Elections to the Crofting Commission
Ballot papers for the Crofting elections are going to be sent out on Friday 24th February so you should expect to receive your ballot paper early the following week. If you have any queries relating to ballot papers please contact the Highland Council elections office on 01463 702 945 or elections@highland.gov.uk.
The count will take place at 11am on the 16th March, Town House, Inverness. The results will be posted on the Highland Council website immediately following the announcement by the Returning Officer.
For the first time, six people will be democratically elected by Scotland's crofting community to represent their interests. The remaining three spaces are to be filled by Ministerial appointment announced on 5th January 2012 as Susan Walker, William Swann and Sandy Cross.
There was only one candidate nominated for Orkney & Caithness, (click here to view map) Arnold David Pirie, therefore no poll shall take place in this constituency. On the day of the election, this candidate shall be declared to be duly elected.
Five of the six constituencies are being contested after nominations closed on 26th January 2012. The candidates are as follows (clicking on the name will display the candidates supporting statement):
Shetland - click here to view map.
East Highlands - click here to view map.
- Marina Theresa Dennis
- Peter William McCallum Humphreys (no statement provided)
- Donald William Ross (Donnie)
- William Waugh
Western Isles - click here to view map.
- Malcolm MacLeod Macdonald
- Roderick Macdonald
- Murdo MacLennan
- Neil MacLennan
- Donald Macrury
- Donald Manford (no statement provided)
West Highlands - click here to view map.
- Jonathan James Hedges
- John Menzies Laing
- Ian George Macdonald
- Kenneth John Baillie Stewart MacLeod
- Finlay John Matheson
- Rodney Martin Minton
- Alexander MacKenzie Murray (Sandy)
- William Russell Nash Smith (Russell)
- Yvonne White
South West Highlands - click here to view map.
- Donald McKechnie Campbell
- Robin Currie
- Michael Ewen MacDonald Foxley
- Colin Niall Kennedy
- William Finlay Neilson (Billy)
The list of nominees was published by the Highland Council and can be viewed on the Highland Council website by clicking this link.
Voting is restricted to one vote per croft and to one vote per crofter: a multiple occupancy croft must nominate one voter, and a crofter with multiple crofts is only eligible for one vote.
If you have any questions about the election you may wish to look at this list of Frequently Asked Questions document.
A role description for the elected Commissioners can be found here.
The regulations governing the conduct of the elections can be found at
The Commission is holding a series of local meetings to discuss the forecoming elections to the Crofting Commission details of the dates and venues can be found here. A presentation on the Elections can be viewed here.
For more information on the Crofting Reform Act, visit
The new members are:
Susan Walker– has been an active crofter for three decades, producing much of the family food on a 2 acre croft in Camuscross, Isle of Skye. She is the co-author of ‘The State of Crofting in Camuscross’, an academic report on crofting in her local township of Camuscross, and writes articles for the press on crofting matters. She is a Director of Camuscross and Duisdale Initiative, an ambitious community trust that is working in partnership with crofters and grazings shareholders on local food and community infrastructure projects. Ms Walker holds no other current Ministerial public appointments.
William Swann– is a veterinary surgeon with extensive international experience in community development. He was brought up on a small moorland hill farm and kept native Manx Laughton sheep on an upland croft on the Isle of Man. He is passionate about the survival and future development of crofting and lives with his wife on Skye. He is also a respected oil painter and often includes crofting landscapes in his work. Mr Swann is a current board member of Highlands and Islands Enterprise, appointed until March 2014 with a remuneration of £10,065 per annum
Sandy Cross– is a qualified investment manager with a career background in financial services, including several posts at managerial level in private sector companies, and is author of numerous articles on finance. He is closely involved in the rural economy and currently divides his time between Edinburgh and Shetland, where he is involved in farming, shellfish farming and is the landlord of a 1,600 hectare crofting estate. He will bring governance experience to the board of the Crofting Commission and will represent the interests of landlords of crofts. Mr Cross holds no other current Ministerial public appointments.
