§ Sir A. SINCLAIRasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether all the lands which belong to the Crown and which were scheduled in the report of the Highlands and Islands Royal Commission in 1892 as fit for smallholdings have now been broken up into smallholdings for ex-service men; and, if not, what Crown lands have not been broken up?
§ Dr. ADDISONI have been asked to reply. The following Grown Lands were specified in the schedules to the report of the Royal Commission as suitable for smallholdings, namely:
- (1) 954 acres of the Dorrery Estate, Caithness;
- (2) 184 acres of the Stemster Estate, Caithness;
- (3) 51 acres of the Lythmore Estate, Caithness.
The Dorrery Estate was offered to the Board of Agriculture for Scotland, but the Board declined the offer, considering that more suitable subjects were available for the purpose. The whole of the Stemster Estate, comprising 675 acres, was sold to the Board and converted into smallholdings. The Lythmore Estate was offered to the Board, but the Board declined the offer, other more suitable land adjoining being available.
The following estates, parts of which were scheduled, were acquired by the Crown after the report of the Royal Commission, namely:
1991W The Inverliever Estate has been transferred to the Forestry Commission under the Forestry (Transfer of Woods) Act, 1923. The whole of the Dounreay Estate has been sold to the Board of Agriculture for conversion. 1,710 acres of the Scots-calder Estate have been converted into smallholdings and landholdings by the Commissioners of Crown Lands in collaboration with the Board.
- (1) The Inverliever Estate, Argyllshire, comprising 12,700 acres, of which 6,118 acres were scheduled.
- (2) The Dounreay Estate, Caithness, comprising 3,250 acres, of which 253 acres were scheduled.
- (3) The Scotscalder Estate, comprising 13,000 acres, of which 461 acres were scheduled.