Crofters (Scotland) Act 1993

20 Resumption of croft or part of croft by landlord

(1) The Land Court may, on the application of the landlord and on being satisfied that he desires to resume the croft, or part thereof, for some reasonable purpose having relation to the good of the croft or of the estate or to the public interest, authorise the resumption thereof by the landlord upon such terms and conditions as it may think fit, and may require the crofter to surrender his croft, in whole or in part, to the landlord accordingly, upon the landlord making adequate compensation to the crofter either by letting to him other land of equivalent value in the neighbourhood or by compensation in money or by way of an adjustment of rent or in such other manner as the Land Court may determine.

(2) A sum awarded as compensation under subsection (1) above shall, if the Land Court so determines, carry interest as from the date when such sum is payable at the same rate as would apply (in the absence of any such statement as is provided for in Rule 66 of the Act of Sederunt (Rules of Court, consolidation and amendment) 1965) in the case of decree or extract in an action commenced on that date in the Court of Session if interest were included in or exigible under that decree or extract.

(3) For the purposes of subsection (1) above “reasonable purpose” shall include—

(a) the using, letting or feuing of the land proposed to be resumed for—

(i) the building of dwellings;

(ii) small allotments;

(iii) harbours, piers, boat shelters or other like buildings;

(iv) churches or other places of religious worship;

(v) schools;

(vi) halls or community centres;

(vii) planting;

(viii) roads practicable for vehicular traffic from the croft or township to the public road or to the seashore; or

(ix) any other purpose likely to provide employment for crofters and others in the locality;

(b) the protection of an ancient monument or other object of historical or archaeological interest from injury or destruction.

(4) Where an application is made, with the consent of a majority of the persons sharing in a common grazing and with the approval of the Commission, for authority to resume any land forming part of the common grazing for the purpose of using, letting or otherwise disposing of it for the planting of trees, the Land Court shall not withhold its authority for such resumption.

(5) Where a grazings committee have, under section 48(4) of this Act, planted trees on land forming part of a common grazing, it shall not be competent for an application to be made under subsection (1) above in respect of that land while it continues to be used as woodlands.