in protest.

Crofting laws failing to stop land sales on open market
FRESH calls have been made for the tightening up of crofting legislation to stop land being sold, amid fears over the erosion of the unique way of life.

New chief at crofting body
A SHETLAND councillor is to be the new chairman of the Crofters' Commission.

Experts selected to determine improved crofting plans
THE Scottish Executive yesterday announced the names of the experts who will conduct an inquiry into the future of crofting.



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