Scottish Land & Estates said today that a new survey by the Scottish Land Commission on land reform demonstrated that political agendas on land reform are out of step with public priorities. The rural business organisation was responding to the ScotLand Futures report published by the commission today, which presents findings from a...
The Scottish Government risks undermining decades of voluntary, collaborative deer management – and even compromising stalker safety – if key elements of the Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill are not improved at Stage 2. Scottish Land & Estates made the comments as MSPs on the Rural Affairs and Islands (RAI) committee prepare to...
Scottish Land & Estates (SLE), the rural business organisation, has urged MSPs to work with rural businesses and workers to secure benefits for nature and help reduce the impact of climate change. As the Natural Environment Bill progresses to Stage 2 scrutiny, a considerable number of amendments have been proposed, including some which...
Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) is working with Scottish Forestry, Forest Research and Scottish Woodlands to help land managers prepare for the threats to woodland from our changing climate. SLE member Castlemilk & Corrie Estates in Dumfriesshire is at the forefront of planning for a changing climate and is presenting the results of its...
The Building Safety Levy (Scotland) Bill risks exacerbating Scotland’s rural housing crisis unless exemptions and safeguards are put in place to protect fragile rural markets, Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) has said. The rural business organisation commented after providing evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Finance and Public...
Scottish Land & Estates, the rural business organisation, has issued the following statement following the completion of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill at the Scottish Parliament. Sarah-Jane Laing, chief executive at Scottish Land & Estates, said: “Perhaps uniquely, this legislation has succeeded in uniting landowners, land reform...
A new survey by rural business organisation Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) has revealed that a lack of trust in government policy and fear of retrospective changes to legislation are the biggest barriers to land being let for farming in Scotland. The SLE Agricultural Holdings Member Survey 2025, conducted among estates and farming...
Rural business organisation Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) is calling for safeguards to be introduced to the Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill to protect both nature and rural livelihoods, as the Bill progresses to a debate in the Scottish Parliament on 30 October, ahead of Stage 2 scrutiny. Ross Ewing, Director of Moorland for SLE, said...
The Scottish Parliament must ensure that new land reform legislation is proportionate, evidence-based and workable - or risk delivering a hammer blow to Scotland’s rural economy, Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) has warned. With Stage 3 of the Land Reform Bill due to begin tomorrow, SLE has issued a detailed briefing to MSPs highlighting...
Scottish Ministers were today urged to rescue their plans to demand rural businesses produce publicly available land management plans or face a ‘bureaucratic nightmare’. The proposals to make owners and operators of landholdings over 1,000 hectares publish land management plans are included in the latest Land Reform Bill which is going...
