Thousands of crofters miss annual reporting deadline

About 3,500 crofters have failed to submit legally required documents by a deadline set by the Crofting Commission.

The annual notice is a statutory requirement, designed to ensure crofters are living and working on the land. It also asks for information about maintenance.

The commission, the sector's regulatory body, said while the return rate had improved, the missing data limited its ability to get a full picture of crofting.

There are 21,000 crofts and 16,000 crofters in Scotland, many of them in Highlands, Western Isles and Argyll.

Commission chairman Andrew Thin said the figure was disappointing.

He said: "If 3,500 people aren't telling us where they're living, you have to ask if they have something to hide or if they're just confused. We don't know yet."

The rules state that crofters must live within 20 miles of their croft. They must also be using the land.

Mr Thin said the system was important.

He said: "The law is absolutely clear. If you don't fill in the annual notice, you will be fined.

"If you are not filling in your notice, because you're not living within 20 miles, you are letting your community down."

Donna Smith, chief executive of the Scottish Crofting Federation, said she was shocked by the figure, but suggested there could be a lack of understanding.

She said: "Maybe people don't understand that it's a legal requirement."

The Crofting Commission has urged crofters to familiarise themselves with their duties and ask for any assistance in completing the paperwork.