Skye agricultural adviser recognised for sustainable land use work

A leading crofting adviser from Skye has been honoured with this year’s Elrick Prize for advancing sustainable land use and supporting rural communities on the island.

Janette Sutherland, a senior consultant with SAC Consulting, has been recognised for her long-standing work with crofters and farmers, helping drive practical land management changes that benefit both agriculture and local wildlife.

The award recognises outstanding contributions to sustainable farming and crofting, celebrating staff who have helped improve the long-term resilience of land use across Scotland.

Ms Sutherland becomes the fifth recipient of the Elrick Prize, which was first awarded in 2022 in memory of Senior Consultant Gavin Elrick.

Mr Elrick was widely respected for sharing his expertise with farmers and crofters across the country, and his death in November 2020 was deeply felt throughout the rural community.

Judges said Ms Sutherland had earned the respect of her clients and had been involved in “some really excellent work in the field of sustainable farming and crofting”.

Her achievements include the Skye Crofting Corncrake partnership, which encouraged changes in land management to help boost numbers of the endangered bird species on the island.

She has also worked with the Species on the Edge initiative, raising awareness of bats and their influence on biodiversity.

“It is hard work being a crofter and they don’t tend to have a lot of spare time,” she said, explaining that projects are designed to fit into wider crofting priorities so communities can take part.

“A lot of it is about raising awareness… If a croft is supporting bats, that’s an indicator that the right things are being done and you have a healthy ecosystem,” she added.

Highlighting a practical benefit, she noted that “a pipistrelle bat can eat 30,000 midges a night”.

Alongside her team, Ms Sutherland has built relationships with generations of crofting families on Skye, helping sustain both livelihoods and the island’s crofting heritage.

“We liaise with crofters whose grandfathers we may previously have worked closely with,” she said. “Trust is built and they know we are trying to create situations that are win-wins for them.”

Ms Sutherland worked with Gavin Elrick and said she was proud to receive the award in his memory.

“He was a very kind colleague and incredibly generous with his time and expertise,” she said, adding that winning the Elrick Prize was “an honour I’m very proud of”.

The award highlights the growing role crofting continues to play in delivering sustainable land use and biodiversity gains across rural Scotland.