Katharine Hay

2 weeks ago | scotsman.com | Katharine Hay

Scottish farmers have said tax changes have had a “chilling effect” on the profession as new figures show nearly half across the UK have stopped putting money into their businesses. The comments come almost six months after the UK government announced those in the agriculture sector would no longer be exempt from inheritance tax. Chancellor Rachel Reeves also announced in the budget last October that funding for farm subsidies would no longer be ringfenced for the devolved nations.

2 weeks ago | scotsman.com | Katharine Hay

The relocation of the small spiny animals is to protect the island’s ground-nesting birds. Almost £100,000 has been given to trap and relocate “invasive” hedgehogs from the Outer Hebrides. A total of £97,840 was allocated from the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund for the initiative, which will look to move every hedgehog on Benbecula, in Uist to the mainland. Hedgehogs, which are not native to the islands, were introduced to Uist more than 50 years ago to control garden pests.

2 weeks ago | scotsman.com | Katharine Hay

Residents generally felt the park was good for their mental health, but found the area challenging to live in when it came to housing and public transportSome 60 per cent of residents in Scotland’s largest national park said they find it difficult to find somewhere affordable to live amid housing and public transport issues, a new survey has found. The results were published in the first ever released Cairngorms National Park resident survey.

2 weeks ago | scotsman.com | Katharine Hay

Scotland’s fire fighters were called out to more than 90 outdoor fires over the weekend alone. Pictures have emerged showing the damage caused by a wildfire that ravaged parts of south-west Scotland. Crews were called to areas in Galloway Forest Park on Thursday after reports of a fire. Flames spread across the hillside and lasted for days, with helicopters called to airlift campers to safety over the weekend.

2 weeks ago | scotsman.com | Katharine Hay

An NHS health board has issued an urgent plea to the public to help it cover a multi-million pound deficit. NHS Dumfries and Galloway (NHS D&G) said the move was to help it plug a £33.6 million gap between the funding available and what is needed to maintain services in their existing form this financial year. The health board is leaning on public support, having launched a campaign to urge people to only order the medicine they need to save pennies.