Croft creation

Information

In partnership with the Cross-Party Group on Crofting

In the late 19th century, crofting tenure was introduced to keep people on the land. Nowadays, Scotland still has one of the most concentrated patterns of land ownership in the world. Establishing new crofts can contribute to shifting dynamics, creating more access to land for more people. In times of accelerating climate crisis and rising political instability, could crofting be the answer to some of the most pressing problems? Does creating new crofts across Scotland contribute to resilient rural communities, short supply chains, and healthy diets, as well as restoring and enhancing biodiversity?

Chair: Rhoda Grant MSP, Co-Convener, Cross-Party Group on Crofting

Panellists: 

Donna Smith has been Chief Executive at the Scottish Crofting Federation since September 2023. Previous roles included deputy CEO at the Crofting Commission and senior business analyst in the Scottish Government rural payments and inspections division. Donna has also held voluntary roles including chair of mental health charity Mikeysline and president of Highland Business Women.

Hamish Trench is Chief Executive of the Scottish Land Commission, a public body providing leadership and advice on reforms to the ownership, management and use of land in Scotland. He is a former chartered surveyor with experience of land policy, management and research in the public and private sectors.

Cheryl McIntyre is a crofter on the Isle of Skye with a flock of 200 North Country Cheviot sheep and 10 Highland cows. She has worked with the Scottish Government as an agricultural officer, lectured on the rural skills course with the University of the Highlands and Islands, and currently teaches the same course at high school level.