Rural Scotland, covering 95 per cent of the land area and 18 per cent of the population, is an integral part of the country's economy, environment and culture. The Government's aim is to promote development in rural areas and empower communities so that their particular views and circumstances are reflected in Government policies and priorities.
The Scottish Government develops a wide variety of policies, regulation and services to support Scotland's rural areas. It has also mainstreamed the needs of rural Scotland across all of the Government policy areas. A number of bodies and mechanisms exist to oversee and co-ordinate the Government's approach to rural development. These ensure that all of the Government's policies are sensitive to the needs and circumstances of rural communities. They also keep policy makers in touch with the views of the communities they serve. The Government is also responsible for policy on land reform, crofting, deer management and for implementing the Scotland Rural Development Programme.
A large amount of information is made available on rural development, including the latest news, consultations, strategy documents, statistical information, reports, application forms for grants and guidance on a wide range of topics.
In particular, information on the following is available:
Rural Policy, which includes key documents presentations and speeches. It also provides a definition of rurality and a map of urban rural classifications.
- Crofting, which includes information on crofting policy and legislation, financial support available to crofters and statistics on crofting.
- Land Reform, including information on the land reform process and relevant legislation. Guidance is made available on the right to buy as well as application forms and information on how to access the Register of Community Interest in Land.
- Funding and Grants available to rural communities.
- Deer Management, including public information leaflets, guidance on deer fencing and technical guidance for operational staff.
- Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP), including information about what the SRDP is, key messages and how it is funded. Information is available on each of the funding streams.
Where the information within this class can be located
This class of information can be located within the ' Rural Development' section of the Scottish Government website or through one of the alternative routes described under section 5 of this scheme.