Come and see for yourself, SLE tells Green Party MSP

Do Scottish shooting estates get tax breaks and subsidies?

Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) has strongly rebutted claims by Green Party leadership candidate Ross Greer MSP. He alleged that shooting estates receive unjustified public subsidies and tax breaks.

In a video posted on social media, Mr Greer claimed “almost every shooting estate in Scotland gets massive tax breaks and subsidies.” He argued that this happens despite many being owned by “some of the richest people in the world.” He has also tabled parliamentary proposals to ban such estates from receiving tax relief.

SLE’s director of policy, Stephen Young, dismissed Mr Greer’s assertions as fundamentally flawed.

“The assertion that shooting estates – whatever those are – receive funding for doing nothing is simply untrue,” he said.

Mr Young explained that recipients of government support must demonstrate environmental benefits. They must also show agricultural activity in order to receive rural support payments.

What benefits do Scottish shooting estates provide?

He emphasised that rural estates deliver significant environmental and economic benefits. He noted that “more than half of Scotland’s woodland creation, peatland restoration and renewable energy production” takes place on such properties.

Mr Young warned that:

“These ideologically driven proposals would severely impact our efforts to reach net zero. They would also undermine work to tackle biodiversity loss and stem rural depopulation.”

In response to Mr Greer’s remarks, SLE has invited the Green Party MSP to visit a rural estate. The group wants him to witness first-hand the “multiple benefits these businesses provide for people, jobs and nature.”

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