Scottish budget leaves rural communities ‘out in the cold’

The Scottish Budget, which passed through Holyrood on Tuesday (25 February), has been described as bad news for rural communities that leaves them out in the cold.

The Budget for 2025-26 includes more than £660m for rural communities to support farmers, crofters and the wider rural economy, and almost £90m to protect, maintain and increase woodlands and peatlands, and to restore more than 15,000ha of degraded peatland.

See also: Scots farmers gather to press Holyrood for proper funding

It also aims to ensure the creation of more than 11,000ha of woodland across Scotland, and allocates £4.9bn for the climate and nature crises, to lower emissions and energy bills, protect the environment and create new jobs and opportunities.

Critics of the current SNP administration and the Budget say the 3% cut in real terms leaves rural communities abandoned.   

Shadow rural affairs secretary Tim Eagle said: “While this will have a huge impact on our farming and fishing sectors, which are so crucial for jobs and the wider rural economy, I am also worried about how the SNP’s Budget will impact across the services people rely on in rural communities.”

Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) also raised concerns, saying it ignored rural voices and delivered a worrying message to rural businesses.

Cameron Gillies, policy and public affairs manager for SLE, said: “Our rural sector is at the heart of Scotland’s net zero ambitions, as well as its economic targets.

“Increased funding for renewables and peatland restoration is welcome, but it will do little to bring the whole of the rural sector on side, given the backdrop of the overall message this Budget is sending.

“We cannot afford to jeopardise the progress the rural sector is making by continuing to place rural affairs at the bottom of the pile when it comes to public funding.”