[sandalfarm]

Hello, I have been without a holding for 18 months now because of moving to the frozen and beautiful north east from Yorkshire, where we had sandalfarm! You can read about sandalfarm at blogspot but since moving here, although following every possible avenue, we have been unable to find any land for crofting. Devastated! However, there are 3 chickens and a vegetable patch in our wee garden and the search goes on. Nice to meet all you lucky folk.

[Ina]

Hiya, and welcome!

[Bert]

Hi from the Isle of Mull 
 Grantown on Spey is beautiful I've holidayed up there a couple of time. Good luck finding somewhere    I know how you feel.

[lachlanandmarcus]

Hi Sandalfarm from near Aboyne!
Are you definitely settled in Grantown now so it has to be closeby? Are you looking to rent or buy? a proper croft with crofting terms  or just a piece of land? just asking so that peeps can look out for you locally?

[Hermit]

Hi from Shetland. You live in a beautiful town. I have holidayed there as well , the walks around 'the back' around the loch, curling ponds and woods are some of my favourite memories.

[Rosemary]

Hello and welcome from Carnoustie 

Yes, I agree that Grantown-on-Spey is lovely - a "proper" town 

[lachlanandmarcus]

AND they have a local abbatoir that even takes pigs - a rarity these days!

[Lesley Silvester]

Hi and welcome from Shropshire.

[darkbrowneggs]

Hello - and welcome from Worcestershire 

[sandalfarm]

Yes, its a lovely town and yes, we are settled here lachlandmarcus because we moved here to look after my dad and I'm back and forth to him twice a day. We would travel a bit for land but not too far because of the cost. The trouble is that all the land round here is owned by the Seafield estate and they will only sell land with planning permission and the CNPA are happy to allow development left right and centre (another issue!). I've advertised, written to local farms, had the property manager from the estate down...you name it. I had no idea it would be so hard.
Thanks for the welcome!

[lachlanandmarcus]

Might they agree to do a shorter term agreement (ie you might have to move to another spot if they got PP on the one you were on? it might be better than nothing. Or it might be worth advertising on the Landshare site run by the River cottage people - it is free.
Most of the land around us is owned by a couple of estates but thankfully our (very small) farm and a couple near it are the exception as they were sold off after WWII. Makes us very lucky.
What about getting the estate/grantown council to fund a community allotment garden with all the planning gain contributions they get (kick backs!) in return for all the planning permissions. Some of it is earmarked for schools but some is for community projects. eg in Tarland here there is one being  planned, funded by various grants but also by the developers who got PP for some houses?

[sabrina]

Hello and welcome from Gamrie 

[sandalfarm]

This site is lucky!! Can't believe it, after all my searching, a croft was advertised in the loacl paper and we've gone and agreed a sale. UNBELIEVABLE. I'm so excited. Only 3 acres but it will be ours and it has a barn and a steading and poossibility to rent more land. Lovelky position and only 2 miles from Grantown. I was beginning to think it would never happen! Oh me - oh my.

[sandalfarm]

And many thanks Lachlandmarcus. The allotments hit the buffers when the estate withdrew their aggreement after letting some land go for community use as part of the community woodland but then not agreeing to allotments. I'm not joking, they rule everything, including the CNPA. Nairn has a beautiful site donated by the council, all fenced with toilets, security fences, water taps, the lot. Its a tight ship here. However...this croft is part of a private farm, owned for 300 years by a family who now are not making a living from farming. I can't believe our luck! I resisted this site for so long as I couldn't face looking at everyone's happy small holding tales. After 5 days, I'm able to join in. Yippee.

[Brandi]

Congratulations - a very good start to 2013!