Arts, culture and heritage

Legislation which would give councils the power to introduce a visitor levy to raise funding for local tourism facilities and services has passed its first vote in Parliament.

A bid to nominate Affric and Loch Ness as Scotland’s third national park has been launched, with organisers saying the area’s globally important natural and cultural heritage deserves protection and celebration. 

The partnership behind the proposal says the area of the Scottish Highlands is one of the world’s most beautiful places, and national park status would benefit current and future generations.

An action plan has been published which supports the Culture Strategy for Scotland. The plan provides details of how the Scottish Government will deliver the ambitions of the Culture Strategy.

Integrated Land Use Conference 2024

The Integrated Land Use conference will take place 26 - 28 March 2024 in, and around Kingussie.

This year will be focussing on where we have come from and where we are going in terms of land management and use. What has changed and what has worked. Many aspects will be discussed like community, attitude/behaviour evolution, inclusivity, diversity, forestry, agriculture, wildlife and game management, energy, tourism and many more exciting topics.

A group of eight innovative new library projects designed to enrich communities across Scotland will be brought to life through a share of £106,868 support received through the Public Library Improvement Fund (PLIF).

The Scottish Islands Survey 2023, being run by The James Hutton Institute, is asking 20,000 people across Scotland’s inhabited islands for their views on topics from transport, housing, the economy and cost-of-living crisis to the environment, healthcare and education.

Village halls and community hubs are often the heart of rural and island communities. They are places for people to gather, learn, access services and have fun. Making sure they are well run and maintained is an important but not always easy role, often fulfilled by committed volunteers and workers.

The Scottish Rural and Islands Parliament (SRIP) is an important opportunity for voice of rural and island communities to help reinforce the importance of local democracy and to help shape the emerging Rural Delivery Plan. The theme of this year’s SRIP was Village Halls and Community Spaces.

The Scottish Land Commission is taking a groundbreaking step to ensure the well-being of local communities by introducing fresh guidelines that emphasise the importance of community-centred land use decisions.

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