Two new staff appointments have strengthened membership services at rural business organisation, Scottish Land & Estates. Carmen McPherson has joined as Membership Communications Manager at its Musselburgh headquarters whilst George Moore has been appointed as the South West Regional Support Officer. Prior to joining SLE, Carmen spent a...
Rural organisations united today to urge the Scottish Government not to damage a ‘land use that is so vital to Scotland’ through its proposals to introduce a licensing scheme for grouse shooting. The Scottish Government’s public consultation on their forthcoming Wildlife Management (Grouse) Bill proposals ends tomorrow (Wednesday...
The Scottish Government’s proposals for licensing grouse shooting are a ‘legal minefield’ with the capacity to harm rural communities and adversely impact biodiversity, land managers said today. Scottish Land & Estates (SLE), which represents rural businesses across Scotland, said some of the proposals in the public consultation on the...
A nature friendly family farm on the outskirts of Edinburgh has become the smallest landholding in Scotland to be awarded prestigious international wildlife accreditation. Easter Bavelaw Farm, which is nestled to the south of Threipmuir Reservoir in the Pentland Hills, has gained Wildlife Estates Scotland (WES) certification following a...
Change needed to enable a bright future for Scottish farming and land management can be delivered by new agriculture legislation – but a significant lack of detail needs to be addressed rapidly by government. Responding to a consultation regarding a new agriculture bill for Scotland, rural business organisation Scottish Land & Estates...
Deputy First Minister and interim Finance Secretary, John Swinney MSP, has responded to an industry letter calling on the Scottish Government to freeze business rates in the forthcoming Scottish budget statement on 15 December. Nineteen leading business representative groups and industry bodies, including Scottish Land & Estates and...
Scotland’s national parks should retain a balance of bringing together environmental, social and economic objectives rather than a singular focus on the drive to net-zero and nature recovery. Scottish Land & Estates, the rural business organisation, made the comments as part of its response to a NatureScot consultation, The future for...
Rural estates have been praised for their vital contribution towards restoring a thriving golden eagle population in the south of Scotland. In total, 20 eagle chicks have been translocated for the project since 2018 – with 18 of those coming from estates owned privately. Pitmain & Glenbanchor Estate near Kingussie and Rottal Estate near...
Nineteen leading business representative groups and industry bodies have jointly written to the Scottish Government’s Deputy First Minister and Interim Finance Secretary asking him to freeze the business rate in the coming financial year. The nineteen organisations, of which Scottish Land & Estates is one, represent a broad cross section...
Scottish Land & Estates has welcomed the Chancellor’s uplift in alternative fuel payments – but warned the additional £100 will not prevent energy poverty in rural Scotland this winter. The rural business organisation has been leading the campaign for increased financial support for off grid homes to achieve parity with the Energy Price...
