Isles MSP, Alasdair Allan, has requested an urgent meeting with incoming Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Connectivity, Fergus Ewing, to discuss the future of crofting in the Western Isles.
Specifically, he will raise the question of common grazings committees’ ability in future to hold funds.
This follows the Crofting Commission's controversial sacking of grazings committees in two Lewis villages and their replacement with outside grazing constables.
"Huge sense of anxiety" over Crofting Commission controversy
30 May 2016
Alasdair Allan highlighted he will highlight the "huge sense of anxiety" within crofting communities regarding the commission's actions.
“Grazings committees need to be able to hold, and make use of, common funds if they are to function effectively. If the implication of the Crofting Commission’s ruling is that virtually all the income many grazings committees have access to has to be distributed to individual shareholders, the precedent set here will make it very difficult for grazings committees to operate."
The MSP said the issue underlines just how complicated crofting law and grazing regulations have become.