Crofting

Argyll: Permaculture Course

Permaculture Design Course

Learn how to creatively (re)design your croft using permaculture principles, with the result that you will get more diverse yields. Permaculture is a sustainable, resilient process which replicates the way nature works - come and find out about it.

The course will be held off site at a permaculture ScotLAND project with students travelling by minibus from the museum.

Please bring packed lunch. Tea & Coffee provided. 
Please bring warm and waterproof clothes.

Local Course Director: Julia Hamilton
Tutor: Ed Tyler

Skye: Sheepdogs Course

Introduction to Sheepdogs Course

This will be an introduction to the care and working of sheepdogs. This will be a practical course where the tutor will demonstrate simple commands. Attendees will be able to under-supervision work the tutor dog. 
If you wish to bring your own dog please make arrangements with course organiser first.

Please bring packed lunch. Tea & Coffee provided. 
Please bring warm and waterproof clothes.

Local Course Director: Janette Sutherland
Tutor: Jimmy Lamont

Argyll: Drystone Dyking Course

Dry Stone Dyking Course

A practical outdoor training course spread over 2 days. The course will be held off site, meeting at Kilmartin Museum.

Please bring:
steel toe capped boots/wellies, waterproof clothing, suncream if a hot day & plenty of bottled water, some heavy rubber type gardening gloves, eye protection - eg builders goggles, these don't need to be worn all the time, just during hammering.

Please also bring a packed lunch, drinks & snacks each day .

Argyll: Felting Course

Introduction to Felting Course

Felting native wool fleece - practical uses for small scale felting projects. We will be using a range of Shetland, Hebridean, North Ronaldsay , Blue Faced Leicester and Texel wool. Teaching transferable skills of wet felting
and needle felting on this experimental workshop.
Lots of samples and ideas to be inspired by.

Tutor: Liz Gaffney-Whaite
Local Course Director: Julia Hamilton

Supported by the Prince’s Countryside Fund

Argyll: Spinning Course

Introducing equipment & processes involved in spinning wool (& other natural fibres): starting with raw fleece to making yarn, with plenty of hands-on experience during the day. Discussion of application choices, with some
examples to see & feel, with tips to improve techniques.

Tutor: Bridie Pursey
Local Course Director: Julia Hamilton

Supported by the Prince’s Countryside Fund

Contact: training@crofting.org to book your place!

Strathkanaird: Scything Course

Learn the basics of scything for cropping and rush control, peening and use of sharpening stone.

Scythes also available for sale.

Tutor: Steve Tomlin
Local Course Director: Christine Crook, West Highland College

Contact: training@crofting.org to book your place!

Women who are current or former students of agriculture and related courses are being invited to complete a new survey.

The James Hutton Institute are running the survey as part of a Scottish Government-funded research project looking at women in agriculture.

They are inviting women who are current or former students of agriculture and courses such as agricultural economics, rural business management, equine and horse care and large veterinary practice at college or university level in Scotland to take part in the online survey.

A short online survey is being carried out on what the Crofting Connections project should look like after March 2017.

Crofting Connections works with schools and communities across the crofting counties to introduce crofting past, present and future into the curriculum. It encourages teachers and pupils to work with their local community to encourage children and young people to help build a sustainable future for the Highlands and Islands.

Building a transnational capacity-building network for common land graziers – taking the first steps

Creation of a formal capacity-building, experience-sharing, mutually-supportive and collaboration-catalysing network for graziers of common and communal land and their organisations from across Europe.

Find out more

A series of crofting events will give people the opportunity to find out more about the upcoming Crofting elections and will be a chance to discuss crofting issues.

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