Croft House Grants awarded

Over £948,000 has been awarded to help crofters in some of Scotland’s most rural and remote communities benefit from better housing.

29 crofters will share the funding which enables them to build or improve homes, helping to retain and attract people to rural communities.

Confirming the awards, Rural Economy Fergus Ewing said:

“High quality housing is essential for crofters and this round of awards will make a real difference to the 29 crofters and their families receiving a grant. Attracting people, particularly young families, to our most remote and rural communities is essential for their long-term sustainability. I am determined to help people live in crofting areas, where there are often few opportunities and the Croft House Grant has proved successful in doing just that.

“I have already increased the funding available through the grant scheme by £600,000. These grants enable more crofters to upgrade or build new properties helping them to fulfil their duty to live on or close to their croft. And they also help to boost the wider local economy, creating opportunities for local construction and trade businesses."

Background

Since 2007, over £16 million of grant payments have been awarded to over 800 crofters to build or improve their homes through the Croft House Grant Scheme. From 1 April 2016, changes made to the grant support mechanism included a significant increase in individual grants, with some crofters now eligible for £38,000 of funding.