The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
‘Exceptional’ young crofter takes home prestigious award
Ayoung crofter from Assynt has been awarded the coveted Young Crofter Award by the Scottish Crofting Federation (SCF).
Struan MacDonald, 16, cares for various farm animals, including sheep, pigs and goats, in Achmelvich, Sutherland.
His efforts have been recognised by the SCF, who presented him with the Young Crofter Award.
Crofting is a traditional and respected way of life in the remote areas of the Scottish Highlands.
Typically crofters will preside over a piece of land and some livestock which they look after. It is integral to Scotland’s rural economy, with more than 20,000 crofters.
In the areas where crofting is a daily practice, it has shaped people for generations and has provided a strong sense of community and common purpose.
Mr MacDonald, at such a young age, has shown the next generation is interested and determined to carry on crofting into the future.
He said: “I feel very honoured to get this and hope it’s an inspiration to other young crofters.
“I aim to increase my livestock, get some cows and sell my meat locally.”
Donald MacKinnon, chairman of the SCF, said: “We had an extremely high calibre of entrants for this round of the SCF Young Crofter Award, which is generously supported by The MacRobert Trust.
“It is an inspiration to see young folk doing such a very wide variety of activities on their crofts, and they all fully deserve to be recognised for their efforts and enterprises.
“The judges certainly found what they were looking for – inspiration, enterprise, commitment and community involvement – in abundance.
“From the wide range of nominations, all very worthy ambassadors for crofting, we selected Struan for his exceptional commitment and enthusiasm.”
The future of crofting is moving towards more sustainable practices and helping to combat climate change while supporting the rural economy.
Crofting commissioner Mairi MacKenzie said: “It is extremely encouraging that there is so much enthusiasm, energy and innovation from the young crofters who were nominated for this award.
“The Crofting Commission acknowledge the huge contribution young crofting folk make to the sustainability of local communities, local food networks and population retention, especially in remote areas of the crofting counties.”