Croft House Grant
This scheme provides grants for crofters to improve and maintain the standards of crofter housing, with the aim of attracting and retaining people within the crofting areas of Scotland.
Funding may be used for:
- major repairs
- internal improvements
- rebuilding work
- energy efficiency improvements
Please read the full scheme guidance before applying to this scheme.
- Full scheme guidance
- Updates
- Eligibility
- Selection criteria
- Applications
- Claims
- Payment
- Inspections
- Breaches and penalties
- Appeals and complaints
- Contact
Before you apply for this scheme please read the full scheme guidance. If you have any questions, please get in touch.
If you need any help or assistance to use this guidance, you can book an appointment at your local area office.
- 4 July, 2023
We've made a number of updates to the full scheme guidance.
Croft House Grant full guidance
This scheme is open to:
- crofting tenants
- an owner occupier crofter
- cottars
- Kyles crofters
To be eligible, you must be inadequately housed because:
- your present accommodation does not provide sufficient accommodation for you and your immediate family
- your present accommodation does not meet an adequate standard, as judged by our inspector
- you currently live with parents, in a caravan, or you currently live in rented accommodation (including council housing)*
- your present accommodation has an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating less than C (or equivalent). This applies to those applying for Energy Efficiency Measures only.
*The definition of inadequately housed described above relates to an applicant’s permanent living arrangements. This does not include those that have these living arrangements as a temporary measure (i.e. have recently sold a house and waiting to build or improve another house).
Alternatively you must be in need of a house on the croft because:
- the type of agricultural activities requires your constant presence on the croft
- the needs of an existing non-agricultural business, require you to live on the croft
The funds available for this scheme are limited and it may not be possible to approve all eligible applications.
If this is the case, other factors that we will consider to prioritise applications are:
- your current accommodation
- when you occupied the croft and what work you have done on the croft since you took occupation
- your combined household income
- any property on or off the croft that could be or has been sold to fund a new build
- your current and proposed activity on the croft
The scheme provides different levels of support depending on where a croft is situated. These are detailed on the ‘Geographical Priority Area’ map contained within the application.
The rates of assistance are:
New House Grant
Geographical Priority Area:
- high: £38,000
- standard: £28,000
Rebuilding and Improvement Grant
Geographical Priority Area:
- high: 60 per cent of costs up to a maximum grant of £38,000
- standard: 60 per cent of costs up to a maximum grant of £28,000
Energy Efficiency Improvement Grant
Geographical Priority Area:
- high: 80 per cent of costs up to a maximum grant of £38,000
- standard: 80 per cent of costs up to a maximum grant of £28,000
Before sending in an application form you need a Business Registration Number (BRN). If you do not have a BRN, please contact your local RPID area office.
You can download the application form below.
Assessment of applications will usually take place in a three monthly cycle. The closing dates for each round of applications are detailed below.
- 1 September, 2023
- 1 December, 2023
- 1 March, 2024
- 1 June, 2024
Claims for new builds, house improvements and energy efficiency improvements can be paid in up to three instalments, at stages set out in your grant offer letter.
Conditions relating to payment and amounts of these instalments will vary between projects and will be confirmed in your grant offer letter.
New houses are exempt from VAT. Therefore claims/payments will not include VAT.
We will make payments for the construction of new houses as work progresses, upon receipt of claims. A maximum of three claims are allowed.
You must provide receipts which verify the work you are claiming payment for along with bank statements to verify that you as the applicant have incurred the costs.
Claims for improvement works and energy efficiency improvements can also be paid in up to three instalments.
If your application to join this scheme is successful and you receive grant support, your project may be subject to an inspection at any time during the period of grant conditions, which is 10 years for all approved works.
Our inspectors will carry out a check on your house and croft against the conditions contained within your grant award.
If we discover that you have not followed the scheme conditions we may require to recover all or part of the grant paid to you plus interest.
If you are unhappy with a decision we have made regarding your application, you have the right to a review.
Likewise, if you are unhappy with our service as a whole, we have a dedicated complaints procedure to help you resolve this.
You should put your complaint or review request in writing and address it to:
Head of CHGS Branch
Croft House Grant Scheme
The Business Centre
Crossapol
Isle of Tiree
PA77 6UP
You can also find out more general information about complaints using the link below.
If you have any questions about this scheme, please get in touch. Contact details can be found in our Contact us section.