Crofters

Crofting is the living derived from working a small agricultural unit in the Highlands and Islands. Crofters were, and still are, hardy and self-reliant people who worked the land and, in most cases, held down another job within the community. Often crofters had to take lucrative summer jobs in the more fertile parts of Scotland, in which case wives and children were left to manage the crofts. Generally several crofts would have common grazing rights and would be linked together within traditional "townships".

Partly because of the Clearances, crofting became more and more concentrated around the coastal area of Argyllshire, Ross & Cromarty, Caithness, Sutherland, the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland. Many crofters became dependent on the harvesting of seaweed which when burnt, produced kelp, an invaluable alkaline fertiliser

For coastal crofts, the sea was just as important as the land. Every croft had at least one boat which would have been used for fishing and transportation.

Following some serious disputes with landlords, the Napier Commission was set up to look into the question of croft tenancies. This led to the introduction of The Crofters Act, 1886 which enshrined security of tenure and fairer rents.

It is estimated that there are still almost 20,000 working crofts.

For those researching their crofting ancestors, an important resource is likely to be the AF50 collection in the National Archives of Scotland. This section includes returns prepared for the Napier Commission and listed on a county-by-county basis, the townships and/or crofts. It includes names of each tenant and the number of families on the croft.

Places to visit
The structure of the old croft houses varied considerably from one district to another. Many of these buildings around the north of Scotland have been restored and converted to small crofting museums. These include:

Argyllshire
Auchindrain Township Open Air Museum
Furnace
Inverary
PA32 8XN
Tel 01499 500 235
Not strictly a croft, but this original extensive township (village) is well worth a visit by anyone interested in the old Highland way of life.

Caithness
Mary-Ann's Cottage
Westside
Dunnet
KW14 7UN
Tel: 01847 851765
The cottage was built in 1850 by the crofter John Young. Three generations later it was occupied by James and Mary-Ann Calder. All the fittings, furniture and equipment are original.

Laidhay Croft Museum
Dunbeath
KW6 6EH
Tel: 01593 731270
An early 18th Century croft complex with stable, dwelling house and byre under one rush-thatched roof.

Inverness-shire
Highland Folk Museum
Duke Street
Kingussie
PH21 1JG
Tel: 01540 661 1307
The museum is located at two complementary venues at Kingussie and Newtonmore. This award winning museum covers most aspects of Highland life including a 20th century working croft.
www.highlandfolk.com

Orkney
Kirbuster Farm Museum
Birsay
Tel: 01856 771 268
A museum housed in a comparatively large Orkney farm, unusual in that the animals were housed in separate buildings
www.orkneyheritage.com

Corrigal Farm Museum
Harray
Tel: 01856 771 411
This ancient homestead includes the last surviving example of an Orkney "firehoose" with its central hearth and stone "neuk" bed.
www.orkneyheritage.com

Ross-shire
Gairloch Heritage Museum, Auchtercairn
Gairloch
IV21 2BP
Tel: 01445 712 287
The displays within this award winning museum include a croft-house room.
www.gairlochheritagemuseum.org.uk

Skye
Skye Museum of Island Life
Kilmuir
Tel: 01470 552 206
This museum depicts the lifestyle of the Skye crofting communities.

Sutherland
Strathnaver Museum
Clachan
Bettyhill
by Thurso
KW14 7SS
Tel: 01641 521 418
This museum housed in a former Parish Church tells the story of the local Clearances.
http://www.strathnaver.com/museum

Shetland
Croft House Museum
Sooth Voe
Boddam
Dunrossness
ZE2 9JG
Tel: 01950 695 057
A 19th Century drystone and thatched croft comprising inter connected house, barn, byre, kiln and stable. Period finishing throughout.

Old Haa Musuem
Burravoe
Yell
Tel: 01957 722 239
The Museum is located in a former croft house, believed to be the oldest building on the island of Yell. In additional to exhibits depicting life on the croft, there is an extensive photographic collection.

Quendale Water Mill
Dunrossness
ZE2 9JD
Tel: 01950 460 969
The mill was built to grind the grain for the local estate but it also performed this function for the local crofters. It contains a good collection of crofting machinery, and an extensive photographic collection.
www.quendalemill.shetland.co.uk

Western Isles
Seallam! Exhibition and Genealogy Centre
Northton
Isle of Harris
HS3 3JA
Tel: 01859 520 258
This renowned centre displays a wide range of exhibits relating to the history of the Hebrides. It is also a major genealogy resource including information on local families, crofts, villages and emigrants
www.seallam.com

Uig Heritage Centre
Isle of Lewis
HS2 9JE
Tel: 01851 672 456
Display of various crofting items.
www.hebrideanconnections.com