Crofting with Nature, Shetland, 12-13 October
Join Species on the Edge, Nature Friendly Farming Network, Pasture for Life, the Scottish Crofting Federation and RSPB Scotland for a series of events as we shape a resilient, nature-positive future for crofting in Shetland.
The nature of crofting: Profitability, resilience and livestock integration, 12 October, Bressay
Crofting in transition: Species on the edge, policy & community momentum, 13 October, Sound
There will also be a public drop-in at Islesburgh Community Centre in Lerwick between 6.30pm and 8pm on Tuesday 13th October for anyone wanting to meet representatives from the hosting organisations and to hear about ongoing projects.
The nature of crofting: Profitability, resilience and livestock integration, 12 October, Bressay
Join local crofters and key stakeholders to explore cattle integration, wader habitat, and resilient land management at this croft visit in Brough, Bressay.
High input costs, extreme weather, and shifting agricultural policy mean that business as usual can be a struggle in modern crofting. Change requires testing new ideas, leveraging natural processes, and finding practical ways to build real business resilience while restoring local ecosystems.
Join Nature Friendly Farming Network, Pasture for Life, RSPB, the Scottish Crofting Federation and local crofters for an on-the-ground look at nature-friendly land management in Bressay. Hosted by crofter Lyle Tulloch, this interactive croft walk provides an open, honest space to discuss the practicalities and challenges of integrating cattle on small crofts, managing wader habitats, and deploying virtual fence technology.
Together, we’ll explore how aligning livestock production with naturally available resources can drive commercial returns and long-term security. We will also examine the essential support, funding mechanisms, and advisory tools needed to navigate agri-environment schemes like AECS, ensuring a resilient future for Shetland crofting.
Whether you are a local crofter looking to exchange practical insights or another land manager seeking grounded evidence on land-management transitions, this event offers a valuable platform for peer-to-peer learning and constructive cross-sector discussion.
- When: Monday 12th October, 1:30pm – 4:20pm
- Where: Brough, Bressay, Shetland
- Book your free place: The nature of crofting: Profitability, resilience and livestock integration
- For more information, or if you have any questions, email: nathalie.pion@rspb.org.uk
- More details:
- Speakers:
- Lyle Tulloch (Host Crofter, Brough (Bressay)
Active Bressay crofter managing sheep and Aberdeen Angus cattle. Lyle integrates AECS and Species on the Edge to test low-input, nature-friendly practices, such as virtual fencing, winter cattle grazing, and seed crop rotations, that balance livestock production with wading bird habitat recovery and business viability. - Donna Smith (Chief Executive of Scottish Crofting Federation)
Donna leads on advocacy for Scotland’s crofting communities, champions small-scale landholders, and drives peer-to-peer knowledge sharing to build farm-level resilience, lower expensive inputs, and protect rural livelihoods. - Rachel Ives (Farmer & NFFN Steering Group Member, North Fife)
Farming at Balmerino Farm, Rachel bridges practical agriculture with personal ties to Shetland via her family’s marine salvaging business. She advocates for whole-farm nature-friendly practices that protect business viability while transitioning away from business as usual. - Jamie Jack (National Development Manager for Scotland, Pasture for Life)
Jamie is an agriculture professional and first-generation farmer specialising in low-input and regenerative agriculture, livestock management, and soil health. His core skills include regenerative farming principles, pasture management and monitoring, soil health management, and grazing planning and implementation.
- Lyle Tulloch (Host Crofter, Brough (Bressay)
- Meeting point: Brough Loch Car Park. Google Maps: 60.150884, -1.079414. What3Words: ///emptied.weedy.carefully
- Speakers:
Crofting in transition: Species on the Edge, policy & community momentum, 13 October, Sound
Join us as we tackle business resilience, common grazings, and policy shifts. Includes free lunch.
Transitioning past business as usual requires stepping into uncomfortable spaces and having candid, peer-to-peer conversations. Delivered in collaboration with Species on the Edge, this interactive workshop bridges on-the-ground crofting reality with systemic agricultural policy reform.
Grounded in practical insights from local crofters participating in Species on the Edge, attendees will explore how low-input livestock management, species recovery, and target-driven wader habitat provision deliver tangible economic and ecological returns.
Facilitated discussion groups featuring Donna Smith (CEO, Scottish Crofting Federation), Rachel Ives (Balmerino Farm), and Jamie Jack (Pasture for Life) will address critical structural challenges:
- Managing and securing the future of common grazings.
- Aligning public agri-environment funding (AECS) and private finance to close investment gaps.
- Cultivating regional cross-sector momentum for nature-friendly crofting in Shetland.
Join crofters and industry stakeholders to shape a resilient, nature-positive future.
- When: Tuesday 13th October, 10am – 2pm
- Where: Sound Hall, Upper Sound, Sound ZE1 0LY
- Book your free place: Crofting in transition: Species on the Edge, policy & community momentum
- For more information, or if you have any questions, email: nathalie.pion@rspb.org.uk
- More details:
- Speakers:
- Donna Smith (Chief Executive of Scottish Crofting Federation)
Donna leads on advocacy for Scotland’s crofting communities, champions small-scale landholders, and drives peer-to-peer knowledge sharing to build farm-level resilience, lower expensive inputs, and protect rural livelihoods. - Rachel Ives (Farmer & NFFN Steering Group Member, North Fife)
Farming at Balmerino Farm, Rachel bridges practical agriculture with personal ties to Shetland via her family’s marine salvaging business. She advocates for whole-farm nature-friendly practices that protect business viability while transitioning away from business as usual. - Jamie Jack (National Development Manager for Scotland, Pasture for Life)
Jamie is an agriculture professional and first-generation farmer specialising in low-input and regenerative agriculture, livestock management, and soil health. His core skills include regenerative farming principles, pasture management and monitoring, soil health management, and grazing planning and implementation.
- Donna Smith (Chief Executive of Scottish Crofting Federation)
- Speakers:
