News

Partnership approach key to tackling Scotland’s rising wildfire threat

Press Release

Delegates at the Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) Moorland Conference heard today that joint working between land managers, rural businesses and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) is vital to tackling wildfires and building more resilient landscapes. The sold-out event attended by 200 landowners, land managers and gamekeepers...

SLE responds to Scottish Land Commission's 2026 Rural Land Market report

Press Release

Scottish Land & Estates, the rural business organisation, has issued the following response to the Scottish Land Commission’s Rural Land Market Insights Report 2026, which explores trends in land sales across Scotland. Stephen Young, Director of Policy at Scottish Land & Estates, said: “This latest report provides a useful snapshot of...

Record high for peatland restoration in Scotland welcomed

Press Release

Rural business organisation Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) has welcomed new figures from Peatland ACTION showing that 15,448 hectares of peatland were restored in Scotland in 2025, the equivalent of nearly 30,000 football pitches. This figure is in excess of the Scottish Government’s target for 2025/26. Eleanor Kay, senior policy adviser...

SLE statement on new RSPB report on raptor persecution

Press Release

Scottish Land & Estates has issued the following statement regarding a new report from RSPB – Patterns of Persecution – which was published earlier this week. Ross Ewing, Director of Moorland and Strategic Projects, Scottish Land & Estates, said: “We are clear that wildlife crime is unacceptable in any form, and we condemn those who act...

Rapid joint response prevents major wildfire escalation in the Pentland Hills

Press Release

A wildfire at Eastside Farm in the Pentland Hills outside Edinburgh on 25 May prompted a major multi-agency response, with public sector teams working alongside land managers, farmers and gamekeepers to contain the fire and protect the wider landscape. The incident occurred against a backdrop of elevated wildfire risk with a warning in...

New model for non-domestic rates provides win-win system for business and government

Press Release

Rural business organisation Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) is proposing a new model for non-domestic rates in Scotland, to provide certainty for small businesses and ensure the tax offers a net benefit to the Scottish exchequer. The new system would remove complexity, reduce the administrative burden, and support growth, for both new and...

UK not prepared for wildfires despite first ever ‘megafire’

Press Release

An Integrated Fire Management Strategy is needed for the whole of the UK, as public policy has not kept pace with the increasing risk of high-intensity, large-scale and more frequent wildfires. In many parts of the UK, temperatures today are expected to reach a new record high for May, potentially adding to the wildfire risk. In its...

Scotland’s rural businesses key to growth – but new course must be set on tax & regulation

Press Release

Rural businesses can be a driving force in Scotland’s economic growth - but government must adopt a more ambitious and enabling approach if that potential is to be fully realised. Rural business organisation Scottish Land & Estates held its annual conference today with a call for a more focused and practical approach to economic growth —...

New chairman at Scottish Land & Estates

Press Release

Scottish Land & Estates (SLE), the rural business organisation, is pleased to announce the appointment of Patrick Colquhoun as its new chairman. The rural business organisation, which is headquartered in Musselburgh, has appointed Mr Colquhoun to the role at its AGM today, succeeding Dee Ward, the owner of Rottal Estate in the Angus Glens...

Extreme wildfire risk in Scotland – land managers urge responsible access

Press Release

Rural business organisation Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) is urging members of the public to be aware of the risk of wildfire and to act responsibly in the countryside this bank holiday weekend. The wildfire risk for the whole of Scotland remains ‘extreme’ today and ‘very high’ for much of the Highland region going into the bank holiday...