Targeted exemptions from proposed rent controls are vital in sustaining and increasing the supply and quality of rented housing available in rural Scotland, Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) said today. The rural business organisation has responded to a Scottish Government consultation on the Housing (Scotland) Bill, which is currently at...
Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) has today published a major new report detailing the exceptional response by land-based and rural businesses to the devastating wildfires near Carrbridge and Dava, which burned across an unprecedented 11,827 hectares of moorland and woodland in late June. The release of the report coincides with a visit to...
The 2025 NatureScot-commissioned report , authored by EKOS, examines the persistent underperformance of Scotland’s Rural Skills and Game & Wildlife Management (G&WM) apprenticeships. Despite being introduced in 2016 and 2018 respectively, both apprenticeship pathways have seen consistently low uptake and high non-completion rates -...
Scottish Land & Estates has announced that 104 nominations have been received for the 2025 Helping It Happen Awards, marking the highest number in several categories in the event’s history. Now in its ninth year, the Helping It Happen Awards – sponsored by NatureScot – celebrate the vital contributions made by rural businesses, estates...
Three Scottish estates – accounting for over 120,000 acres – have been awarded prestigious international accreditation for their work in wildlife management and conservation. The award of Wildlife Estates Scotland (WES) accreditation was made today at the GWCT Scottish Game Fair by Scottish Government Minister for Agriculture and...
Rural business organisation Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) has welcomed the update from the Shared Rural Network project, indicating that the number of 4G masts planned in remote areas of Scotland will be scaled back from 258 to 44. Following pressure from SLE and partner organisations including community councils, the John Muir Trust and...
The devastating wildfires in Speyside and Morayshire must act as a wake-up call for the Scottish Government to urgently prioritise investment in wildfire prevention and response, Scottish Land & Estates said today. Following several days of intense firefighting, aided by rainfall overnight, the immediate situation on the ground has...
Gamekeepers and land managers have been praised for their critical efforts in battling a major wildfire across Speyside and Moray - as a call is made for more skilled volunteers to help contain the ongoing blaze. Scottish Land & Estates, the rural business organisation, has commended the bravery, skill and expertise of nearly 100...
New research commissioned by rural business organisation Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) has revealed that the Scottish public see access to healthcare, improving infrastructure and supporting employment opportunities as the top priorities for rural Scotland. The independent poll, conducted by the Diffley Partnership in April 2025, surveyed...
The practical realities of managing Scotland’s lowland deer population have been demonstrated to the Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity, Jim Fairlie MSP, during a deer stalking visit to Drumchork Holding in Perthshire. The visit, organised by Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) on Monday evening (June 23), comes as the Scottish...
