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Croftwork

Croftwork

By: Donna Smith and Eilidh Ross
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 Each month Donna Smith, Chief Executive of the Scottish Crofting Federation and Eilidh Ross, Principal Consultant at Camus Consulting, will talk to guests about their connection to crofting, their views about the future of the crofting system and the proposed legal reforms to crofting legislation.2025 Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Episode 8 - Agnes Rennie

    Episode 8 - Agnes Rennie
    Nov 24 2025
    Together with Frank, Agnes lives and works on the family croft in the village of Galson. This croft, along with another they now tenant, was allotted to her grandparents when Galson was resettled in 1924 following the 1919 Land Settlement Act. (Galson had been cleared in 1863 by James Matheson, drug lord extraordinaire and was empty of people apart from the tenant farmer and his two shepherds). They still have a small flock of sheep, hens and two ponies and Agnes is a member of the Grazings committee, having served as Chair in the past. They have had a polytunnel for over 20 years and this year added a polycrub to the "covered garden". Agnes has had a wide and varied career both professional and voluntary which has included Community Cooperative Development Officer with HIDB, manager of what was at the time the recently established Gaelic publishing company Acair, the Board of Comann Eachdaidh Nis, the first woman to sit on the Crofters Commission, the board of Community Land Scotland and in 2005 was elected to the Board of the newly established UOG (Galson Estate Trust) of which she is currently the chair. Agnes also occasionally presents Gaelic radio programmes and does voice overs for Gaelic language documentaries, having recently done a fascinating series of six programmes about female spies from WW2. Music credit: Peatbog Faeries
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    59 mins
  • Episode 7 - Sally Reynolds

    Episode 7 - Sally Reynolds
    Oct 17 2025

    In this episode we discuss community owned crofting estates amongst other things with Sally Reynolds.

    Sally is a crofter from the Isle of Lewis and she currently leads Community Land Scotland's new Natural Capital Community Partnerships project. Sally's background includes experience working within the crofting sector with strong experience in community engagement and development.

    Sally previously worked as an Agricultural Consultant with SAC Consulting and as Development Manager with community landowner Urras Oighreachd Chàrlabhaigh (Carloway Estate Trust). Sally's interest and passion for Land Reform led her to be one of the first Scottish Land Commissioners.

    Music credit: Peatbog Faeries
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    42 mins
  • Episode 6 - Malcolm Combe

    Episode 6 - Malcolm Combe
    Sep 17 2025

    In this episode we chat with Malcolm Combe, a senior lecturer in Scots private law at the University of Strathclyde, having arrived there by way of a stint in private practice followed by a position as a lecturer at the University of Aberdeen.

    Malcolm grew up in Renfrewshire with strong Lewis connections; his Mother coming from Point where Malcolm spent family holidays in his younger years. Later on as a law student, Malcolm found himself increasingly drawn to the Western Isles and Lewis in particular, with its deep commitment to community ownership and land reform, just at the time the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 was passed. Land reform remains one of Malcolm's principal academic interests and he is one of the few bridges between the world of land reform and crofting law.
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    44 mins
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