On the shores of Loch Broom, near Ullapool, Jenny Grant is slowly weaving together a life and business that reflects her deep connection to the land. Her enterprise, Croft and the Loch, launched in 2021, is not just a croft but a holistic project that brings together food production, environmental education, and art.
For Jenny, the seeds of this journey were sown in childhood. Growing up, she was captivated by natural heritage, eager to help neighbouring farmers with lambing and assisting her mother in growing vegetables. “Anything to do with the land and being outdoors fascinated me”, she recalls. Alongside this passion was a strong creative streak: she spent hours sketching animals, merging her love of nature with artistic expression. These two elements—land and creativity—would eventually become the backbone of her crofting vision.
The path to establishing a croft, however, was anything but straightforward. After years of travelling and searching for a place to settle, Jenny realised how difficult it was to secure a croft tenancy. She attended courses, asked for advice, and persisted, even while raising her young son. “It was a real moment of determination”, she says, describing how motherhood fuelled her resolve. “I wanted this not just for me, but for him too”. Eventually, a series of fortunate turns led her to the land she now manages—a stunning croft with ancient oak, ash, birch, and hazel trees, flower meadows, and a shoreline that runs directly into the sea loch.
Since then, Jenny has been steadily developing the project. She has fenced the land, planted fruit trees and bushes, and is preparing to install a polycrub to extend her growing season. She also raises seedlings from native trees to enrich biodiversity. “It doesn’t make money yet”, she admits, “so I fit it in when I can”. Alongside crofting, she works, studies to become a teacher, and raises her son as a single mother.
What makes Croft and the Loch unique, Jenny explains, is its interwoven nature. It is not a single activity, but a network of interconnected elements. As an environmental educator, she incorporates her expertise into the croft through illustration, nature journaling, and wildlife books. She envisions the site becoming a place where people can not only learn about nature but also connect with it on a deep level. This could mean schoolchildren discovering crabs on the shore, individuals seeking mental health support in a calming space, or visitors contributing to the project through agritourism.
“The golden thread is the land”, she says. “Everything comes back to appreciating and caring for it: for wildlife, for future generations, and for ourselves”.
Innovation, in her case, lies in bridging tradition and modernity. A Highlander by birth, Jenny draws on her rural roots while bringing in ideas gathered from travel and education. She applies forward-thinking approaches to biodiversity and sustainability, ensuring her croft reflects both heritage and future needs.
Yet, the challenges she faces are significant. Chief among them is childcare. As a single mother, the lack of support systems limits the time she can dedicate to the croft. Financial sustainability is another hurdle, as crofting rarely offers immediate returns. “I could take a better-paid job and walk away”, she acknowledges, “but it’s important to me that crofting continues, and that women can continue to croft despite the barriers”.
For Jenny, Croft and the Loch is more than a livelihood; it is a calling shaped by resilience, creativity, and the determination to carve a future where land, people, and community remain deeply connected.