Land

A total of £964 million has been allocated to the Rural Affairs and Islands portfolio in the Scottish budget.

More than £620 million will provide ongoing agricultural support ensuring stability to farmers, crofters and land managers in 2023-24.

Confirmation of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)

The Chief Veterinary Officer (Scotland) has formed the opinion that highly pathogenic avian influenza exists, or has in the previous 56 days existed, on premises and has informed the Scottish Ministers of that conclusion. 

The World That Is Shaping Our COAST

Join Lateral North on the 10th January for a one-day event and exhibition which celebrates projects throughout Scotland that focus on the country's unique, diverse and ever-changing coastline. These projects, ideas and opportunities will look at the stories of the past, the projects of the present and the ideas of the future, with a key element looking at how the coastline is, quite literally, changing due to industry, climate change, biodiversity loss and other challenges.

This week sees the start of construction work on a new village in Skye – the first in over 100 years!  

The Kilbeg Village initiative is being taken forward by project partners Sabhal Mòr Ostaig - The National Centre for Gaelic Language and Culture, The Highland Council and the Communities Housing Trust.

Protection for Scotland’s nature is set to be urgently scaled up, with 26 priority actions to restore Scotland’s natural environment and halt the loss of biodiversity by 2030.

Projects to restore rivers in the Cairngorms and protect the rainforest in Argyll are among the initiatives that will share £7.6 million through the latest round of the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund.

This round is focussed on supporting large scale projects, including multi-year projects that run up to 2026.

Today (15 December 2022), the Scottish Government published its 2023-24 budget which sets out proposed spending and tax plans for 2023 to 2024, as presented to the Scottish Parliament.

Chapter 10 covers Rural Affairs and Islands covering allocations for:

There is still time to take part in the consultation to modernise small landholdings legislation.

Scotland’s farmers, crofters, land-managers, small holders and small landholders are vital to our ambition to make our nation fairer and greener, and small landholders are part of this farming ambition.

Responsible Natural Capital and Carbon Management

How can we ensure that Scotland’s net zero targets are met while benefitting communities, landowners and businesses fairly?

As part of their Autumn-Winter training series the Scottish Land Commision (SLC) are running a webinar to explore their Responsible Natural Capital and Carbon Management Protocol.

The Woodland Trust is urging schools and community groups to get their free tree-pack applications in quickly with just over a month left until the spring delivery closes.

A bumper autumn delivery saw almost 750,000 saplings finding homes the length and breadth of the UK, bringing the annual total to a record-breaking 1.3m trees for 2022.

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