Agricultural holdings including crofting and small landholdings
-
National Islands Plan 2026: island communities impact assessment
Island communities impact assessment (ICIA) for the new National Islands Plan.
-
National Islands Plan: Fairer Scotland Duty
Fairer Scotland Duty for the new National Islands Plan 2026.
-
Peatland ACTION five year partnership plan 2025 – 2030
This plan is the first in a series of rolling five-year plans designed to deliver Scotland’s long-term vision for peatland restoration. It aims to help the partnership focus on the right priorities, at the right time as we progress toward our proposed 2040 restoration target.
-
Community Rights to Buy: consultation analysis
Analysis of the responses to the consultation on community rights to buy that took place between July and October 2025.
-
Agricultural reform: environmental report - strategic environmental assessment
We are reforming agricultural support. This strategic environmental assessment (SEA) environmental report, required under the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005, highlights the positive environmental impacts of proposed changes to farming and food production.
-
Land Reform Bill
Increasing land ownership transparency.
-
Pesticide usage in Scotland: Arable Crops and Potato Stores 2024
This publication presents information from a survey of pesticide use on Arable crops and Potato stores in Scotland during 2024.
-
Pesticide usage in Scotland: Soft Fruit Crops 2024
This publication presents information from a survey of pesticide use on Soft Fruit Crops in Scotland during 2024.
-
Ecosystem Restoration Code (ERC): engagement phase results and analysis
Paper describing the results and analysis of the Ecosystem Restoration Code (ERC) engagement phase and the priorities identified for the final stages of the ERC project to January 2026.
-
New farming opportunities
Public land being made available.
-
Livestock traceability and health services: equality impact assessment
The Services deliver a range of statutory requirements on behalf of Scottish Ministers. This equality impact assessment (EQIA) considers the users, particularly livestock farmers. The key finding is the importance of appropriately experienced and trained helpline staff, to ensure that the Services are fully accessible to all.
-
Farming and crofting support
14,182 businesses receive payment.
-
Permitted development rights to support the provision of new homes: consultation
We are consulting on potential measures to simplify planning processes and encourage the provision of new homes in rural areas and town and city centers. The consultation also includes options related to domestic air source heat pumps and heat network connections.
-
Scotland's fourth land use strategy: consultation
This consultation paper sets out our proposed approach to the next Land Use Strategy. It seeks your views on the strategic direction and vision for sustainable land use in Scotland, and the objectives, policies and actions that will help deliver it.
-
Less Favoured Area (LFA) farmers and crofters - sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices: report
Research report exploring LFA farmers’ uptake of sustainable practices in Scotland, identifying key motivators, barriers, and support needs to inform future policy.
-
Community right to buy review: consultation - easy read
The Community Right to Buy, introduced in Scotland in 2003, has empowered rural, urban, and crofting communities to acquire land and assets. We are consulting as part of a review aimed at simplifying the process and exploring improvements.
-
Community right to buy review: consultation
The Community Right to Buy, introduced in Scotland in 2003, has empowered rural, urban, and crofting communities to acquire land and assets. The Scottish Government is consulting as part of a review aimed at simplifying the process and exploring improvements.
-
Scottish Rural Communities Policy Review: stage 1 - theories of change
Stage 1 of the Scottish Rural Communities Policy Review. It sets out four interim theory of change models and an overarching theory of change for the initiatives under review. These models will act as a research tool to inform the fieldwork stage of the review.
-
Future farming Investment Scheme
Applications for £14 million fund to open in July.
-
Sustainable and regenerative agriculture: code of practice
Guidance tool that highlights the types of activities that can be adopted on a farm or croft, that will contribute to the development of sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices in Scotland.
-
Crofting and Scottish Land Court Bill published
New legislation to support crofters.
-
Crofting and Scottish Land Court Bill: Fairer Scotland Duty assessment
An assessment of the impact of proposals in the Crofting and Scottish Land Court Bill in relation to the Fairer Scotland Duty.
-
Crofting and Scottish Land Court Bill: island communities impact assessment
An assessment of the implications of proposals in the Crofting and Scottish Land Court Bill on island communities.
-
Crofting and Scottish Land Court Bill: child rights and wellbeing impact assessment
An assessment of the implications for child rights and wellbeing of proposals in the Crofting and Scottish Land Court Bill.
-
Crofting and Scottish Land Court Bill: business and regulatory impact assessment
An assessment of the implications for business of proposed changes to regulatory arrangements contained in the Crofting and Scottish Land Court Bill.
-
Crofting and Scottish Land Court Bill: equality impact assessment
An assessment of the impacts arising from proposals in the Crofting and Scottish Land Court Bill on different groups, particularly those with protected characteristics.
-
Agricultural industry profit recovers in 2024
An Accredited Official Statistics Publication.
-
Farmer payments begin
Upland Sheep Support funding.
-
Next generation farming
Support for young people into agricultural careers.
-
Ecosystem Restoration Code: engagement paper
Engagement paper for the Scottish Government-NatureScot partnership project to develop an Ecosystem Restoration Code (ERC) for Scotland. The paper summarises key evidence on the operation and scope of potential nature / biodiversity markets in Scotland.
-
National Islands Plan: annual report 2024
The Islands (Scotland) Act 2018 requires that a report is presented to Parliament each year setting out the progress made towards delivery of the National Islands Plan. This report sets out progress made during the 2024 reporting year.
-
Crofting consultation and analysis: data protection impact assessment
A consultation on proposals for legislative reform of crofting law was held between 6 June and 2 September 2024. This data protection impact assessment (DPIA) covers the data protection issues relating to the consultation and the subsequent independent analysis report.
-
Rural Support (Improvement) (Miscellaneous Amendment) (Scotland) Regulations 2024: equality impact assessment
This equality impact assessment was used to assess the Impact of the Scottish Suckler Beef Support Scheme and Good Environmental and Agricultural Conditions SSI provisions.
-
New deal for agriculture
Flexible grants to drive efficiency, support nature and climate friendly farming.
-
Crofting law reform
Analysis of consultation responses published.
-
Pesticide Usage in Scotland: Outdoor Vegetable Crops 2023
This publication presents information from a survey of pesticide use on outdoor vegetable crops in Scotland during 2023.
-
National Islands Plan: Implementation Route Map 2024
Details how we will deliver our priorities over the lifetime of the National Islands Plan. It identifies the methods to monitor progress towards fulfilling the many commitments in the Plan and sets out timescales for delivery of our work.
-
Scotland's Land Use Strategy Annual Progress Report – 2023/2024
Fifth annual progress report on Scotland's land use strategy, as required under Section 37A of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009. It covers the period of March 2023 to March 2024.
-
Scottish Rural Development Programme 2014-2020: Evaluation of Capital Grant Schemes – Main Report
This report presents findings from an independent evaluation of three capital grant schemes funded through the Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP) 2014-2020.
-
Scottish Rural Development Programme 2014-2020: Evaluation of Capital Grant Schemes: Annex B - Survey data
This annex presents survey data from the independent evaluation of three capital grant schemes funded through the Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP) 2014-2020. This is an annex to the main evaluation report.
-
Consultation on crofting reform
Public to help shape plans for the reform of crofting.
-
Agriculture Bill to become law
Supporting sustainable and regenerative farming and crofting.
-
Agriculture and Rural Communities Bill
Supporting sustainable farming and crofting.
-
Land Reform Bill
Transfer test to become part of large rural landholding sales.
-
More support for crofters
Improving energy efficiency of croft homes.
-
More support for Scotland’s crofters
Improving homes in remote and rural communities.
-
Budget protects rural and island economy
Payments to farmers made early to mitigate cost of living crisis.
-
Preparing for sustainable farming
Helping to futureproof farms.
-
Support for island crofters and farmers
Funding for projects to manage the impacts of greylag geese.
-
Crofters’ home grants
Allocation of next round of Croft House Grants for 2021/22.
-
Grants for crofters’ homes
Allocation of first round of Croft House Grants for 2021-22.
-
The future of crofting
Keeping crofting at the heart of rural communities.
-
Croft house grants awarded
Help for rural and remote communities.
-
Additional funding increases training support for women in agriculture
Access to scheme allows women in crofting and agriculture to develop their skills.
-
Preparing for the future
Setting the direction and shape for agricultural support.
-
Grants for Crofters
Building or improving Crofters’ homes.
-
Support for farmers and crofters
Simplification and improvement of legislation.
-
Skills matching service to help rural business
Workers connected to farming and animal welfare sector.
-
Support service for new and existing farmers
New entrant service launched.
-
Farmers to benefit from more land
New entrants to farming industry get help from Scottish Government scheme.