Community development

After awarding its final grant for the financial year just last week, the Smarter Choices, Smarter Places (SCSP) Open Fund brought the total numb

Plans to enable councils to raise the amount of council tax paid on empty and second homes will be included in a new consultation to help increase housing availability.

The world’s first rewilding centre has been opened near Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands by charity Trees for Life – showcasing how large-scale nature recovery can give people inspiring experiences, create jobs and benefit rural communities.

In Spring 2022 the first part of the National test programme became live with the launch of Preparing from Sustainable Farming (PSF). 

Scottish Agritourism Roadshow - Shetland

This is a joint event with Scottish Agritourism and Taste of Shetland with support from Highlands and Islands Enterprise and is open to farmers, crofters, other business owners and anyone else who have an interest in agritourism and the opportunity that it presents for Shetland.

Scottish Agritourism Roadshow - Orkney

This event is hosted by Destination Orkney and Scottish Agritourism with support from Highlands and Islands Enterprise and is open to farmers, crofters, other business owners and anyone else who have an interest in agritourism and the opportunity that it presents for Orkney.

Scottish Agritourism Roadshow - Caithness and Sutherland

This event is being run jointly with Scottish Agritourism and Venture North with support from Highlands and Islands Enterprise. The event is open to farmers, crofters, other business owners and anyone else who has an interest in agritourism and the opportunity that it presents for Caithness and Sutherland.

Grant-funded advice through Scotland’s Farm Advisory Service (FAS) is available to help farmers bring costs down for businesses and offer options for diversification. All grant options can be tailored to the needs of the individual business and will be delivered by a qualified adviser.

Scottish Agritourism Roadshow - Wester Ross - focus on Crofting

This event is run by Scottish Agritourism in conjunction with the Crofting Commission, with support from Highlands and Islands Enterprise and open to farmers, crofters, other business owners and anyone else who has an interest in agritourism and the opportunity that it presents for Scotland.

New research that explores the role that migrant workers play within the agricultural sector has been published.

Commenting on the ‘Seasonal Migrant Workers in Scottish Agriculture’ report, Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said:

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