Scotland: National Rural Network
There is still time to register for the EU Rural Cooperation Fair taking place in Edinburgh on 23rd and 24th September. This free event will be a great opportunity to share knowledge and experience with other people from rural Scotland and Europe.
You can now download an invitation, which includes details of the programme and a link to the booking form, from our documents library.
A new initiative to develop and promote Care Farming has been launched in the North of Scotland by children's charity Action for Children. The Care Farming Initiative aims to complete a feasibility study on the possibility of developing care farming as an option for young people in Moray, Highland and Aberdeenshire.
This Saturday, 4th September, is Eat Scottish Venison Day 2010. Following a successful launch last year, the day will feature promotions, events, signature dishes, cooking schools and special menus from some of the UK's top restaurants and suppliers.
The Black Isle Brewery have won a prestigious Organic Food Award with their Yellowhammer Bitter. The beer was awarded the Beer and Cider prize and was described by judges as "special" and "fresh". Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall will hand out the awards at the Soil Association Organic Food Festival in Bristol on 11th September.
Farmers and vets in Scotland are being asked for their views on the current system of disease surveillance. A review into Veterinary Surveillance is being carried out to establish if the current arrangements are fit for purpose.
Scotland's Food and Drink Fortnight is just around the corner. From 4th - 19th September celebrations of Scottish produce will take place across the country.
The digital television switchover for those served by the Knockmore transmitter is happening soon. The Knockmore transmitter serves an area around Knockmore, Craigellachie, Grantown, Aviemore and Kingussie.
Between now and 2012, analogue channels are being switched off region by region and replaced with free-to-air digital TV and radio services (Freeview).
Scotland is currently in the process of switching over to digital TV. Many areas, including Shetland and Orkney and the Borders have already switched over.
However there are many parts of rural Scotland still to switch including those in the Durris, Knockmore, Rosemarkie, Torosay, Rosneath and Darvel, Craigkelly and Black Hill transmitter areas.
Old and new buildings across the country will throw their doors open to thousands of visitors over four weekends in September. Highlights of the 20th Doors Open Days event include a lighthouse in Shetland designed by Robert Louis Stevenson's grandfather and a WW2 underground military bunker in Inverness.
Our new photo competition challenges you to capture the 'Seasons of Rural Scotland'. We're looking for your photos of community events, landscapes, wildlife, sporting events - anything at all as long as it reflects one of the four seasons!
The competition launches today, 27th August, and will run until 31st August 2011 with quarterly deadlines for photos of each of the seasons: Autumn, Winter, Spring and Summer. We're also running a competition for young photographers with two age categories - up to 12 and 13 to 18.
