News

Four Scottish landholdings gain prestigious wildlife conservation accreditation

Press Release

Four Scottish landholdings have gained prestigious international accreditation to recognise their ongoing work in wildlife management and conservation. Wildlife Estates Scotland (WES) is a national version of the European Landowners Organisation’s Wildlife Estates (WE) accreditation scheme and is driving forward best practice in land...

Scottish Land & Estates statement on recent bird of prey incidents

Press Release

Scottish Land & Estates said today that it has written to the Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime Scotland raising its concern over recent incidents involving birds of prey. In May 2019, a hen harrier was found dead in an illegally set trap on the border between two estates in Perthshire. This was followed by extensive publicity...

Wildlife ‘expert’ Chris Packham is betraying conservation with grouse moor myths

Press Release

Wildlife commentator Chris Packham today stood accused of betraying conservation with a litany of falsehoods and smears about grouse moors. Packham appeared on the Jeremy Vine show on Radio 2 today to discuss the alleged disappearance of two satellite-tagged golden eagles in Perthshire. During the appearance he referred to grouse moors as...

Scottish Land & Estates statement on missing golden eagles

Press Release

Scottish Land & Estates today issued an appeal for information about two golden eagles which have gone missing in Perthshire. The two eagles, Adam and Charlie, were wearing satellite tags which stopped working in April this year. Police Scotland conducted a search at Auchnafree Estate in Perthshire on May 23. The estate and its employees...

Estates appeal for information on hen harrier

Press Release

Scottish Land & Estates today issued an appeal on behalf of two sporting estates for information about the fate of a hen harrier which died after being caught in a trap. The appeal was issued after the harrier was discovered near the boundary between two estates in Perthshire in mid June. We understand staff from both estates have helped...

Latest science key to future of mountain hare management

Press Release

Evidence rather than ideology should be the basis for future legislation on wildlife management, Scottish Land & Estates said today. Speaking at the Royal Highland Show at Ingliston, SLE chairman David Johnstone said there was a need for care in introducing new laws on the back of activism rather than balanced research from independent...

Scotland’s rural communities risk being hardest hit

Press Release

Rural communities in Scotland are at risk of being hardest hit in a new Planning Bill, that could create barriers to delivering much-needed employment, economic and diversity opportunities, Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) has warned. The Planning (Scotland) Bill is due to enter its final stage at Holyrood this week (18 -20 June), and SLE is...

Scottish Land & Estates appoints new Head of Communications

Press Release

A new Head of Communications has been appointed by rural business organisation, Scottish Land & Estates. Laura Butcher joins SLE from the Law Society of Scotland, the professional body and regulator of Scottish solicitors, where she was also Head of Communications. A chartered PR practitioner, Laura has over 15 years’ experience of...

SLE visit to Ford and Etal Estate; a focus on tourism

General News

On Tuesday, 4th June, a group of South East landowners and guests from Scottish Land & Estates visited Ford and Etal Estate to learn about the estate’s innovative marketing strategy and business model, which has made it a popular tourist destination. Hosted and led by Lord Joicey, this informal event was an opportunity to learn from both...

Flexibility key to returning empty rural homes to use

Press Release

More empty homes in the countryside could be returned to use if greater policy flexibility was available to recognise the unique circumstances of rural Scotland. After providing evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Local Government and Communities Committee, SLE Executive Director Sarah-Jane Laing said a one-size fits all approach across...