Scottish Countryside Alliance highlight report 2024

The Scottish Countryside Alliance is the political campaigning force that promotes and protects the rural way of life, representing the interests of our members, supporters and rural communities in parliament, in the media and on the ground. We cannot be as effective as we are in our campaigning work without the continued support we receive.

We actively campaign to engage Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) from all political parties, advocating for our members’ rights and interests during parliamentary meetings and committee sessions. Our efforts involve collaboration with partner organisations and government bodies to ensure fair and unbiased treatment for our members.

An election is expected to be called in the Scottish Parliament in 2026, so we are preparing for this now. This highlight report provides an overview of the main issues which we have been campaigning for over the last year and will outline the main areas we will be looking at for 2025, which will shape our campaigning strategy for the 2026 election.

Our Objectives

Sustainable Rural Community

We want our members and supporters to be able to live and work in rural areas without barriers. We continue to lobby our parliament on issues such as rural transport networks, broadband connectivity, rural depopulation, the cost-of living crisis, and fuel poverty. Growth is key.

Environmental Stewardship

We remain actively involved in legislation including hunting with dogs, wildlife management and muirburn, and land reform. Our team keeps abreast of all the latest rural matters for our members and is active on a number of political and practical advisory committees.

Challenge misinformation and bias

Our team will challenge misinformation and bias in the press, when appropriate, and will always promote the benefits of rural living in a positive way. We will always support our farmers and campaign against extreme veganism and animal rights extremism. We are proud of our farmers and food producers and the work they do to provide healthy nutritious produce.

Public benefit

We provide guidance and help to our members on issues affecting their rural way of life. From lobbying MSPs to providing professional guidance on firearms licensing and applying for NatureScot wildlife licences.

Our key messages

Hunting

The 3 October 2024 marked the one-year anniversary of the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act enactment. The SCA worked with members to ensure that the licensing scheme provided for in the Act, and administered by NatureScot, was fit for purpose and adhered to the parameters contained within the legislation, as passed. With the continued assistance of our members, we have successfully engaged with NatureScot and the Scottish Government to streamline the hunting with dogs licensing process, allowing wildlife management organisations to carry out essential operations across Scotland.

Shooting

The Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill became an Act on 30 April 2024. The SCA was involved in the various stages of the Bill to ensure the proposed licensing schemes would be workable and fit for purpose. The licensing scheme for taking red grouse has been in place since 15 July 2024. The wildlife trap licence will be introduced in early 2025, subject to an announcement from the Scottish Government. Training is already underway, and the SCA was part of the small team that developed this course. We also continue our work on the Firearms Licensing and Explosives Group to seek changes in legislation to remove moderators from firearm certificates and to support the justification for 10-year licences.

Deer management

The SCA has been invited to collaborate on a new Ministerial Forum that will look at our wildlife in Scotland and how we manage it in the future. Deer will be a focus for us, given the proposed, intrusive changes to the Deer Management Plans (DMP’s) that the Scottish Government wish to enforce. Welfare should be considered above all else.

The full 2024 highlight report can be read here.about this blogabout this blog