More public land made available in Scotland to new entrants

An additional 2,100ha of public land has been made available as part of the Scottish government’s programme to help new entrants into the farming industry.

The latest release of public land is expected to benefit up to 24 young farmers.

Some of the land is being let in in the form of part-time starter farms, with other blocks being made available as additional grazing opportunities so new entrants can grow their farming businesses.

See also: 50 starter farms launched in Scotland

The bulk of the land has been made available by Forestry and Land Scotland, although Crown Estate Scotland, Scottish Water, Highland and Islands Enterprise, and East Lothian and Highland Councils are also involved in the initiative.

Collectively, since 2016 around 6,400ha of public land has been freed up across 94 sites.

Callum Lindsay, a farmer’s son whose home farm is not big enough to support both him and his parents, is one of the most recent beneficiaries.

He has been awarded 40ha of public land at West Torrie, near Callander, on a five-year tenancy.

“Due to the high price of land and the shortage of ground available to rent for livestock, it is becoming increasingly difficult to get yourself established,” he said.

“This five-year tenancy is a golden opportunity to establish myself in the industry, a start that would not be achievable if I had to buy my own land.”

Creating land opportunities 

The Scottish Tenant Farmers Association (STFA) said creating opportunities for new entrants was good news.

Christopher Nicholson, STFA chairman, said: “Historically, Scottish new entrants have been at a disadvantage compared to south of the border where over 2,500 County Council-owned farms have traditionally provided an entry to the tenanted sector.”

However, he added that it was important to remember that it was not just starter units that were required, as people needed to be able to progress once they had built up their capital and stock.

There was still more that could be done to create further rungs on the farming ladder for those coming out of starter farms, he said.

For example, implementing the Relinquishing and Assignation provision of the Land Reform Act 2016, which would allow secure tenants without successors to retire by assigning their leases to new entrants and developing farmers should their landlord not wish to take the holding back in hand.

Defra and the Welsh government are currently consulting on similar proposals as part of a proposed shake-up of the tenanted sector.