YOUNG people are bringing diversification to crofting communities and without that support in the future, people will leave the sector, according to a Highlands and Islands consultancy.

Iain MacMillan, agricultural consultant with SAC Consulting in Stornoway, said crofting delivers important social, economic and biodiversity from average holdings of around 5 hectares, and is the predominant form of land use on the Hebridean islands of Lewis and Harris.

He said that contrary to some expectations, the number of female and younger crofters entering the sector had risen in recent years, according to SAC Consulting, part of Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC).

“The young people are doing things differently and bringing diversification to our crofts,” he said.

“Crofters will need support in the future, because their fear is that without it, it will become a desert out here – people will leave.”

Donald MacSween is a crofter on the north west of Lewis with a mixed livestock enterprise, including pigs, poultry, sheep and cattle.

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The 36-year-old does not generate enough turnover to afford agricultural sheds, so uses grant-funded polyunits, such as polytunnels or Polycrubs – a polytunnel designed to withstand high wind speeds and harsh climates – as a cheaper and more diverse means of housing stock.

MacSween said: “It’s in the mindset of people to work together and I think that comes from the crofting history – we’ve always had to work together in order to make a living.

“It’s not about the economic benefit, the social benefit is key to keeping communities alive.”

Kenny MacKay, 29, a joiner by trade, runs 280 ewes on South Harris and is looking to build a house with support from the Croft House Grant scheme, which will help him to stay near his croft and maintain the vibrancy in this rural community.

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“Crofting is a way of life. Once it goes, there is no going back,” he said.

“I’m a joiner to trade. If I could croft every day and make a living, I would but there is no money in crofting. All the money coming in, goes back into the croft,”

Karen MacLeod and her husband John have a croft on the outskirts of Stornoway, and she has shied away from a conventional approach to crofting.

She takes an organic approach to her horticultural set-up and used a Polycrub to grow a range of crops, including grapes and a lemon tree. MacLeod said: “I was born in the wrong generation and I want to grow and produce my own food like the original crofters did here.

“I can confidently send my young children out to the Polycrub to get coriander or chives and know they will come back with it. It’s just second nature to them.”

The trio have all received advisory support from SAC Consulting, through the Scottish Farm Advisory Service.

Niall Campbell, SAC Consulting regional development manager North West, who is also a crofter near Oban, said: “Crofting has had a key influence over the landscape over the West Highlands for generations. As crofts are generally low input/low output systems, they often support excellent biodiversity. Crofting is also hugely important in keeping local economies going, such as feed merchants and in supplying breeding livestock to the rest of Scottish agriculture.”

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