Decrofting rules passed by the Scottish parliament
A bill to sort out failings in crofting law has been passed by the Scottish Parliament.
The government proposed new legislation to tackle specific difficulties owner-occupier crofters have been facing regarding decrofting.
Decrofted land is that which no longer falls under crofting rules and the house on it does not have to be tied to the croft land.
There has been confusion over how the decrofting rules should work.
MSPs unanimously passed the Crofting (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill.
In February, the Crofting Commission suspended all decrofting applications on owner-occupied crofts following legal advice.
Decrofting is when agricultural land held by the crofter is re-zoned, allowing it to be used for purposes other than crofting, most commonly to build a house on.
Crofters may want to do this to replace their existing house, build a home for their children so they can stay on the croft or perhaps to rent as a holiday let to subsidise their crofting income.