RECEIVED Culkein Drumbeg by Lairg Sutherland IV27 4NL

North Assynt Estate Stoer Assyn Sutherland IV27 4-J Telephone/Fax: 01571 3552

John MacKetme (Secretary) RECEIVED Culkein Drumbeg by Lairg Sutherland IV27 4NL

Tel 01571 833258

31 May 1996

The Crofters' Commission 4 Castle Wynd Inverness IV2 3EQ

Dear Sirs

Culkein, Stoer Common Grazings

A portion of hill land amounting to 549 acres or thereby was held by some of Hie shareholders of the above township as an enlargement of their grazings This portion of land is near Oldany between Clashnessie and Dnnnbeg in the pansh of Assynt and with the exception of about 50 acres was sold by E H Vestey to a Mr C Jamieson around 1980 The 50 acres was included in the area of land bought by Assynt Crofters Trust just over 3 years ago At the request of the present grazings committee I wrote to the Land Court some months ago to establish the status of this land as they were under the impression that they continued to have some rights to it Hie Depute Clerk at the Land Court replied stating that there was no record of lesumphon of land in respect of a house which the new propnetor has constructed nor of the land having been taken out of crofting tenure Recently I had a meeting with the grazings committee when it emerged that there had been a Land Court Order issued in 1961 and it may be that the Court will now take a different view

I enclose for information a copy of my letter of today's date to the Land Court which outlines the position from the point of new of the Culkein Stoer grazings committee and you will note that they consulted some years ago with the late Hamish Watt in this matter I will appreciate your advice on the situation so far as the Commission's records are concerned as weE as what prospect theie may be of the shareholders re-establishing their nghts to legally grazing the land in question

Assynt Ciofters Trust Ltd - Registered in Scotland - Company Registration No SC 140205 Registered Address Old Bank of Scotland Buildings Stornoway Isle of Lewis [RonrcL :or

John MacKenzie (Secretary) Culkein Drumbeg by Lairg Sutherland IV27 4NL

Tel 01571 833258

31 May 1996

Ms L Dolan Depute Clerk The Scottish Land Court 1 Grosvenor Crescent Edinburgh EH12 5ER

Dear Ms Dolan

Culkein, Stoer Common Grazings Your Ref S4/LD

I refer to your letter dated 22 November and can advise having had further discussions in this matter with the grazings committee of the above township During our meeting it emerged that 3 of the former shareholders had the tenancy of this land which extended to 549 acres and that they had renounced their tenancy with the consent of the former landlord Land Court record No 3772 dated 24 Nov 1961 refers

Subsequently, however, some of the present shareholders sought to re-establish their rights to the use of this land and an approach was made to the D A F S lands officer in Lairg about 8 years ago to ascertain the status of the land I am advised that his enquiries through the Commission indicated that their records showed the land to be still in crofting tenancy and his informal opinion was that the Culkern tenants could continue to graze then sheep on the land which continues to the present day This has never been disputed by the new propnetor of the land nor has there been discussion between ; parties but the Culkein tenants are now keen to establish the hue position and, if possible, regain eir legal nghts to crofting tenure

the light of this it will be helpful if you can advise me what the current position is so far as the Land urt is concerned

urs; ■moerely

Mackenzie

Mi R MacLeod, Clerk, Culkein Stoer Grazmgs LG/JM THE CROFTERS COMMISSION UGHDARRAS NAN CROITEARAN 4-6 Castle Wynd, Inverness IV2 3EQ Telephone (01 463) 663450 Fax 711820 Mr J MacKenzie Direct Line Tel 663 Assynt Crofters Trust North Assynt Estate Our Ref CGS/76.CG/S/03 STOER &G/8081/2 Assynt Sutherland IV27 4JG 10 June 1996

Dear Mr MacKenzie

Thank you for your letter dated 31 May 1996.

I should inform you that we have no record of a grazings known as Culkein Stoer Common Grazings. However I have checked our records for the grazings of Culkein (Achnacaman), Culkein (Drumbeg) and Stoer and from these records I have found no reference to an area of land extending to 549 acres or of any mention of renunciations or resumption’s in 1961.

To enable us to investigate the matter further could you please advise us which grazings the area has association with.

We will then be able to advise you of any relevant information held on record.

Yours sincerely

Mrs L Gourlay c*OFJ^, North Assynt Estate Stoer A Assynt $ Sutherland /V27 4-J<3 Telephone/Fax 01571 355203

John MacKeime (Secretary) Culkein Drumbeg by Lairg Sutherland IV27 4NL

Tel 01571 833258

6 July 1996

Mrs L Gourlay The Crofters Commission 4 - 6 Castle Wynd Inverness IV2 3EQ

Dear Mrs Gourlay

Your Refs CGS/76, CG/S/03 & G/8081/2

Thank you for your letter dated 10 June

I had hoped to call on you during a recent visit to Inverness but time taken by other business made this impossible I can confirm that the grazings which we know locally as Cukein, Stoer are held in official records as Culkein, Achnacamin Having recently sifted through old files now m the Trust's possession it is apparent that the tenants of croft Nos 229/225,243/249 and 253 Culkern shared in the grazings near Oldany amounting to 549 acres and the Land Court Record No 3772 dated 24/11/61 indicates that the then tenants had renounced their tenancy of the grazings at that time Their successors now wish to regain their nghts on an official basis and it is this connection that I seek your help i Can you confirm if the land m question is still under crofting tenure and what process is open to the current tenants of Culkein to regain grazing nghts

Assynt Crofters Trust Ltd - Registered in Scotland - Company Registration No SC 14-0205 Registered Address Old Bank: of Scotland Buildings Stornoway Isle of Lewis LG/SA THE CROFTERS COMMISSION UGHDARRAS NAN CROITEARAN 4-6 Castle Wynd, Inverness IV2 3EQ Telephone (01463) 663450 Fax 711820 Direct Line Tel 663 Mr J MacKenzie Culkein DRUMBEG Our Ref: CG/S/76 by Lairg Sutherland 11 September 1996

Dear Mr MacKenzie

Thank you for your letter dated 6 July 1996.1 am sorry for the length of time taken to reply but I was awaiting a copy of the Scottish Land Court Order to assist in our investigations.

It seems clear from the evidence led before the Land Court (when the Court carried out a Hearing and inspection in 1961 in connection with fair rents) that the tenants of 229/255, 243/249 and 253 Culkein were supposed to share in the 549 acres of grazing land, situated near Oldany. These tenancies had apparently been renounced back to the landlord around 1946.

Such ‘partial renunciation’ with the agreement of the landlord, was then competent and as the rights renounced were not reclaimed (or competently re-let) by October 1961.

If you on behalf of the estate, are agreeable and the statutory successors of the renouncing tenants of 1946 are willing and able to re-occupy these grazings, we see no reason why the grazings could not be re-let to the present tenants or occupiers in common as enlargements of their crofts. This will however require Commission consent for such proposals.

I note that two of the crofts concerned are tenanted by absentees and at least one of these is meantime occupied under some irregular arrangement and there is some apparent doubt about the succession of the other croft. Perhaps this is the right time to resolve the interests of those actually occupying or interested in occupying the crofts concerned before we consider any enlargement of any of these holdings.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely

L Gourlay RECEIVED - 3 DEC 1999 North A&syn? Betafe Sta&r CROFT COMM As&ynt Sutherland IV27 4JG Teepbon&jFax ,* 01577 335203

Janice MacLeoo Crafting Aattumstraror Achlaisr CuiKein Drumbeg by Lairg Sutherland IV27 4NL 30 November 1999 Tel 01571333223

The Crofters Commission 4-6 Castle Wynd Inverness IV2 3EQ

Dear Sirs

LOCH POLL HYDRO-ELECTRIC PROJECT

The Trust has a 50-Acre block of land at the Oldany burn in close proximity to the above project The previous Landlord took the land out of crofting some years ago. The Culkein Drumbeg Grazings have approached the Trust seeking permission to have the grazings enlarged by including this area thus enabling it to be appended to a woodland project that they are in the process of applying for through the Tillhill Economic Forestry Ltd

As a result of trees being removed for an access road relating to the above project, it was agreed with S.N H during the planning stages to allow the replacement of trees through the gorge at the Oldany bum

The Trust approves and supports the Culkein Drumbeg grazings proposal and seeks the approval of the Commission I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.

Yours sincerely

fcmce Macleod

John MacKenzie Culkein Drumbeg Grazing Committee M BanHam Tillhill Economic Forestry

Crofters Trust Ltd - feegmwed Ssattend - Compart? Sejjfevnjrtwr No SC hKSCP AdOne&s: CScT Scnfc. pfBsatisns 8u4&pgs -wsswis* !sieofLe*rs " 3 dec \

J. MacKenzxe CRQ - f Grazings Clerk - j Culkein, Drumbeg Grazings Drumbeg by Lairg Sutherland IV27 4NL

Tel/Fax 01571 833258

30 November 1999

The Crofters Commision 4-6 Castle Wynd Inverness IV2 3EQ

Dear Sirs

Loch Poll Hydro Electric Project

The Landlord, Assynt Crofters Trust, is now well advanced with the construction of the above facility As part of the agreement reached in the Planning stage with S.N H. it is intended that trees through the , gorge at the Oldany bum, which were removed for access, will be replaced and it is now proposed that [this be part of a much larger crofter woodland project The land in question is a 50 Acre block which I was taken out of crofting by the former Landlord many years ago. It is proposed that this be added to [the Culkein, Drumbeg grazings to enable it to be appended to a woodland project for which the tigs committee are now in the process of applying for the neccessary consents through our roodland managers, Tillhdl Economic Forestry Ltd.

l anticipation of this I had a discussion some weeks ago with Mr M MacKenzie at the Rural Affairs Npt, office in Lairg and, after exploring the proposal with members of your own staff, he advised that [Landlord and grazings committee were supportive of the proposal there appeared to be no problem l having the Culkein Drumbeg grazings enlarged by adding this contiguous area of land.

dw formally write to you seeking to have your approval of this proposal

s faithfully

cKeaSaie__

J C MacLeod, A.C.T Crofting Administrator. M Banham, Tillhill Economic Forestry

I GJ/FM THE CROFTERS COMMISSION UGHDARRAS NAN CROITEARAN 4-6 Castle Wynd, Inverness 1V2 3EQ Telephone: (01463) 663450 Fax 711820 Direct Line Tel: 663 Mr John MacKenzie Clerk, Grazings Committee 307 Culkein Drumbeg Our Ref: CG/S/076 by LAIRG Sutherland IV27 4NL 7 December 1999

Dear Mr MacKenzie

CULKEIN, DRUMBEG COMMON GRAZINGS

Thank you for your letter of 30 November 1999 advising us of the enlargement of your Common Grazings.

I have noted our records to show that the Culkein, Drumbeg Common Grazings have been enlarged by 20.235 hectares (50 acres). This will increase the extent of the Grazings to 373 hectares or thereby on the Township Common Grazings and 103 hectares or thereby on the enlargement. I will prepare draft Regulations for the Management and Use of the Common Grazings showing this revised extent which you should receive within one month.

If I can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely

Mirant Jones

E-Mail address: crofters_commlsslon@calL co. uk