Constable to step down

A new grazings committee-designate elected by crofters in the village earlier this month is expected to take over when Mr Souter departs.

A report about Upper Coll grazings management from the constable was considered at a special meeting of the crofting regulator yesterday.

The commission said it encourages shareholders to work together in appointing a new grazings committee in line with crofting legislation.

However, the commission has been forced to admit it acted wrongly in sacking the committee and appointing the constable in the first place.

The Crofting Commission dismissed the elected grazings committee in April following in a row over the management of communal moorland.

The commission stated: "The Crofting Commission wishes to apologise for the way it has handled recent grazings committee cases.

"The decisions taken by the commission have created a poor result for everyone involved."

Upper Coll grazings constable to step down

29 September 2016

The grazings constable appointed to Upper Coll common grazings will be instructed to leave the role before his pre-arranged term in office is up, said the Crofters' Commission

Colin Souter will be stepping down "as soon as possible," said the crofting regulator.

He was due to carry on until the end of October but will now finish sooner than that date.