Charles III William, Duke of Rothesay Swinney government The Rt Hon John Swinney MSP The Rt Hon John Swinney MSP Kate Forbes MSP Sixth session Alison Johnstone MSP Angela Constance MSP Dorothy Bain KC The Rt Hon Lord Carloway KC PC United Kingdom Parliament elections European Parliament elections Local elections Referendums Starmer ministry The Rt Hon Keir Starmer MP The Rt Hon Ian Murray MP The Rural Development Council was an advisory body to the Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, Richard Lochhead MSP.
Its members include: Barbara Kelly; Donald MacRae of the Bank of Scotland; Stuart Housden, the Director of RSPB Scotland; Derek Logie of the Rural Housing Service; Liberal Democrat Councillor Alison Hay from Argyll and Bute Council; Kate Braithwaite, Director of the Carnegie UK Trust Rural Programme; Alex Walker, chairman of Development Trusts Association Scotland; Shiela Garson from Shapinsay Development Trust; Neil Macleod, the chair of the Scottish Crofting Foundation, Jim McLaren of NFU Scotland; and Liam Beattie, a student from the University of Stirling.
[3] Mr Lochhead has said: "I am delighted to see that we now have a forum where the rural voice can be heard at the heart of Government."
In 2010 the council launched a consultation paper called "Speak Up for Rural Scotland".
The consultation seeks views on "how best rural Scotland can contribute to the nation's sustainable economic growth", noting the potential of the natural assets of rural Scotland and identifying priorities and opportunities.