News

Muirburn vital in aiding carbon storage and preventing wildfires

Press Release

Muirburn – the controlled, cool burning of heather on Scotland’s moorlands – is becoming ever more important in the fight against wildfires in Scotland, land managers said today. As the permitted season for muirburn (October 1 to April 15) opens, grouse moors and estates are working with government, conservation groups and Scottish Fire &...

90 year old great gran & 21 year old student among winners of Scottish Helping It Happen Awards

Press Release

90 year old Margaret Payne who won the nation’s hearts when she scaled the equivalent of Suilven on her stairs, climbing 282 times over 10 weeks and raising £430K for charity, has been named Highland Community Champion of the Year at the national Helping it Happen Awards. Other winners include those who have helped Scotland’s rural...

Scottish Land & Estates statement on satellite tag

Press Release

Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) has issued the following statement in response to an RSPB Scotland press release regarding a satellite tag located in Perthshire. Mark Tennant, chairman of Scottish Land & Estates, said: “Where there is an indication that a wildlife crime may have been committed, we fully support a thorough police...

New Job Support Scheme and VAT rate cut

General News

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced a new Job Support Scheme, starting in November 2020. The Job Support Scheme will provide wage support to allow employers to bring their staff back for shorter hours. Employees must work a third of their normal hours and employers will continue to pay the wages of staff for the hours they work. However...

Hammer blow to Scottish tourism from new Covid rules

Press Release

Scottish tourism has been dealt another huge blow after the Scottish Government back tracked this morning and said families and friends from two households CAN’T stay in the same self-catering property except in a few special circumstances. The move comes after the government had said on Tuesday that self-catering properties were exempt...

New approach needed to protect farm animals from attacks

Press Release

A new approach which increases the focus on preventing incidents of livestock worrying rather than simply punishing those responsible is needed to help tackle this ongoing issue in Scotland’s countryside says Scottish Land & Estates (SLE), the organisation which represents farmers, landowners and rural businesses. Following an evidence...

Collaboration and trust vital to protecting the UK internal market

Press Release

New barriers to trade within the UK must be avoided at all costs if we are to create a system which is fair for everyone and ensures vital trade remains as frictionless as possible, says Scottish Land & Estates (SLE), the organisation which represents rural businesses and farmers. Following debate in Westminster last week which focused on...

Scottish Land & Estates statement on hen harrier

Press Release

Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) has issued the following statement regarding a hen harrier whose satellite tag is reported to have stopped transmitting. Mark Tennant, chairman of Scottish Land & Estates, said: “Scottish Land & Estates would ask anyone with information on this hen harrier, including local sightings, to make this known to...

Urgent action required by Scottish Government on flytipping

Press Release

Scotland’s leading rural and environmental organisations have written an open letter to Roseanna Cunningham MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, calling on the Scottish Government to urgently provide clarity on how it intends to move forward its work on tackling flytipping. In the letter, the...

Country Sports Vital to Rural Scotland Despite Ill-Founded Call for Covid-19 Halt

Press Release

The safe participation in country sports is vital to helping the rural economy recover, Scottish Land & Estates said today. The comment comes as country sports has been unfairly singled out by a vocal few as an activity that should not be allowed to take place during Covid restrictions. In common with a plethora of other outdoor events...