Euromontana conference

Invited policy advisers, experts and practitioners from across Europe and beyond took part in a conference on the public benefits of land management at Aviemore Highland Resort this week.

Delegates made a case study visit to Balliefurth Farm to hear first hand from Alastair and Anne Maclennan about the biodiversity and conservation work carried out on their farm.  In addition they heard about the work of Speyside Wildlife and visited the Rothiemurchus Estate to hear about forestry regeneration from Stuart Blackhall, the estate's forester.

The conference was arranged by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), the Crofters Commission, the Forestry Commission Scotland and Euromontana (the European association for mountain areas) and is one of several events taking place in association with the UK's presidency of the European Union.

The delegates have been discussing key issues around the theme 'What are the most effective policies for releasing the potential of mountain and remoter rural areas in Europe?'

HIE chairman, Willy Roe said: "The Highlands and Islands of Scotland with its scattered but vibrant communities and wild, but never entirely untouched beauty, is a fitting location in which to explore these policy challenges.

"Our culture, skills and distinctive patterns of land management and heritage of resilience and resourcefulness are among Europe's finest rural assets.  The contribution of these and similar parts of rural Europe must be recognised and harnessed for the benefit of all."

Shane Rankin, chief executive of the Crofters Commission said: "Agricultural production is changing across the globe as major trading blocks concede degrees of access to their markets for agricultural producers from the developing countries.  Yet, in the remoter parts of Europe it is agricultural producers, already challenged by topography, climate and lack of economic alternatives, who appear to be most vulnerable to these global policy changes.

"We need to figure out how we can avoid farming and crofting in these remote areas becoming some kind of theme park display sustained only for its environmental interest.  We need to figure out how we can ensure that people continue to manage the land to sustain these precious environments."

John Thomson, director of Rural Policy at SNH, said: "If anything gives the lie to the outmoded notion of conservation as the enemy of development, it is the recent history of much of Scotland's Highlands and Islands. 

"The turnaround in its economic fortunes demonstrates that in the modern world a high quality natural environment is an asset not a handicap.  Strathspey was therefore the ideal place to meet and explore amongst other things, how the continuation of the natural heritage to the wellbeing of remote rural communities could be further increased, through activities such as nature based tourism and the branding of local produce."

Link to Euromontana website