[Bert]

A quick bit of back ground to start. Basically I'm homeless (in temporary accommodation) and I know of an empty croft. Have asked lots of locales about it and can't get the same answer from any of them .
So really sorry here come lots of stupid questions  .
What is the law with renting a croft ? I know it's a bit odd. I've heard they won't rent out or even let the ground out for grazing because you would instantly have the right to buy?!? But then I've also heard you have to rent for ten years before you have the right to buy. Can't it be written into the contract that you can't buy? (unless they are willing to sell for £10 I couldn't afford it any way )
I've also heard that if they don't start using there croft it will be taken off them. What's that all about ? And is there any truth in it?


What classes as a working croft? Would it still be a croft if I just had a veggie patch (big one) and my chickens and quail or would I have to have four legged live stock?
Any advice would be great. Sorry again for the stupid questions.

[fiestyredhead331]

hi Bert 

as a crofter myself I can only tell you what I know.

It depends where the croft is and who the landlord is, ours is the Assynt Crofters Trust. You need to apply for a croft and be added to the waiting list (if there is one) but you can rent a croft from whoever the listed tenant is if you can find them 
you then have the croft rent to consider. Do you plan to stay in temp accom and work on the croft? Assuming its within reasonable distance of where you stay?
There are some issues going on at the moment regarding 'absentee' tenants but this takes years for the Crofter's Commission to sort, currently they are working on a list of people from 10 years + who are classed as absent, bearing in mind you should live within 32km from your croft, following link should be of some help to you.

http://www.crofting.scotland.gov.uk/faq.asp?q=32&catid=10

if you are successful in obtaining a croft then you are issued with that particular crofts CPH number which you need to register any livestock you may wish to keep on the croft which in turn gives you the problem of fencing the croft. Is there adequate fencing/boundaries?

Anyway don't want to bombard you with info at this stage, research into the ins & outs of crofting is the way to go, its not as easy and straight forward as it sounds I'm afraid. An empty croft may not be in fact 'empty' so you need to find out.
 Hope this helps

[Bert]

Thanks for the info fiestyredhead331
We are on the Isle of Mull. If we can find the right people to talk to we want to live on the croft. Don't know the size of the property or land only seen from a distance, the rest of it has just been local here say. But willing to try anything as we have to be out of our temporary accommodation by the end of March.

[fiestyredhead331]

http://www.crofting.org/index.php/argyll_region

here is the link Bert to your local crofting federation rep who may of some help to you

Is there property on the croft then? This will belong to someone, perhaps not the crofting tenant and would not necessarily be part of the croft as such, it may have been 'de-crofted' and will therefore not go with the croft, lots of grey area and red tape I'm afraid. So you could end up renting the croft land only which doesn't solve your immediate problem with housing unless you could put a static caravan on site?