SPORTING RIGHTS
The Land Reform Act provides that any sporting lease
over the land may also be acquired but the crofting
community will not be bound to buy sporting interests. It
further provides that the sporting interests can be
purchased when the land is acquired or within the next 5
years. The time limit is intended to provide an element of
certainty as otherwise owners of these interests in land
acquired by a crofting community would not be prepared to
invest in management of sport.
Sporting rights cannot normally be separated from the
land so in purchasing the land the crofting community body
will be bound to acquire the sport. However, in many
crofting areas the main value of the landlord's interest
will lie in the sport. This may affect affordability so
the Act provides a mechanism whereby the crofting community
body can lease the sport to the landlord at a nominal rent.
The effect of this will be to reduce the price payable by
an amount equivalent to the value to the landlord of that
sporting lease.