Rural Policy Centre
Our Rural Policy Centre is a knowledge hub for rural Scotland. We engage and collaborate with researchers, businesses and communities to exchange ideas, share experiences and contribute evidence-based research to rural policy in Scotland.
Our Rural Policy Centre is a knowledge hub for rural Scotland.
We engage and collaborate with researchers, businesses and communities to exchange ideas, share experiences and contribute evidence-based research to rural policy in Scotland.
Check out our latest research briefing, policy spotlights, and podcast episodes:
- Research Brief: Exploring the circular economy readiness of construction and demolition in Northern Ayrshire: A rural Scotland case study
- Research Brief: Rural construction industry case study interviews on circular economy: communication, knowledge exchange and social network analysis
- Policy Spotlight: Feminist Green New Deal
- Research Brief: Forecasting UK ruminants
- Research Brief: The 'surplus' dairy calf: Understanding dairy-beef supply chain relationships and the implications for calf welfare
For more information on our research or outputs, or to learn more about what we do, please contact us.
Rural policy resources
We examine the impact of policies on rural businesses and communities to provide knowledge for future policy development. Our research briefings and policy summaries share valuable and straightforward insights on the big issues affecting rural lives.
Rural policy projects
We aim to inform the development of future policies by gathering evidence and sharing knowledge. Our research projects focus on a range of issues of importance to the sustainability and resilience of Scotland's rural and island communities and businesses.
Rural policy events
We organise virtual and in-person events to discuss rural topics, highlight rural policy issues and facilitate connections amongst stakeholders. We welcome any collaborations and suggestions for future events.
Have your say
The Rural Policy Centre is Secretariat for theÌý, which on a quarterly basis.
Cross-party groups include MSPs from across the Scottish Parliament and are open for everyone to attend that lives, works or has an interest in rural Scotland and beyond.
We’d love it if you could join us at a meetingÌýto have your say on the issues affecting you.
Connect with us
Through our work we aim to improve the quantity and quality of evidence and expand upon the knowledge base about rural Scotland. The work we do informs the development of future policies by raising the profile of issues affecting our rural communities.
Contact us
The Rural Policy Centre is a knowledge hub for rural Scotland. We engage with rural communities as well as consultant, educators and researchers across ºÚ±¬ÁÏ to harness the latest rural knowledge.
Meet the team
Get to know our friendly rural policy specialists and find out how to contact us.
Join us on Twitter
Join the conversation on the Rural Policy Centre Twitter page.
Rural Policy Centre in ºÚ±¬ÁÏ news:
All Rural Policy Centre newsNew project to map landowners in Scotland
With concentration of landownership in Scotland the highest in Europe, new research aims to understand whether recent land transactions are leading to - and fuelled by - land use change, such as towards achieving net zero.
£100k research project to explore agricultural policy impacts on island communities
ºÚ±¬ÁÏ has been awarded a £100k research grant to gather the views of island communities in Orkney, Shetland and the Outer Hebrides on the forthcoming agricultural and land use policy changes.
Scotland Praised by the OECD in a new report on rural innovation
A new report by The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) praising the innovation of rural Scotland was launched this week.
Talking hemp – the super crop
A new podcast, released today by Scotland’s Rural College’s Rural Policy Centre, looks at why so few farmers are currently growing hemp in Scotland.
Equality, Opportunity, Community: What does it mean for Scotland’s rural communities?
If the First Minister is to achieve his ambition of delivering a wellbeing economy which is ‘fair, green and growing’, policies need to deliver for rural and island Scotland as much as they do for urban Scotland. Read more from our Rural Policy Centre's response to the Scottish Government's Programme for Government 2023-24 here.
Lost in translation? Insights from an international approach to rural issues at ESRS 2023
Dr Ana Vuin, a Research Fellow with the Rural Policy Centre, shares her experience of attending The European Society for Rural Sociology’s biennial congress in July 2023.
Find out more about our services
Research news
Have a look at our latest news articles to find out more about our research activities and impact across the globe.
ºÚ±¬ÁÏ Pure
You can access our research outputs, learn more about our research team, see our current and past research projects and much more on ºÚ±¬ÁÏ Pure.