Crofting Matters

Hello and welcome to Crofting Matters, hosted by Siobhan Macdonald, and this is the Farm Advisory Service series where we discuss topics that matter in crofting. For this episode, we’re heading north to the wild and windswept Shetland isles to explore the unique world of island crofting and the remarkable resilience of Shetland’s crofters. Join Siobhan Macdonald and Osla Jamwal Fraser as they dive into the opportunities and challenges of farming on the archipelago — from the advantages of geographic isolation for maintaining high-health livestock schemes, to the realities of costly transport links and long ferry crossings. With Osla at the helm of the series for 2026, we will uncover some of Shetland’s most fascinating agricultural stories and industries, including its iconic Shetland sheep, world-famous wool, native ponies, and even the surprising rise of spaceports among the islands’ rugged landscapes. This is a journey into innovation, tradition, and life at the edge of the North Sea. Thanks for joining us for this episode of Crofting Matters. If you’d like to find out more about you can find the link in the show notes. This episode was presented by Siobhan Macdonald produced by Kerry Hammond and edited by Kieron Sim, in association with the Scottish Government. FAS Resources: Scottish Land Matching Service Shetland Livestock Marketing Group Crofting Commission For more information, visit www.FAS.scot Twitter: @FASScot Facebook: @FASScot National Advice Hub Phone: 0300 323 0161 Email: advice@fas.scot

In this special two-part edition of Crofting Matters, “Crofting Through the Seasons”, we take you back to Spring/Summer last year, where Ross Mackenzie visited the Staffin Sheepdog Trials, a hugely popular event in Trotternish, on the Isle of Skye. Sheepdog trials are deeply rooted in crofting culture, normally held during the summer months, these trials are a significant part of the identity of crofting over the last century. Also in this episode, Ross joins a group of 30 Crofters who travelled to Wicklow, (south of Dublin) in Ireland last Spring, on the second trip of a Scottish Farm Advisory Service Learning Journey, funded by the Scottish Government, which supported 55 Scottish Crofters (over two trips) to learn about Irish systems, and how Irish farmers make a living from small units.Thanks for listening to this special two-part edition, Crofting Through the Seasons, Spring & Summer. You can find part 2 of Crofting Through The Seasons, Autumn & Winter right now. wherever you normally listen.This episode was hosted and produced by Kerry Hammond and was edited by Kieron Sim as part of Scotland’s Farm Advisory Service, in association with the Scottish Government.For more information, visit www.FAS.scotFacebook: @FASScotNational Advice HubPhone: 0300 323 0161Email: advice@fas.scot

Welcome back to Crofting Matters. On today’s episode, Siobhan is joined by Graham Fraser (SAC Lerwick) to discuss an often asked question – how to start up a croft, smallholding or farming business. The Farm Advisory Service has an Advice Line – free to call or email for advice.  Every year the team receives lots of questions about starting up a farming business.  It can be tricky to get a croft, but tenancies and purchases do come up so if you are looking for an opportunity, then this will help you understand the process when it happens.Graham and Siobhan talk about setting up an agricultural business with particular emphasis on crofting and chat through some of the questions they have received through the advice line.Timestamps: 01.07   Starting up in crofting – things to consider03.09   Owner occupier, tenancy and assignation explained 05.14  Land that goes with a croft08.39  Common grazing shares10.05    The 3 duties of a crofter12.39   Common grazing responsibilities13.45   Subsidies and grants that a new crofter could be eligible for 18.13   Preparing for Sustainable Farming (PSF)19.33  Applying for BPS (Basic payment Scheme) & LFASS (Less Favoured Area Support Scheme)20.31  Getting a BRN (Business Refence Number)27.36   Numbers of livestock on a common grazing 29.23  Keeping livestock for the first time30.56  Getting your own flock/herd number33.01   Getting registered and set up – the order of eventsFAS ResourcesFAS - New Entrants -Getting StartedFAS Introduction to crofting - Gaelic FAS -Introduction to crofting - English Other Resources Highlands and Islands Enterprise(business support)Scottish Enterprise(business support)  CroftingRegister Welcome| Crofting CommissionRuralPayments and ServicesAnimaland Plant Health Agency - GOV.UKPreparingfor Sustainable Farming For more information, visit www.FAS.scotFacebook: @FASScotNational Advice HubPhone: 0300 323 0161Email: advice@fas.scot

Thinking of diversification projects on the croft?  Hear from two entrepreneurs who have set up shops, campsites and tours in Uist, and are managing to bring in tourists and have a healthy footfall.  They discuss the issues with funding on croftland, ferries, finishing animals, abattoirs, Instagram posts, Scottish Agritourism, and Enterprise agency support. Anne MacLellan runs Balranald Campsite, the Dunes Cabin, a catering business, a new self-service vending machine with fresh veg and fish, and a self-catering cottage and a pod.  Lyndsay Robertson and DJ run Long Island Retreats, with a shop of local and islands produce and offer immersive tours of the croft and machair to UK and international travellers.  Related FAS Resourceshttps://www.fas.scot/article/diversification-on-a-shoestring/FAS TV Series 5 Episode 9 - Supporting Crofting with Diversification - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrYYHOqkQbIOther Related ResourcesBusiness support from:https://www.hie.co.uk/https://www.scottish-enterprise.com/

A game changer for sheep on hill grazings?   It’s very tricky to castrate and tail lambs within 7 days unless lambs are born inbye.  Could two new techniques, that allow castration and tailing up to 3 months of age, not only reduce pain levels in lambs, but allow better and easier management on commons and hills? The all-important intake of colostrum and bonding of ewe and lamb can be disrupted by tailing and castrating.  Changing timings, so that one or other is carried out when the lamb is older, perhaps alongside other treatments such as vaccination or worming, reduces mismothering, and could be more efficient.  The Animal Welfare Committee (AWC) report on tail docking and castration of lambs (2022) recommends that effective anaesthesia and analgesia should be used routinely for castration and tail docking of lambs, when the methods used are likely to cause significant pain.  In recent years new equipment that can reduce the pain associated with tailing and castrating have been developed. Numnuts and Clipfitter are now more widely available and have been shown to have welfare benefits when used for tailing and castrating.   In Scotland, the Government has allowed these techniques to be used beyond 7 days of age.   Here we discuss the two products: techniques, benefits and drawbacks, costs and practicalities for use with lambs and calves. Subscribe to hear more about the project when we report on crofter’s experiences of using the products.  Related Resources:Watch our webinar recording where we look at how three farmers are using different methods and approaches to tail docking and castration Webinar - Sustainable Sheep Systems - Tail Docking and CastrationTechnical Note (TN679): Castration and Tail Docking of Lambs Using clipfitter in practice:Using Clips for Castration and Tails FAS TV - Tail Docking and Castration in Lambs

Support is changing, and although not all details are clear, crofters claiming subsidy need to have specific items and plans in place by next spring.  Listen in to hear the essential information you need for next year’s Basic Payment Scheme claim.   We simplify one aspect of the new system, which is called the Whole Farm Plan.  The WFP is actually made up of 5 different parts, of which 2 need to be in place next year, by the 15th May 2025.  We discuss the most sensible and easiest routes for crofters to prepare. The changes have come about as our subsidy system evolves outwith the EU.  The new support system is in four Tiers, with the familiar Basic Payment Scheme in Tier 1.  The Whole Farm Plan will affect Tier 1 Basic Payment Scheme.  We will cover the other Tiers in future podcasts as more details are released and we understand the impact on crofting, so please subscribe to keep up to date.Related FAS Resources Preparing For The Future | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)  Crofts & Small Farms resources for farmers from Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)Crofting Businesses: Carbon Audits and Preparing For Sustainable Farming | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)Preparing Small Farms and Crofts for 2025 and Beyond - Events

This episode hears from 2 crofters with two different routes into crofting. In this episode we discuss how they gained their croft, what they found were barriers, and hints and tips for aspiring or new crofters.  I’m delighted to be joined by Derek Dick, who is a relatively new crofter in Berneray, and Angus Ferguson, who is an experienced crofter in North Uist. Linked FAS resources: Crofting Discussion Groups | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)Succession Planning – Crofting | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)Crofting Legislation | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)

Gary Campbell is our guest this week. Gary is the new Chief Executive of the Crofting Commission, having just started his role in January this year. With a background working in both the public and private sectors he talks us through his previous roles, his own family crofting story, what he is planning to achieve in his new CE role and his vision for the Crofting Commission. Related FAS Resources: Crofting & Smallholders Guide to OrganisationsSuccession Planning – Crofting | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)Crofting Legislation | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)

Don’t miss out on the current schemes which boost income and improve animal and soil health! We discuss the PSF scheme, the future of subsidy, recent changes to the Croft House Grant and what we should all do now to prepare for the 2025 change. We cover:  What the term ‘conditionality’ means PSF Animal Health & Welfare EligibilityHow to carry out and how to claimBenefits of animal health Soil sampling  Carbon auditsWhat do we know so far What is Just Transition What are the Tiers BPSWhole Farm PlanHabitat assessmentsGrazing sharesBeef calf schemeScoteid My herd stats CHGS changesTop tips to prepare for 2025 – FAS biodiversity audits, carbon audits, psf scheme  Related FAS ResourcesCrofting Businesses: Carbon Audits and Preparing For Sustainable Farming | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)The Croft House Grant Scheme | Information helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)Crofter’s Fuel Poverty – Improving the Existing Housing Stock | Information helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)Other Related ResourcesPreparing for Sustainable Farming Support (ruralpayments.org)Croft House Grant (ruralpayments.org)MyHerdStats Information Guide - ScotEID Library (dozuki.com)

It might not sound that interesting, but, especially these days, understanding what you can and should be doing with accounts and tax is important to save unnecessary expense and keep within the law. Margi Campbell, an expert in tax and vat, gives some insight into what crofters can do to improve their finances. It’s a confusing topic, but in this podcast we chat about the different terms, and what they mean in practice for crofters who are self-employed or employed, or vat registered or not. In this episode, we cover:Do crofters need to do tax returns? Is an accountant needed to prepare accounts? What are audited accounts? How much could a set of accounts cost? What is a sole trader, why would you be one, what tax do you pay, can you be vat registered?  What are partnerships and Limited companies? What do the terms Incorporated/unincorporated mean? What is the effect of the 5 year rule for hobby farms? What items are tax deductible? Can you offset your income with the cost of buildings, such as a shed? What about smaller kit and tools? The best way to keep records, VAT, MTD, can you keep everything on paper/programme? What is the Herd basis? Who gets taxed through a Sheep Stock Club? Who pays tax from Common Grazing income? What should you do if you are starting up? Top tips FAS Resources: Women in Agriculture, Balivanich: Why Keep Accounts? Bookkeeping and Farm Accounts | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)Other Links:You can contact Margi through LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaretcampbellinverness Or at www.Saffery.com Also listen to Margi’s story on Episode 6 - Margi Campbell - Women In Wellies | Acast 

Getting a croft isn't easy, whether you are new to agriculture or have been working in crofting all your days. In this episode, Siobhan Macdonald and Graham Fraser discuss how to get a croft, types of tenure, what to be aware of and how to keep a croft.   We cover:  How much does a croft cost?  What is the difference between assignation of a tenancy and buying an owner occupied croft?  Financing the purchase Responsibilities and duties of a crofter Avoiding becoming landlord of a vacant croft Lets of owner–occupied crofts Decrofting & Resumptions Bareland crofts  Where to look for crofts?   Shares and deemed crofts Contributions to the CG maintenance Sub-lets Creation of new crofts Linked FAS Resources Crofting Legislation | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)Other Useful ResourcesRegister of Crofts | Crofting Commission (scotland.gov.uk)About crofting - Scottish Crofting FederationWoodland Crofts | Supporting Lives & Livelihoods through Managing Woodland

If you are a new crofter, or new to buying livestock, we have some wise words from Sarah Balfour on what to think about and how to navigate the auction mart system. This is the time of year for sales of breeding cattle and sheep.  Sarah and Siobhan discuss disease risk, how to bid, different terms used, buying in guineas, how the auction mart works, and how to prepare. Linked FAS resources: New Entrants Guide to Buying and Selling at the Mart Practical Guide - https://www.fas.scot/downloads/a-guide-to-buying-and-selling-at-the-mart/ 

Crofting regulation, which covers what you can do with your croft land and how, is a tricky subject, full of acronyms and references to various Acts of Parliament.  For most crofters, the day-to-day croft work is unaffected by legislation.  It’s often only when crofts change that attention to the legislation is needed.  In this podcast, we discuss some of the most common scenarios.  Is there anything you need to do now or be prepared for? Linked FAS resources: Webpage on succession planning with a succession tool -https://www.fas.scot/succession-planning-crofting/ Webpage with cartoon videos explaining crofting legislation - https://www.fas.scot/rural-business/crofts-small-farms/crofting-legislation/