News

Scottish Land & Estates appoints new business and finance manager

Press Release

Rural business organisation Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) has appointed a new business and finance manager to support its growing range of services to members. Laura Lancastle-Allen joins the organisation with more than 20 years’ experience in finance and business support, primarily in the engineering sector. Laura will manage all aspects...

Rural businesses welcome rates review but urge Scottish Government to take immediate action

Press Release

Rural businesses will welcome the Scottish Government’s decision to review long-standing problems with non-domestic rates - but immediate action is needed and can be implemented. Scottish Land & Estates, the rural business organisation, said the actions announced by Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth in parliament today did represent an...

New report calls for rural businesses to be placed at heart of Scotland’s economic growth

Press Release

Practical measures by government to support progress in agriculture, food and drink, skills and supply chains can reap dividends for Scotland’s national economic growth, a new report has said. Scottish Land & Estates, the rural business organisation, has launched a new paper which argues that rural Scotland should not be treated as...

Gamekeepers help pioneering charity recover golden eagle fatally injured in territorial dispute with another eagle

Press Release

A pioneering conservation charity restoring golden eagles to record numbers in the south of Scotland has revealed gamekeepers recently helped them recover a fatally injured golden eagle, named Percy. As part of its ongoing commitment to openness, the charity Restoring Upland Nature (RUN), home of the groundbreaking South of Scotland...

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...