The Peatland Training Fund will provide financial support to over-16s living in Scotland, who want to develop skills for a peatland career. People already working in peatland restoration who would like additional training can also apply. The aim is to increase the...
Amphibians and reptiles: working with crofters and kids
by Janet Ullman, Amphibian and Reptile Conservation janet.ullman@arc-trust.org Saving Scotland's Amphibians and Reptiles is a project of Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (ARC). We work with crofters to support their needs in establishing or maintaining populations...
New alliance of farmers and crofters calls on Scottish Government to back nature-friendly farming
The Scottish Agroecology Partnership, comprising eight farming organisations, has seven policy asks to the Scottish Government, including reforms to income support, investment in local food infrastructure, strengthened local food supply chains, dedicated funding for...
Skye wind farms news
A summary of Skye Wind Information Group's June newsletter and other reports. The Highland Council’s objection to the proposals to "Repower and Extend" Ben Aketil Wind Farm triggered a public inquiry which ran from 23 - 27 June in Portree. Nadara, the Italian owners...
A food system off-track?
by Anne MacLennan Salmon farming is unsustainable according to a report published last month. Aquaculture is the fastest food production system in the world. Farmed fish have outnumbered wild-caught fish since 2022. Seventy percent of salmon are now farmed, with...
Scottish Land Commission survey and route map
The Scottish Land Commission is seeking ideas on what a fully land reformed Scotland could look like, and what it would mean to you. There's a short online form with two main questions: 1. What changes would you like to see in how land is owned and used in Scotland...
The whole truth: campaign to resist ultraprocessed foods
The UK government's Department of Health and Social Care had planned to encourage retailers to shift the balance of price promotions towards "minimally processed foods" - which includes fruit, vegetables, beans, whole grains like rice and pasta, and unprocessed meat....
Permaculture : ideas, actions, solutions
by Anne MacLennan The International Permaculture Festival of Wild Ideas held last month, was an online festival ‘featuring inspiring thinkers, doers and creatives from around the world exploring permaculture and wilding’. As such, it provided inspiration and hope for...
Salmon farming reflections
by Anne MacLennan Skye's Scottish Salmon Think-Tank (SST-T) recently joined the Coastal Communities Network, a community-led network of local groups ‘committed to the preservation and safeguarding of Scotland’s coastal and marine environments’. Formed in 2017 with...
Highland Good Food: regenerative agriculture and regional food groups
Is regenerative agriculture really the answer? Listen to Highland Good Food's latest podcast on Regenerative Farming and Regenerative Agriculture - concepts that have been around longer than you might expect. But what do they truly mean, and how are these...