Land

National Rural Mental Health Forum

Where we live can influence and benefit our mental health and wellbeing and how we interact with and use our land use can also be a factor.  For that reason, National Rural Mental Health Forum are focusing their next session on Scottish Government’s Land Use and Agriculture Just Transition engagement programme.   

As the Highland and Islands Climate Festival (1-30 September) gets into full swing the environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful has published a report highlighting the impact of the first year of the Highland Community Waste Partnership.

Scotland’s councils will invest £5 million this year to develop Nature Networks across the country to help tackle the nature and climate crises.

Galloway Glens Scheme Grand Finale Event

The Galloway Glens Scheme is an initiative of Dumfries & Galloway Council’s Environment Team, funded by a range of partners including the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Over the last five years, the scheme has worked to ‘connect people to their heritage’, while boosting the local economy and supporting sustainable communities.

Scientists at the University of Aberdeen are developing technology that will enable electricity generated by renewables to be ‘banked’ as green hydrogen in depleted oil and gas reservoirs alongside industrial carbon emissions. 

The research could play a key role in helping Scotland achieve its net zero ambitions and even become a net exporter of hydrogen, while providing a new lease of life to depleted oil and gas reservoirs and aquifers, as well as the pipeline and well infrastructure surrounding them. 

Researchers from The James Hutton Institute in Aberdeen are conducting surveys to understand the challenges of opportunities facing Scotland’s vast rural areas. In particular, their research focuses on localities as potential places to live, rural travel, and local food. 

Future Farming Expo

The agricultural industry is heading toward a more sustainable, profitable, and efficient future. Future Farming Expo will bring together forward-thinking Scottish farmers, advisors, and rural businesses over two days for knowledge hubs, discussion, and networking across a busy exhibition hall.

Scotland’s first ever National Islands Plan was published in 2019 and is now being reviewed as required by the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018, which may lead to the publication of a new National Islands Plan. 

A new report - 'Evidence to Support Development of a New Rural Support Scheme for Scotland: A summary of written outputs' - has been published.

The report covers twelve written separate reports. These provide evidence reviews, analysis, summaries and expert briefings on agriculture in Scotland, the purpose of which is to help shape future policy in order to deliver sustainable food production that tackles climate change and nature restoration.

The 2023 Scottish Smallholder Festival will move to the Royal Highland Centre, signalling the importance of smallholding to the agricultural scene in Scotland.

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