Rural Scottish communities surveyed on priorities

People living and working in rural communities are being consulted on what government priorities should be to improve their lives.

Rural Scotland accounts for 98 per cent of the land mass of Scotland and 17 per cent of the population.

A Scottish Government survey will help develop the forthcoming Rural Delivery Plan, which will cover a range of areas including agriculture, transport, housing, health and social care, marine, land reform, population, skills, digital connectivity and economic development.

Cabinet secretary for rural affairs, land reform and islands Mairi Gougeon said: “The Rural Delivery Plan will introduce, for the first time, a vision for rural Scotland with specific objectives and achievements we want to reach, how we intend to get there and how we will measure success along the way. This builds on our record of support for rural communities, such as preserving direct support for farmers and crofters, to improving online connectivity, and comes on the back of a lot of work with partners and communities to better understand the opportunities in our rural communities, as well as the particular challenges rural Scotland faces.

“Our vision is for a vibrant and sustainable rural Scotland with a thriving economy where families are able to access the services they need. I would encourage all those with an interest to take part in the survey and tell their friends and family so that the Plan we produce reflects their experiences and what is most important to them.”

The survey is open until 17 March.