Talk:Scattald

I'm disappointed in the Crofters Commission for not having a better definition of a Scattald than that quoted sentence. Technically its not incorrect per se, but so over-simplified as to be almost meaningless, and in one way of reading it conveys an entirely incorrect meaning.

Among numerous other aspects which they've entirely omitted, the area of land defined as a scattald is actually generally owned by one person/entity, it is the grazings rights that are the property of numerous people. Unlike a specified area of land defined as a "croft", which the Crofting Acts lays down specific procedures for the valuation and change of ownership of, the same rules do not apply to Scattalds. Any change of actual ownership of a Scattald is an open market private bargain which both seller and buyer are agreeable to enter in to, hence most Scattalds still remain the property of the old Shetland Estates as they have for centuries.

The grazings rights, which are the property of numerous, are neither physically defined nor static, and are not normally sellable. They are a legal right which the occupier of certain crofts can exercise as and when and how (s)he sees fit, within the defined boundaries of a specific Scattald, in exactly the same way as a croft occupier can exercise the right to cast peats, gather seaweed, sand or shingle etc for croft use, from neither physically defined or static locations within the confines of an overall larger defined location. Any attempt to seperate any of these rights from the croft to which they relate, especially for the purpose of selling, would almost certainly be firecely resisted by the Crofters Commission themselves as well as probably a number of neighbours.

Ghostrider 16:23, 30 October 2008 (MDT)