Scottish Land & Estates responds to Programme For Government

Press Release

The Scottish Government’s new Programme for Government includes encouraging commitments for rural areas, according to Scottish Land & Estates — though the organisation has said a stronger, more consistent focus on rural Scotland is still needed.

Following First Minister John Swinney’s address to the Scottish Parliament, SLE acknowledged several positive announcements — particularly in housing, biodiversity, and land use — while urging the government to ensure rural communities are not left behind.

Many of the key measures in the Programme for Government were already anticipated, including those linked to the Housing and Natural Environment Bills currently making their way through Holyrood.

Notable commitments impacting rural Scotland include:
•    Extending the Rural and Island Housing Fund to March 2028, enabling more affordable homes to be built in remote communities.
•    Introducing statutory biodiversity targets through the Natural Environment Bill.
•    Boosting peatland restoration to at least 12,000 hectares annually and creating 10,000 hectares of new woodland, including 4,000 hectares of native species.
•    Implementing the Future Farming Investment Scheme, delivering £14 million to support sustainable farming and crofting.
•    Potential for government to use land acquisition to create opportunities for new entrant farmers. 
•    Extending the Nature Restoration Fund in 2026/27 to enable funding of a further round of multi-year projects.
•    Developing pilot deer management schemes in collaboration with local stakeholders, including funding and delivery plans.

Stephen Young, Director of Policy at Scottish Land & Estates, said:

"The Programme for Government offered few surprises for rural businesses and communities. It offers some positive elements without delivering any step-change to address challenges facing rural Scotland.

"We welcome the three-year extension of the Rural and Island Housing Fund, albeit we have previously highlighted concerns that funding has too often been directed toward urban fringe developments, rather than the genuinely remote areas where tackling depopulation is most urgent.

"Many of the measures around farming, the environment, and biodiversity were expected, reflecting current and forthcoming legislation. Nevertheless, they have the potential to deliver meaningful benefits for people, jobs and nature in rural areas.

"We had urged the Scottish Government to strengthen its approach to ‘rural proofing’ in order to avoid past policy missteps — such as the now-reversed ban on wood-burning stoves in new homes. While we would have welcomed a clearer commitment to rural proofing in this programme, it is encouraging that the government appears to have adopted a more pragmatic approach this time."