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I wish there was more detail in this article.

Kadok, West End on 11:01pm today, Try this url: View the full report or watch a video summary of the Committee's recommendations delivered by the Chairman of the Committee, Professor Mark Shucksmith.12th May 2008 Stornoway. http://www.croftingi nquiry.org/Documents /final-report

Anything that revitalises crofting is to be encouraged vigorously. There are great swathes of the Highlands that, with care and good forward planning, can be repopulated, ultimately benefitting crofters, our heritage, [italic]and[/italic] our future as a nation.

The committee's KEY recommendations include: * Abolition of the Crofters' Commission and the creation of a new Federation of Local Crofting Boards * All croft houses are tied to residency * All sub-lets and tenancies should be approved by the Local Crofting Boards * Registers of Scotland should be responsible for maintaining the register of crofts * Reviewing agricultural subsidies including Single Farm Payment, the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme and the Crofting Countries Agricultural Grant Scheme Significant and radical reform i to be welcomed. Taken in tandem with the greater ability of Local Authorities to tax second homes higher than the current 90% Council tax would also help stem the loss of crofting land to holiday home development. I agree with kadok, this report really merit s a fuller feature piece in the Herald to look at the rpo's and conc's of the recommendations and suggest a Scottish Government reponse to each.

Thanks John F. I've had a quick read and I think this, if implemented, will be an economic disaster for the crofting areas. Only two houses to a croft. Non crofters to be housed in social housing. In effect, the landowners - the crofters - get protected and even more grants. Those with ambition who want to grow the economy and create jobs - but don't have a croft - get completely screwed and have their lives dictated to by a 'community develpment body'. The SNP - if they truly believe in economic growth as their priority - have to put this well-meaning but wooly, old-fashioned nonsense in the bin. The vast majority of Highlanders are not crofter. Like the cotters in 1886 they are being shafted. This is my initial reaction. I may change my mind after more detailed reading.

Wardog The Highlands are almost empty and these proposals seem designed to prevent millions of pounds of investment from coming into the Highlands through new housing and new people. It is verging on racist and sexist. Racist because it is the English that will be prevented from moving in and sexist because few women inherit crofts. This is what these proposals are designed to promote. It angers me that no account appears to have been taken of the huge number of jobs holiday homes and incomers create for young men especially in the rural Highlands. That's the joiners, brickies, plumbers, labourers etc. It also means old properties - that would otherwise fall into ruin - are transformed because someone from outside wants to make this investment. Are we really saying that the future for the most underpopulated, poorest parts of Europe is to prevent 'incomers' and decimate the private housing market while discrimating even more against those who are not lucky enough to inherit a croft. What is more infuriating is that it is the crofters themselves who are selling sites for £100,000 yet are pleading for even more rights, protection and grants. The status quo is not an option but this is not the answer. Just wait and see the scramble to flog off croft sites before any legislation comes in.

Kadok, West End on 12:15am today I'm not sure about this analysis Kadok. Like however, I'm still reading through the detail. Those that are not in designated crofts surely wouldn't be affected by any of these changes. The report aims to protect the areas that are already designated. [bold]Refer to Section 2.1.6 Crofting, Crofters and Crofting communities[/bold] seems to try to define the differences. Adding houses to a croft isn't really 'enterprise', that's 'over development' and generally happens when better off people come in to an area and by developing additional homes, invite the prices to rise thus preventing younger local people form being able to settle and develop an existence based on crofting. Clearly Social Housing with affordable rents has a huge part to play in allowing young people to stay in rural areas, especially areas of natural scenic beauty and tourism. As an aside but linked...... the draft proposals of LIT, allowing local Government to hike up business rate taxes on second homes is also to be welcomed - used wisely it will help curb the holiday home 'ghost towns' that plague Scotland during the winter months. Places like Crovie, Gardenstown, Pennan, Cullen and Findochty (finechty tae me) have a very high proportion of holiday homes that although bring business in summer months , decimate the place during the winter. It's getting late, will aim to finish the read tomorrow night.

Kadok, West End on 12:42am today I've no problem with people form anywhere outside these areas coming in and contributing, often disproportionately and to a good effect...... The issue is the ongoing 'holiday home' problem, this is killing rural Scotland, there is no doubt of that. I'd agree, 'crofters' and farmers are culpable with the great sell off and the decrofting of areas of their land in order to sell privately but this is more an indication of the lack of support than anything else. it'll be interesting to see the SNP's reaction to this and what recommendations they bring forward. I'd agree with you, the status quo must change Right, I'm off to bed, eyes are going together looking at this screen!

[quote]Professor Mark Shucksmith, the inquiry chairman, said a key theme of the plans was empowering crofting communities to take ownership and responsibility for their future. He said: "Our proposals are far-reaching and will require significant commitment and investment for changes in legislation, governance, procedures and practice."[/quote] Translation: You're on your own, we're divesting all responsibility for you and using the money elsewhere.

kadok, your analysis is ridiculous. crofting land represents a tiny, tiny fraction of land in the H&I's. The Highlands are empty because of the huge estates not because of crofting. Holiday homes create one off building jobs and then what? Nothing. Shops are not used, schools are not used, private sector is not used, public services are not used. How do holiday homes "grow the economy" in a sustainable, meaningful way? What is fair about local people (ironically including the very young builders and tradesmen you mention) being forced out of their home area by wealthy outsiders whose wealth totally displaces the housing market. your statement on sexism and racism is really too ridiculous Do you propose that wills should be subject to ant-sexist legislation? Racist? Holiday home owners from the west end of glasgow and the west end of edinburgh produce the same problems as other nationals: infrequent visitors investing in a highland plaything.

as the crofting areas empty of indiginous people and as hill sheep farmers sell off their flocks for want of young shepherds and their children emigrate to New Zealand , so does the "Crofting Life" grow, sustained not by production off the land but by ever incrasing publicly funded grant aids // cattle and sheep numbers are in serious decline in the Crofting Areas and the myth of a happy economy sustained by "Tourism" and "Bed and Breakfasts" and "Crafts" continues // an old derilict building with a superb view is for sale not far from me at £250,000 for the site,// it will sell for less but sell it will to an incomer who will build a house on it to serve his retirement, bring nothing but his pension to the "Crofting Community" // but it will go on iand on in the same old way , young people going away, old people moving in // oh well, cant be helped, there is no other answer // scorrie //

Keep the land in trust - as with community right to buy land. Then create "Community Partnership" LLP frameworks. (Glasgow have 3 "municipal" LLP's in use with at least two more to follow) and allow Crofters a right of indefinite occupation, for as long as they use the land and pay an agreed rental/tithe to the community. ie an "evergreen" lease. Any refurbished or new buildings etc on the land would constitute investment, not debt, and could constitute units in a major fund or Crofting "Land Pool" with a reasonable return, say 2 or 3% initially, but rising with inflation. Note that this investment may be made in money or "money's worth" of labour, materials etc. Such "Community Land Partnerships" are analogous to the US style "Community Land Trusts" apparently to be implemented by DTA Scotland and the Environment Trust. Unlike that otherwise excellent model the CLP involves neither conventional leases, nor costly loan finance (since no loan is repaid, and the return is below bank rates, because index-linked). We at the Nordic Enterprise Trust currently have a bid in with a partner for a 300 property pilot scheme. Fingers crossed...

[bold]ChrisCook, Linlithgow on 8:59am today[/bold] Hi Chris, do you have a website address for the Nordic Enterprise Trust The Community LLP framework sounds very interesting indeed.

That sounds like a practical and very sensible idea ChrisCook, I wish you well.