News

More storms on the horizon – but rural communities left out in the cold

Press Release

Urgent action is needed to bolster resilience in rural communities as winter storms become increasingly frequent, reports rural business organisation Scottish Land & Estates (SLE). Eleanor Kay, Senior Policy Adviser, Agriculture and Climate Change, at SLE warned that storm disruption is now a recurrent problem: “Devastating storms used to...

Welcome reprieve for farming businesses, as APR thresholds changed

Press Release

Scottish Land & Estates (SLE), the rural business organisation, welcomes the announcement by the UK government of further changes to the forthcoming reforms of agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026. The announced changes mean the government is protecting the viability of more farms and businesses...

Wildfire recovery fund provides support to rural businesses

Press Release

Scottish Land & Estates (SLE), the rural business organisation, has welcomed the allocation of funding to compensate for equipment damaged tackling the devastating wildfires earlier this year. The first tranche of funding has been awarded to rural businesses, with further sums expected early in the new year, enabling the rapid repair or...

Scottish Land & Estates supports police appeal following disappearance of white-tailed eagle

Press Release

Scottish Land & Estates has today expressed its support for a Police Scotland appeal for information following the reported disappearance of a white-tailed eagle in the Moorfoot Hills. The four-year-old bird is believed to have been in the vicinity of the Northern Moorfoot Hills during early November, before its satellite tag stopped...

Rural businesses face ‘existential threat’ from new business rates, SLE warns

Press Release

Farms and estates that have spent years diversifying to strengthen and safeguard their businesses face an existential threat unless the Scottish Government reevaluates forthcoming reforms to non-domestic rates. Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) issued the warning amid continuing outcry from businesses across the country over the draft...

Innovative solutions to bring young people back to Rural Scotland

Press Release

Rural business organisation Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) says innovative solutions to the issues that really matter to people in rural areas can reverse the tide of rural de-population. New research carried out by the Diffley Partnership on behalf of Homes for Scotland, NFU Scotland and Salmon Scotland finds that a perceived lack of well...

Deer management must be supported to achieve habitat protection aims – call from deer managers and e-NGOs

Press Release

Organisations representing deer managers and environmental NGOs have jointly welcomed the crucial amendments lodged by MSPs Tim Eagle and Rhoda Grant to the Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill, which will be voted on in the Scottish Parliament tomorrow (December 10). An amendment lodged by Scottish Conservative MSP, Tim Eagle, calls for...

Tackling de-population key to future of rural Scotland

Press Release

A new report says Scotland must draw on international best practice to urgently tackle rural depopulation, including the establishment of Repopulation Priority Areas. Scottish Land & Estates, the rural business organisation, spoke as it launched policy proposals it believes can provide a practical solution to depopulation. The report was...

‘Waste of public money and effort’ – FoI reveals Ministers knew about flawed Bill in 2023

Press Release

The legality, workability and effectiveness of proposals for government intervention in deer management have been thrown into serious doubt following the release of advice to Scottish Ministers in the wake of a prolonged freedom of information battle. Scottish Land & Estates (SLE), the rural business organisation, had to appeal to the...

UK Budget fails to unlock rural Scotland’s economic potential

Press Release

Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) has said today’s UK Budget offers little meaningful support to unlock the growth potential of rural Scotland. Ahead of the Budget, SLE wrote to the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves MP, urging targeted measures to ease pressures on rural businesses – including relief from punishing National Insurance contributions...