Commenting on the Scottish Government’s Environment Strategy for Scotland: vision and outcomes report published today (25 February 2020), Stephen Young, Head of Policy at Scottish Land & Estates said: “Land managers are in the perfect position to help deliver the Scottish Government’s vision for the environment. Our members are already...
Leading shooting and rural organisations have today announced they want an end to the use of lead and single-use plastics in shotgun ammunition for live quarry shooting within five years. The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC), British Game Alliance (BGA) Countryside Alliance (CA), Country Land and Business...
The Non-Domestic Rates Bill passed Stage 3 in the Scottish Parliament in February 2020. We believe the Bill should be viewed as a positive first step to a more comprehensive reform of the non-domestic rates system. However there is still more to be done to ensure Scotland has a truly competitive rates system. We have spent several months...
Greater restrictions on the use of general licences - which allow certain birds to be controlled to prevent crop damage, predation of at-risk bird species and the protection of public health – could pose a threat to wildlife conservation efforts. Following the announcement today of new restrictions on general licences by Scottish Natural...
Scottish Land & Estates and WWF Scotland welcome the announcement by Fergus Ewing, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy, of a new Agriculture Transformation Programme to help farmers contribute positively to the climate emergency. The two organisations have previously jointly called for such a fund to be established. Farmers are...
A sporting estate in a remote glen in Dumfries & Galloway, which welcomes tourists from around the world, has received a prestigious accreditation which recognises landowners who are committed to best practice in conservation, habitat and wildlife management. Covering 2000 acres, Auchenbrack estate in Tynron has been accredited by...
Conflicting evidence on the future of deer management in Scotland should not overshadow the recent progress achieved, Scottish Land & Estates said today. The organisation, which represents rural businesses and landowners, said that many of the findings in this week’s Deer Working Group report came in sharp contrast to SNH’s report...
Important technical changes to the calculation of non-domestic rates on shooting rights and deer forests have been welcomed by Scottish Land & Estates. The rates, reintroduced as part of the Land Reform Act 2016, saw valuation notices issued to proprietors which was followed by a substantial number of appeals entered to the Scottish...
Landlords of private rental property will now have until October 2020 rather than 1 April 2020 to complete any required energy efficiency changes to their properties. The announcement of these crucial additional six months comes after our open letter last week to Kevin Stewart, Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning and Paul...
The implications of a new climate change report for Scottish land use needs to be fully considered alongside our food production and biodiversity goals, Scottish Land & Estates said today. Following publication of the Committee of Climate Change (CCC) report, Land use: Policies for a Net Zero UK, SLE chief executive Sarah-Jane Laing said...
