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13 June 2025
Holyrood’s Rural Affairs & Islands Committee has today launched a call for views to ask people with knowledge of the crofting sector what they think about proposals set out in the Crofting and Scotland Land Court Bill.
The Scottish Government has committed to simplifying crofting law. This first phase of legislation seeks to “correct known anomalies” in the current legislation. The Scottish Government also acknowledges that a future conversation to consider more fundamental changes may be needed.
This phase 1 Bill would aim to:
The Bill would also merge the Scottish Land Court and Lands Tribunal for Scotland.
Launching the call for views, Committee Convener, Finlay Carson MSP, said;
“The Scottish Government is clear that, although more fundamental reform of crofting legislation may be required in the future, this more tightly focused Bill would “correct known anomalies” in crofting legislation.
“Our inquiry will look at these proposed corrections and we’re asking for your views on whether they will address some of the current difficulties in crofting law. “Will the proposals solve the problems they seek to address? What other changes are needed that are not included? And will merging the Scottish Land Court and Lands Tribunal for Scotland effect positive and necessary change?”
The Committee intends to take formal evidence on the Bill at Holyrood from September to November with a report to Parliament expected by the end of the year.
Members also hope to visit a crofting community as part of their scrutiny, to speak with crofters about how the Bill’s proposals would impact crofting communities.
The call for views will be open until Friday 5 September 2025.
Access the Crofting and Scottish Land Court Bill call for views
The Bill was introduced in the Scottish Parliament on 2 June 2025.
The Bill is split into two parts.
Part 1: aims to simplify legislation to make crofting regulation less onerous. It also aims to strengthen the role of grazing committees sharing common land and give farmers, and their communities, a greater say in how the land they work on is used.
Part 2: aims to create one cohesive body by bringing together the Scottish Land Court and the Lands Tribunal for Scotland.
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