Andrew Thin
@andrew_thin
Chair @CroftingScot Chair The Folio Trust (charity) Independent Prison Monitor @HMIPScot Cyclist, hill walker All opinions my own
Cycling in the south of England last week I came across several "crofts". What they don't have is the legislative framework to make these a useful tool for rural economic renewal. Another Scottish intellectual property export?
Ensuring compliance in crofting counties is one of the best ways to ensure Croft availability for folk wanting to actively croft
We are writing to 3,500 crofters who have failed to confirm that they are locally resident and using their croft. If you are one of them please take this seriously. More information and help at the link below. Thank you. crofting.scotland.gov.uk/annual-notice-…
We are writing to 3,500 crofters who have failed to confirm that they are locally resident and using their croft. If you are one of them please take this seriously. More information and help at the link below. Thank you. crofting.scotland.gov.uk/annual-notice-…
Came across this while cycling through Somerset this morning. I was tempted to check on residency.....
From the day we are born the bucket starts to get shallower. Set off this morning to do one of mine while (I think) I still can.
This is what needs to happen. A croft should not be an “asset” to sit on like any other capitalist possession. It should be a context of community in which to live with, if not entirely from, the land.
In the coming weeks 12,000 crofters will receive a "Succession Information Pack". We are inviting anyone who no longer works their croft to pass it on to a younger successor. Please don't let our young people down. Vibrant communities are seldom built on an ageing demographic.
Amidst the often inflated language and political rhetoric which passes for debate these days, some voices remain calmly persuasive and reassuring - here’s one I greatly admire 👇
A vibrant rural economy depends on young people being able to build a home and put down secure roots. Crofting tenure enables that to happen. If you have a croft but don't use it or live locally, please do the responsible thing and pass it on to someone who will. Thank you.
A vibrant rural economy depends on young people being able to build a home and put down secure roots. Crofting tenure enables that to happen. If you have a croft but don't use it or live locally, please do the responsible thing and pass it on to someone who will. Thank you.
Interviews for new @CroftingScot board members this week. Impressive high calibre shortlist. Change......
Come row on the canal this Sunday, 13th, 2 pm - 5 pm, opposite the Ashley Terrace boathouse. Walk-ups are available on the day, or book online: eucs.org.uk/rowing-boats/
Archivist Catherine joins a fantastic line-up at Glasgow Uni for ‘Interrogating the Napier Commission’ — a 2-day conference on the 1883 Royal Commission into Crofters & Cottars. Join in person or online via Eventbrite! #History #GlasgowUni eventbrite.com/cc/interrogati…
100 years ago emigrants from the N+W Scotland left to create a world class sheep industry in Patagonia. Today a lack of small bits of land on which to make a home again threatens to denude our rural communities of skills and young people. History lesson? johnogroat-journal.co.uk/news/my-dream-…
Around 3,500 crofters have not confirmed that they are living within 20 miles of their croft as required by law. That is a serious concern. Absentee crofters, like absentee landowners, seldom give rise to vibrant rural communities. Action required... bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…
Absentee crofters are not just breaking the law. They undermine the stability and vibrancy of crofting communities in some of the most fragile areas of rural Scotland. Time to get a grip... crofting.scotland.gov.uk/news/1-jul-202…
This is a serious incident and help is greatly appreciated. Can I just say thankful I am to all the keepers and land managers who are working hard to manage these wildfire alongside our @SFRSYourSafety . Please when visiting the countryside, be aware and avoid wildfire risks
🚨 Wildfire Alert – Volunteers Needed 🚨 Extreme wildfires in Morayshire (30.06.25) – urgent call for help with ATVs, fogging units, tractors with flails/water tanks. 📍 RVP: The Square, Grantown-on-Spey, PH26 3HG ⚠ DO NOT self-deploy – report via SFRS or local estate staff.
Huge thanks to everyone who helped promote the current vacancies on the @CroftingScot board. Excellent response. 20 applications - 10 women and 10 men. No shortage of good people inspired by the contemporary potential of this unique form of regulated land tenure. Onwards....
Crofting Act section 1 - "In exercising their functions the Commission must have regard to the desirability of supporting population retention in the crofting counties". Hard to do that if some crofters undermine local communities by declining to live locally. No longer......
Section 5AA of the Crofters Act requires that "a crofter must be ordinarily resident on or within 32 km of that crofter's croft". Important decisions taken by @CroftingScot board today to ensure that this is adhered to.
