One of the highlights of the Scottish Rural Parliament is the moment when we showcase the innovation of rural communities and businesses from across Scotland – and this year will be no different!  This is a great opportunity for rural communities to share their experiences and help find solutions to the problems they face. The […]

The Scottish Rural Parliament takes place every two years and is next scheduled for November 2018. The event takes place over three days and brings together around 400 people from rural communities across Scotland. The event aims to raise the profile of rural needs and successes, connect rural community representatives with decision-makers, and share ideas […]

Scottish Rural Action, the non-profit body which organises the Scottish Rural Parliament, has a new website

The first report from the newly formed National Council of Rural Advisors (NCRA) has been published on the ‘Potential implications for rural Scotland of the United Kingdom leaving the EU’ – gov.scot/...528196.pdf The report lays out some of the concerns the NCRA have for rural Scotland post-Brexit, including labour and skills, trade, loss of EU […]

Common Weal recently held a Housing Convention in Glasgow and SRA were invited to put forward the rural perspective.

A presentation for the National Transport Strategy sub-group, ‘Enabling Economic Growth’ Prepared by: Emma Cooper, Chief Executive, Scottish Rural Action Presented: 30th November 2017 The presentation was an overview of key information we have on the rural economy and some considerations for the National Transport Strategy. Sources • RESAS Working Paper, July 2017 – Understanding […]

Isolation can be felt by anyone at anytime

Nearly 300 young people from across Scotland have taken part in our ‘Fare Enough?’ survey to date and the number keeps growing. Young people who live rurally have shared their experience of how public transport cost has impacted on their lives. One of the key issues that the survey highlights is that many young scots […]

Report from Scottish Rural Action for the National Council of Rural Advisers: Discussions on the future of rural policy Prepared by: Emma Cooper, Chief Executive Delivered: 21st November 2017 Introduction Scottish Rural Action was formed to be a national voice for rural Scotland, bringing together different interests and stakeholders. This paper is a summary of […]

European Rural Parliament 2017 – Venhorst, Netherlands The village of Venhorst in Noord-Brabant did not exist until the early 20th. century when the municipality sold seven hectare plots to families wanting to settle and make a living. The nearest school was an hour’s journey away. The first school, the Saint Cornelius School, was opened in 1932 with […]

One of the highlights of the Scottish Rural Parliament is the moment when we showcase the innovation of rural communities and businesses from across Scotland – and this year will be no different!  This is a great opportunity for rural communities to share their experiences and help find solutions to the problems they face. The […]

Helping It Happen Awards Dinner & Ceremony – 3rd October at the Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh
Following a successful inaugural year in 2017, the Helping It Happen Awards return for 2018. The National Awards aim to highlight the work of local estates and land-based businesses who help their surrounding communities flourish.
The Helping It Happen Awards will once again be sponsored by The MacRobert...

Rural Scotland stands at a crossroads. Brexit represents a pivotal moment that will have long lasting consequences for rural policy and for rural businesses and communities. There is so much that remains unknown with key decisions and negotiations yet to happen. The issue of how, in the context of devolution, agricultural and rural policy will operate in the UK once we leave the EU is still to be...

Could your community host?

The Scottish Rural Parliament takes place every two years and is next scheduled for November 2018. The event takes place over three days and brings together around 400 people from rural communities across Scotland. The event aims to raise the profile of rural needs and successes, connect rural community representatives with decision-makers, and share ideas […]

Let us know how the closures will impact you and your community.

Isolation can be felt by anyone at anytime

Nearly 300 young people from across Scotland have taken part in our ‘Fare Enough?’ survey to date and the number keeps growing. Young people who live rurally have shared their experience of how public transport cost has impacted on their lives. One of the key issues that the survey highlights is that many young scots […]

European Rural Parliament 2017 – Venhorst, Netherlands The village of Venhorst in Noord-Brabant did not exist until the early 20th. century when the municipality sold seven hectare plots to families wanting to settle and make a living. The nearest school was an hour’s journey away. The first school, the Saint Cornelius School, was opened in 1932 with […]

This is the third and final part of Lee’s blog.  You can still read part 1 and part 2. The second session focussed on rural leadership and we were asked to give examples of leadership from our own experience, whilst also outlying some of the challenges. I talked about land reform and the growth of […]