Plan to entice young families to Skye with promise of a crofting life is ‘immoral’

As someone who is having to relocate from Skye to Argyll in order to find a viable croft I read your article “Young families wanted to become crofters on Skye” (Scotsman Online, 24 November) with interest. However, it is not what it seems – this is little more than the use of crofting legislation to bypass planning regulations and create house plots. The fact that the crofts are not viable was made clear to landowners Clan Donald and to the Crofting Commission at a meeting with local crofters.

A survey of the original proposal suggested that the land could support at most a flock of 1.5 sheep – hardly viable. Additional land has been added to the crofts but this is of such poor quality it won’t make a significant difference to the viability. The Commission has allowed these house plots to be granted crofting status. The Crofting Commission are keen to see the creation of new crofts. The Clan Donald are desperate for cash. It appears in the creation of Gillean township their interests have aligned.

Clan Donald own hundreds of acres of fertile land yet are creating these crofts on land that has minimal fertility that would be unable to sustain a crofting business of any sort. If they really wished to support the local communities they would create viable crofts. The crofts are not purchased – they are rented. The £60,000 Clan Donald are asking for is for the right to sign a lease on a piece of land. This is immoral. They should only charge the costs of creating the crofts, as other landowning charities do, rather than continue to act as Lairds screwing their tenants out of every last penny. The Crofting Commission should stand up to this behaviour. The practice of landlords charging potential tenants such huge fees for the privilege of signing a lease is dubious. The Crofting Commission could, and should, challenge this and the Scottish Government should support them. Otherwise rural communities across the crofting counties will continue to struggle to survive.

ED PYBUS

Achnacloich Sleat, Isle of Skye