[LeanneR88]

Is there such a thing as registered crofts in Aberdeenshire?

[Rosemary]

No. Registered crofts are only found in the Crofting Counties - NW Highlands and Islands.

[LeanneR88]

No. Registered crofts are only found in the Crofting Counties - NW Highlands and Islands.

That's what I thought, but seen a house for sale in Turriff, Aberdeenshire and the estate agent has listed as it being a registered croft, yet no record of this online.

[Rosemary]

It's not.

[Scotsdumpy]

It's probably registered as a smallholding ie its got a cph number. This enables you to have farm animals on your land. Unfortunately,  some properties like these are mis-named as crofts as they aren't deemed as farms. Once upon a time maybe all littles plots were called crofts but these days a Croft is now a title given to properties as outlined above. They come with certain requirements.

[LeanneR88]

I have queried it with the selling agent but they are saying they now need to go investigate! Surely that should have been done before the listing was done!

[oor wullie]

There were a lot of crofts in Aberdeenshire however when the crofting act came in there was much debate about whether Aberdeenshire should be covered by the legislation.  Basically in those days (1880s) the government and those who influenced them were almost entirely landed gentry. In places like Sutherland where there was only 1 landowner it was hard for them to argue against it but in Aberdeenshire there were enough landowners who were able convince the gov that their interests took priority and crofting legislation shouldn't apply.

There are many properties in Aberdeenshire that carry the name Croft as they were (are) crofts but they were never granted the legal status.

Its now possible to create new crofts in some new areas but not Aberdeenshire so whatever the property advertised is it isn't a registered Croft.


I've never understood the term "registered smallholding". What does that mean?  Registered with who?  If it just means it has a CPH then why is that a selling point?  When I bought my land it didn't have a CPH - if I remember right it took 1 simple phonecall to get one so that's hardly a deal breaker.

[oor wullie]

Your probably right Scarlet Dragon but why don't they just say "includes SFP entitlements"?  That's how farmland would be described and makes it clear what is being talked about.


Yes there is a national reserve which I think is open for new entrants to get entitlements from (at least I did but I don't remember the process).

[doganjo]

When I was looking to move down to the central belt I looked at aplace with 2 and half acres - it was called Candie Croft - near Avonbridge

It's just a name, except in the Highlands.  It doesn't imply anything other than being more than a house with a garden.  Our place in Old Rayne, Aberdeenshire was known to all the neighbours as a croft, but it was originally part of a larger unit known as Bonnyton Croft