CROIT (CROFT) – A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF LOCAL SCOTTISH CROFTERS
Wednesday 8 July at 8.30pm on BBC ALBA
A series titled Croit (Croft), charting a year in the agricultural lives of five Scottish crofters, will be broadcast on BBC ALBA. This series reflects the activities, aspirations and risks that form the calendar of life on five crofts in the Western Highlands of Scotland.
Croit (Croft), produced by MacTV, is a unique portrait of crofting at the beginning of the 21st Century from a diversity of locations. The calendar routine is recorded, from the springtime ploughing, planting and lambing, through the summer shearing and agricultural shows, to the autumn livestock sales and winter tupping.
Next week’s programme on Wednesday 8 July, features Anna Fraser from Callanish on the west side of the Isle of Lewis, who is the youngest crofter on the series. Anna attends regularly to her three cows and is involved in various schemes designed to improve the quality and profitability of her crofting land.
Anna is also a full-time Gaelic student at the local Lews Castle College, juggling her studies with her crofting responsibilities, as well as being a director of a local community group working to acquire and redevelop a local estate for crofting purposes.
It's an exciting time for Anna, as her community group gets closer to brokering a deal to acquire a local estate, and she discusses balancing her responsibilities as a crofter with her life as a student.
This programme will also follow Donald Norman MacDonald who runs Clachan Farm on the Isle of North Uist. Donald Norman is also employed at the local abattoir, is a gamekeeper, gravedigger and fencing contractor. Donald Norman talks about the problems he faces because of high numbers of wild geese and unveils his own invention, which he hopes will deter the birds from spoiling his crops.
On the Isle of Skye, Donald and Calina MacDonald who live in Eynort, operate a diverse crofting system, managing both a sizeable herd of suckler cows and a large flock of sheep. They are also enthusiastic horticulturists and grow a huge range of plants and vegetables on their croft land and in the programme we see them set up a stall at a local produce market.
Donald and Calina MacDonald
Crofters Derek and Cathy MacLennan from Toscaig near Applecross run perhaps the least traditional croft featured in the series. Derek and his family do not eat meat and therefore, concentrate on working their land to grow a vast selection of herbs and vegetables, used by the family themselves as well as sold locally to neighbouring hotels and caterers. The family is also involved in various community projects and during the series, acquire a clutch of chickens, a decision that, at first, leads to disaster. Derek also patrols an area he and the local community are regenerating in partnership with the Forestry Commission.
The story of Croit (Croft) is one of great extremes, from the fear and apprehension experienced at times of crisis, to the highs of success on agricultural show and livestock sale days. This series captures the spirit and joy that is associated with the outdoors, cultivation and animals, while at the same time revealing the exhaustion, hard work and exertion invested in such a lifestyle. Croit (Croft) is an uplifting and positive portrait of a way of life that is now all too often dismissed as failing and fading.
Croit (Croft) will be broadcast on BBC ALBA on Wednesday 8 July at 20:30 and is available on Sky channel 168 & Freesat channel 110.