Scotland: National Rural Network
Heavy snow is again causing problems across the country. The Rural Network regional event in Rural Tayside, due to take place in Dunkeld tomorrow, has been postponed because of the weather conditions. And the West Lothian regional event which took place on 24th February in Livingston had to be cut short as there was a lot of snow. However, delegates still heard excellent project presentations, got updates on rural funding opportunities and had the chance to network over coffee and lunch. We'll have an event report and presentations from the day on the site early next week.
The Rural Network regional event for Rural Tayside, due to be held in Dunkeld on 27th February has been postponed due to the adverse weather conditions. The event will now take place later in the spring, and details will be announced as soon as they are available on the website and in this newsletter. Find out more in Rural Tayside regional event postponed.
Bookings are now being taken for the Rural Network regional event in Ayrshire which takes place on Friday 5th March at the Scottish Agriculture College Auchincruive campus. You can get more information, and a link to the booking form, in Rural Network Ayrshire regional event flyer.
The Rural Network regional event for the Scottish Borders took place on 16th February at Springwood Hall, Kelso. Around 90 delegates representing a wide range of rural interests attended. There were funding updates on LEADER and Rural Priorities and excellent project presentations from Scottish Borders Food Network, Tweed Valley Tourist Consortium, Whitmuir Organics and Upper Nisbet Farm. You can find out more in Part One and Part Two of our event report, and you can see photos from the day in our Scottish Borders regional event gallery. Presentations from the event will be available shortly.
The Dumfries and Galloway event took place at the Town Hall, Lockerbie on 17th February. You can download presentations from the day in our Rural Network Regional Events Archive. An event report and photos from this event will be available on the site soon.
A major new report has been published by the Scottish Agricultural College. The report features eight sections looking at a range of rural issues including population change, community ownership and farm biodiversity. The SAC say the key lesson from the report is that for successful planning policy in Scotland, policy makers must look at change that is already happening. You can find out more, and watch a video from the launch, in New report puts Rural Scotland in Focus. We want to know what you think about the report - you can add your comments to the article, and we'll feed them back to the SAC.
The development of Scotland's first Land Use Strategy is an opportunity for you to have your say on the future of the country's land use. Do you have views on food production, food security, renewable energy or protecting landscapes and habitats? If so, then get along to one of a series of discussion workshops organised by the Scottish Government. If you can't make it to these events, then you can also add comments on the Land Use Strategy website. A full consultation will be held later this year, but the government want to hear from you at this early stage to help shape the draft strategy. You can find out more in Have your say on Land Use Strategy.
We've had another couple of comments in the Delivery and carriage costs forum. Do you get frustrated by higher delivery charges to rural areas? Do you prefer to get things sent by the Royal Mail? You can share your views and experiences by adding a comment to the forum.
Free training for community groups in and around Islay is being held in Bowmore, Islay on 22nd April. The Community Land Unit of Highlands and Islands Enterprise has commissioned a training programme to provide communities with skills and information. The training is for people and groups thinking of, or already, owning and managing community assets – these might be land, buildings, services or other things that the community wants to own and manage. You can find out more in our events calendar.
The Scottish Government have announced that £3 million will be made available to farmers whose farm buildings collapsed under heavy snow. The government have acted on the advice of a short term working group set up to look at the issue after hundreds of buildings were damaged during the wintry weather earlier this year. You can find out more in Funds for famers with snow damaged buildings.
The Borders Forest Trust are holding a special one-day conference at Peebles Hydro Hotel on 25th March to look at the opportunities for ecological restoration. A range of speakers are presenting and some of the topics being discussed include restoration in the Galloway Hills, farming for biodiversity and floodplain restoration. You can find out more in Borders Forest Trust Conference: Opportunities for Ecological Restoration.
The 2010 Macaulay Land Use Research Institute 'How is Rural Scotland changing?' photography competition is designed to illustrate the public’s awareness of rural changes which are taking place. Winners will receive a Braemar Safari ticket for two plus £100 and runner-ups will receive a £50 photographic voucher. The competition will be judged in two categories, 18-year-olds and under and 19-year-olds and over. You can find out more in Capture the Changes in Rural Scotland.
The 18th February saw the launch of the first PRINCE2 training programme for the voluntary sector in the UK take place at the Gathering in Edinburgh. You can find out more in Launch of the first PRINCE2 course for the voluntary sector in the UK.
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