Challenges and Opportunities for Remote and Fragile Areas: Setting the Scene

In May 2019, Professor Davy McCracken  was invited to speak at the Scottish Land & Estates Conference in Edinburgh. The theme of the conference was on “Maximising the Margins” and explored land use in our more challenging and fragile areas. In particular, presentations and discussions looked in depth at how rural business can rise to the challenge of increasing social, economic and environmental benefits.

Davy was asked to speak  on the challenges and opportunities for fragile areas. He spoke of the challenges facing agriculture in these remote regions, and the key role of crofters, and some of the positive contributions of hill farming in “Less Favoured Areas” – and examples of “tools in the hill farming box”. A copy of Davy’s presentation can be downloaded here.  For more information on this topic, a video capturing reflections from the conference is available here.