Croftwork

Sir Crispin is currently an Honorary Research Fellow, University of Dundee Law Department and a legal convenor of the Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland and has had a long and distinguished career in law with a keen interest in crofting and land reform. He was in practise as an advocate from 1982 to 2020 and was appointed a Queens Counsel in 1995.  From the start of his career, he specialised in...

Together with Frank, Agnes lives and works on the family croft in the village of Galson. This croft, along with another they now tenant, was allotted to her grandparents when Galson was resettled in 1924 following the 1919 Land Settlement Act. (Galson had been cleared in 1863 by James Matheson, drug lord extraordinaire and was empty of people apart from the tenant farmer and his two shepherds).  T...

In this episode we discuss community owned crofting estates amongst other things with Sally Reynolds. Sally is a crofter from the Isle of Lewis and she currently leads Community Land Scotland's new Natural Capital Community Partnerships project. Sally's background includes experience working within the crofting sector with strong experience in community engagement and development. Sally previously...

In this episode we chat with Malcolm Combe, a senior lecturer in Scots private law at the University of Strathclyde, having arrived there by way of a stint in private practice followed by a position as a lecturer at the University of Aberdeen.  Malcolm grew up in Renfrewshire with strong Lewis connections; his Mother coming from Point where Malcolm spent family holidays in his younger years. Later...

John Toal comes from a crofting background in Lochaber and in 1985 he took on the role of grazings clerk and secretary of his local sheep stock club. In the same year the Scottish Crofters Union was formed, and John was directly involved in the formation of SCU branches and the area structure in Lochaber.  John was then branch secretary of the Lochaber branch, and became President of the Lochaber...

In this episode, Donna and Eilidh chat with Dr Lucy Beattie. Lucy is from Leckmelm, close to the village of Ullapool.  She has over 28 years of hands-on experience managing her own farming business and has also worked in education, teaching rural skills at Ullapool High and managing education projects for the Scottish Crofting Federation all over the Highlands and Islands.  Lucy took a break from...

In this episode we talk all things woodland crofting with Jamie McIntyre. Jamie is a freelance forester and community development worker based in Ardnamurchan, though most of his time is spent supporting the Woodland Crofts Partnership (of which SCF is one of 4 partners). He's had a long interest in smaller-scale, rural development forestry and in particular 'family forestry' models such as woodla...

In this episode we chat with Rhoda Meek. Rhoda is an entrepreneur, digital consultant and crofter based in the Isle of Tiree. Running Isle Develop CIC, and her own business, Meekton Enterprises, keeps her busy most of the time. From time to time she contracts for US Tech Startups, managing Customer Experience. At the moment she is doing Comms & Gaelic Development for the Tiree Community Developmen...

In this first full episode we chat to Andrew Thin, Chair of the Crofting Commission.   Andrew has been a board member of the Crofting Commission since September 2022. His hands-on practical experience of crofting dates back to the 1960s and previous public sector  roles have included Chair of the Cairngorms National Park Authority, Chair of Scottish National Heritage, Chair of Scottish Canals and...

In this short introductory podcast, meet the hosts, Donna Smith and Eilidh Ross, who explain how the podcast came about, what their respective interests in crofting are and what the Croftwork podcast series is going to be all about. Music credit: Peatbog Faeries