£25k available for country sports

Scotland’s country sports tourism businesses which have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic can now apply for grant funding of up to £25,000 after being left out of original Scottish Government funding support.

The move came after several organisations warned that missing out an important part of the tourism sector from grant funding opportunities threatened a longer-term impact on rural communities whose livelihoods relied on this sector.

The funding from the Scottish Government comes in the form of three grants worth £100M and it is understood that sporting tourism businesses will now be eligible for the £20m creative, tourism and hospitality enterprises hardship fund, which can provide up to £25,000.

The British Association of Shooting and Conservation (BASC) said that cabinet secretary for the rural economy, Fergus Ewing, had admitted that sporting tourism businesses had been ‘inadvertently excluded”.

The BASC’S political and press officer in Scotland, Ross Ewing, said that while the initial exclusion had been “completely unacceptable”, the change was to be welcomed.

Stephen Young, head of policy at Scottish Land &

Estates said the re-think rectified the error of missing out an important arm of Scotland’s tourism sector: “If these businesses do not survive this pandemic, it could mean irreparable damage for the people who live and work in these communities.”

Borders MSP Rachael Hamilton MSP, who had earlier termed the handling of rural relief “shambolic”said she welcomed the U-turn from the Scottish Government on the issue.

“The shooting industry contributes approximately £200m to Scotland’s economy and provides the equivalent of 11,000 jobs,” said Hamilton.