Why Is Crofting Becoming So Popular Among Young Scots?
Omar Malik
04/03/24
(Image Credit: Donald Macsween)
Scotland has seen a surge in young people and women taking on the crofting way of life, according to recent figures released by The Crofting Commission.
If you’re wondering what differentiates farming and crofting, The Crofting Commission defines the latter as “a system of landholding, which is unique to Scotland, and is an integral part of life in the Highlands & Islands. Crofting can deliver a wealth of benefits to crofters and the crofting communities.”
(Video Credit: Omar Malik)
But why the sudden shift from AI and Apple products to raising livestock and living in rurality? Blether Magazine spoke to established crofter and BBC Alba presenter Donald Macsween to find out more!
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Brought up into a crofting family in the Isle of Lewis, and surrounded by people from that same community, Macsween tells us that some of his earliest memories involve crofting and learning about lambing as a teen.
Following this early training, Macsween was then gifted one of his family’s two crofts for his twenty-first birthday.
(Image Credit: Donald Macsween)
Being fully committed to his crofting business since 2017, Macsween was soon awarded with the inaugural Young Crofter of the Year award.
He is evidently aware of the perks and challenges that come from being a young crofter.
Macsween is fully supportive of more young people and women getting invested in the crofting community: “It’s always good to get more people into crofting. The more young people you get into crofting, the better. It’s primarily about agriculture on the surface anyway.”
(Credit: The Crofting Commission)
Hoping for a gradually younger age group sharing agricultural power in Scotland, Macsween said: “Looking at the demographics of crofters, there are still far too many older people. They’re still active and holding onto their crofts - even though they aren’t doing all the daily work, they’re still the crofter.”
(Image Credit: Donald Macsween)
With housing issues impacting so many young Scots, Macsween understands the appeal of crofting to Gen Z: “Housing is a big factor and crofting gives people access to land, meaning they will be able to build a house in the community that they want to. And that’s really important.”
Macsween also believes that young crofters are essential to ensure a prosperous future for the industry: “It’s the families that tend to go with young crofters. Every community needs the people of working age, the kids that go to crofting community schools - all kinds of things that keep the communities alive.”
But the Lewis-based crofter warns that working hours may be a culture shock to many eager young Scots: “You don’t take time off. It’s not like having a day off. All you’re doing on a crofter’s break is looking at the same amount of work to do, but just fewer days in which you can do it. If I’m going away for the weekend, I have to do extra work each day before and after.”
(Image Credit: Donald Macsween)
It’s not going to be easy though. Macsween stresses just how detrimental one disease that spreads among livestock can be to a crofter: “Bird flu has been doing the rounds. It hit Lewis quite hard. At the beginning of August, I had 200 hens. At the end, I had zero as they got bird flu and they all had to be culled. There’s little that anybody can do to stop it.”
Animal welfare is central to many young people in Scotland. Yet the challenge of morals versus practicality could prove tricky, according to Macsween. “If you’ve got free range hens, it is very likely going to have an impact on you. If the bird flu gets in - that’s it done and they’re all dead.”
(Image Credit: Donald Macsween)
Despite technological advancements being developed for farming equipment, Macsween warns that no such technology can combat diseases such as bird flu: “In hindsight, I wouldn’t have free range if I was starting out again - I’d have barn hens. Keeping them inside would reduce the risk to them - but that risk is still not zero.”
Having other business ventures on the go when crofting is financially advisable, according to Macsween: “With the lambskin rugs I sell - I was seeing a product that was going to waste when I was taking lambs to slaughter. The philosophy behind that was trying to make more use of the animal. It’s the same thing with me selling Harris Tweed and wool.”
A post-COVID shakeup is partly to thank for the current crofting boom, Macsween tells Blether Magazine: “I think COVID and its food shortages would have been a wakeup call to a lot of people - and now the way the world is going, more and more people want to be a little bit more self-sufficient.”
(Image Credit: Donald Macsween)
Living in a coastal area, and within a crofting community, has its perks in terms of food security according to Macsween: “even if there was nothing left in the supermarket, we wouldn’t starve as we’ve got sheep, lambs and cattle that we could slaughter and eat. We’ve got fish on our doorstep that we can eat - and we can grow our own potatoes.”
The crofter’s business has gone global since reaching new heights in recent years: “the meat goes all over the UK - and I’ve sold other things like wool and other products which have gone to the USA, Canada, Australia, continental Europe - all over really.”
If Macsween’s insight has taught us anything - it’s that crofting can be a really lucrative business opportunity for those who desire a lifestyle shakeup (and can cope with the early mornings, late nights and smell of manure in their hair).