Croft house grant scheme

Applicants for the CHGS must meet certain criteria. They must be:

• a crofting tenant, or

• the owner occupier of a croft who has bought the croft from the landlord within the past seven years, or

• a cottar, or

• a Kyles crofter.

In addition, applicants must either be inadequately housed, or must need to build a property on the croft, for example if they currently live 10 or more miles away, or if their continued presence is required on the croft. Full details of eligibility criteria are contained in the guidance notes for applicants, which are available from the Scottish Government website.

Grants under the CHGS are discretionary. The amount of grant awarded is as follows:

Grants for new houses

• £22,000 for a house in a high priority area

• £17,000 for a house in a standard priority area

• £11,500 for a house in a low priority area.

Grants for rebuilding and improvement

• 40 per cent of costs up to a maximum of £22,000 for a house in a high priority area

• 30 per cent of costs up to a maximum of £17,000 for a house in a standard priority area

• 20 per cent of costs up to a maximum of £11,500 for a house in a low priority area.

In addition, there are conditions attached to a grant, for example, the applicant must occupy the property and keep it maintained and insured. If an applicant breaks the conditions within 15 years for a grant for a new house, or 10 years for a grant for rebuilding or improvements, then they must pay back a proportion of the grant, depending on how long after receiving the grant they broke the condition.

The Crofters Commission website contains further details of the scheme and copies of the application forms and guidance.