Make sure you use your vote in the March crofting elections wisely
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COLUMN: From the Croft by Russell Smith
As expected, the good weather in January hasn’t lasted and we are into a period of snow showers and gales - but not too frosty which is a bit of a bonus.
If you thought that crofting was on the way out, then you haven’t seen the advert for an owner occupied croft on the west coast which is on the market for offers over £800,000.
Of course, the price is for the house rather than for the 27 acres of land.
I don’t know any more than is in the advert, but I do hope that the estate agents make any prospective buyers aware of their duties under crofting legislation – to live on or near the croft and work the land.
And I hope the Crofting Commission follow up on the new owners to make sure that they are fulfilling their duties and, if not, then suggest they put in a tenant. Owner occupied crofts should not be exempt from the regulations.
Or since the house is decrofted, then the current owners could sell in two lots - the house for a huge amount of money to anyone who can afford it and the croft at the rate for agricultural land which would be more affordable for a young family wanting to get established and maybe build a more modest house.
As always, plenty of work for the commission to administer what is a regulated system.
The closing date has now passed for nominations for the commission elections and it is good to see that people are still putting themselves forward.
All constituencies will be contested which is healthy. As far as I know, the Crofting Commission is the only such body to have a majority of elected representatives.
The key thing now is for the incoming commissioners to be properly briefed on their role.
The previous commissions seem to have got into difficulties because there has been a lack of clarity between the responsibilities of the commissioners and of the staff. Three conveners gave up the office in the last few years.
The Scottish Government also has a role to play as the sponsor department, especially in the legislative side of crofting – no one ever said it was straightforward.
The crofter’s role is simple – produce good food, look after the environment and ourselves and leave the land in a better state than we found it.
A smooth functioning commission will make all our lives easier and reduce the backlog of applications. Make sure you use your vote if you have one and vote wisely.
I took some sheep to Dingwall this month and trade was good, even through to the last lots which is where we were.
Lambs averaged £74.76 and the mart said “Smaller long keep lambs yet again look the dearest commodity on the market.”
I was pleased coming home with our best ever prices for cast ewes and for the ewe lambs that didn’t make the grade for stock replacements.
Then I checked back through the accounts to see that red diesel was 54p a litre last year and 81p this year – a 40 increase increase in 11 months. And that is just one example of price rises. So we need the extra money just to keep pace with increased costs. Is this a Covid or Brexit effect? - you decide.
Russell Smith is a crofter at Bonar Bridge and a director of the Scottish Crofting Federation.
