Holyrood Committee set to visit crofting communities on the Isle of Skye

The Committee are keen to speak with crofters directly about how the Bill’s proposals would impact crofting communities.

Members will visit a range of crofts over the two-day visit to get a broad understanding of the issues facing crofting today. They will meet crofters from the north-west to the south-east of the island, those who breed and produce meat and those who manage woodland, as well as hearing from a young crofter about their experiences.

Leader of the delegation and Committee Convener, Finlay Carson MSP and Members, Alisdair Allan MSP; Ariane Burgess MSP and Rhoda Grant MSP will all travel to Skye.

In advance of the visit Committee Convener, Finlay Carson MSP, said;

“For us to truly get to the heart of the issues facing the crofting community, it’s important that we get out and see how crofters' lives are being affected by the status quo and what measures they believe should be put in place to provide their sector with a sustainable future.

“We recognise that more fundamental reform of crofting law may be required in the future, but nonetheless, the proposals set out in this Bill must effect positive change that protects and enables an active crofting sector.”

The Scottish Government has committed to simplifying crofting law. This first phase of legislation seeks to “correct known anomalies” in the current legislation, whilst the Scottish Government acknowledges that a future conversation to consider more fundamental changes, may be needed.

This phase 1 Bill aims to:

• help more people become crofters and better support existing crofters and their activities and businesses;
• enable more and different activity to be undertaken on common grazings, including peatland restoration and other environmental initiatives;
• empower the Crofting Commission to tackle breaches of duty through streamlined processes, and;
• resolve crofting regulatory issues more quickly through new and revised powers for Crofting Commission.

The Bill would also merge the Scottish Land Court and Lands Tribunal for Scotland.

The Committee held a call for views on the bill over the summer recess period.

Read the published responses to the call for views

Formal evidence taking on the Bill will start on Wednesday 24 September when the Committee will hear from the Crofting Commission. The Committee then hopes to complete its scrutiny by end of November, with a report to Parliament expected by the end of the year.