Consultation on croft bill closes

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The public consultation on planned reforms to Scotland's historic crofting industry is drawing to a close.

The Scottish Government said the draft Crofting Reform Bill would create a "stronger" future for communities.

But the plan has drawn criticism from Western Isles Council and the Scottish Crofting Foundation.

There are 17,725 crofts, mainly in the Highlands and Islands, and about 33,000 people living in crofting households, according to government figures.

The proposed legislation would toughen existing rules requiring crofters to live on or near the croft and work the land.

The bill would also bring in an improved crofting register to reduce disputes over boundaries and rights, as well as introducing area committees to encourage "transparency, democracy and accountability" in the sector.

Highland Clearances

But the crofting foundation has rejected large parts of the legislation - saying its members viewed the bill as too heavy on the enforcement of regulation, while raising concern existing incentives appeared to be under threat.

And Western Isles Council's crofting joint consultative committee said the new register and area committees were unsuitable.

Crofting legislation has its roots in the Napier Commission, set up in the late 1880s in response to demonstrations by tenants over high rents for land and evictions, that became known as the Highland Clearances.

Areas such as Strathconon, in Wester Ross, along with large parts of Easter Ross, Sutherland and the islands were cleared as landowners looked to improve their estates and profit from new enterprises such as industrial scale sheep farming.

Under the orders of Prime Minister William Gladstone, and backed by Royal approval, the commission was appointed in 1883.

Francis Napier, 10th Lord Napier and a former governor of Madras, was selected as chairman.

The final report was published in 1884 and led to the 1886 Crofters' Holding Act.

The current crofting bill came in the wake of an inquiry into the industry, led by Newcastle University professor, Mark Shucksmith.