Scottish landowners and tourism stakeholders will come together next month to discuss expanding country sports tourism, an industry worth over £240million per year to the Scottish economy. The event, sponsored by Bell Ingram, will be held at Finzean, Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire on Tuesday 15 May. The event begins at 9.30am, opening with registration and refreshments, and will finish at around 3.00pm following an optional site visit. To register attendance please contact Joyce Karch at Scottish Land & Estates on 0131 653 5400.
With its fascinating historical features, enchanting scenery and strong links to the end of the last major ice age, i Parkwood on the Gower is a popular tourist location. Forestry Commission Wales has stepped in to ensure a smoother passage into this environmental jewel after the Welsh Government woodland became the victim of its own alluring beauty. The road allowing access to the site of special scientific interest (SSSI) was showing signs of serious wear and tear, with badly pot-holed areas testifying to Parkwood’s popularity.
Commenting on the announcement on CAP Reform by EU Farm Minister, Dacian Ciolos, Andrew Arnott, a partner of Saffery Champness Landed Estates & Rural Business Group says: “There was not much in the announcement that had not already been leaked. However, it confirms the intention to distribute subsidies more evenly by way of a cap on payments to farmers at 300,000 euros (£261,240) per year. A progressive levy, to be applied on all payments exceeding 150,000 euros (£130,620), was also announced as a proposal. Assuming that the proposals will be approved by both the EU parliament and all member states, this will be bad news for many large arable farmers and some medium scale farming businesses, including those in the uplands.It remains to be seen whether the ‘sustainable and inclusive growth’ for European agriculture can really be achieved through these proposals. I think they could, as they stand, have the opposite effect, acting as a disincentive to invest for farm businesses that are highly-mechanised with lower staffing levels”.
The ninth European Roe Deer Conference will take place on 6-11 July in Edinburgh. For two decades, research scientists and other roe deer enthusiasts have met every alternate year in a different European country to learn of the results of recent research in the roe deer field and discuss scientific and roe deer management work in progress. These meetings allow researchers to bring themselves up-to-date with the latest work of their colleagues and offer an ideal opportunity for the cross-fertilisation of new ideas and to discuss new theories and to seek or set up scientific collaboration for future roe projects.
The conference also offers a chance to expand cultural links and to make new friends and/or renew old acquaintance among fellow roe deer enthusiasts.
The event is usually based around a two-day scientific meeting with associated field trips and cultural and social activities added on. The last two conferences took place in 2005 in Jerez, Spain and in 2007 in Velenje, Slovenia.
The programme includes:
Monday 6 July Field visits by bus to the west of Edinburgh (Central Scotland)
Tuesday 7 July Scientific meeting at Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh
Wednesday 8 July Scientific meeting continues / Workshops during pm
Thursday 9 July More workshops if required. Overnight field trip departs for a Highland estate
Friday 10 July Field trip continues returning to Edinburgh by nightfall.
The scientific meeting will comprise two full days of lectures and workshops (an additional morning may be available if required). It is proposed that the meeting should follow the same format as earlier meetings with a series of spoken and poster sessions but perhaps more time will be set aside for informal, workshop-style discussions.
