Tech

Many rural businesses are failing to claim what they could from a combination of grant funding and tax relief, missing out on valuable support

Family businesses contribute hugely to the economy and communities across Scotland, but keeping them in the family is often a challenge

Despite working longer hours than many of our competitors, our national productivity is trailing behind. Does the answer lie in a happier workforce? Sandra Dick reports.

The bitter prospect of a no-deal Brexit has robbed many farmers of the sense of satisfaction that autumn typically brings

Companies looking to expand overseas need to consider their potential tax liabilities and compliance obligations as they target international growth, writes Neil Dinnes.

Farmers and their families will most likely be aware of the important Inheritance Tax (IHT) reliefs currently available on the value of their businesses. Agricultural Relief (AR) and Business Relief (BR) can relieve the full value of the farming operation, and it has long been recognised that the policy objective behind these reliefs is to prevent the breaking up or sale of farms (and other businesses) on the death of their owners.

When Heather Anderson and Pete Ritchie took on Whitmuir Farm, outside West Linton in Midlothian, in 2000, it was – in Heather’s words – “Wall to wall sheep”.

Planning ahead is vital for any business. And when it comes to farming, keeping one eye on the future is usually imprinted in the DNA of families with land to prepare and animals to tend.

In an increasingly uncertain world, one thing remains constant: trouble can strike at any time. 

There is no doubt that Scotland’s farming sector faces unprecedented challenges. But with these threats, be they from Brexit or climate change, comes the opportunity to innovate.

Scotland’s agriculture sector is changing rapidly, with rural businesses across the country driving forward groundbreaking innovations in attempts to address the myriad challenges of the land.

Healthy soil is not only used to grow food, it has a range of other benefits.

Over a century ago, Henry Ford, who revolutionised the automobile business, stated: “If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.”

From craft beer to gin distilleries, wedding venues, boarding kennels and Airbnb premises, being down on the farm these days can feel a world away from the tractor, the plough and the slurry pit. 

Women have always played key roles in farming but it is still chiefly a male-dominated industry, propped up by the expectations of both land inheritance and, in the past, the physical nature of the work.

Simec Atlantis Energy, the Edinburgh-headquartered sustainable power developer, has hailed the “best operating results ever” at its flagship MeyGen tidal project in the Pentland Firth.

Provided all the political bluster comes to pass and this country leaves the EU after almost 50 years of being closely aligned to the fortunes of wider European agriculture, farmers in this country will face a largely unknown but probably less profitable future.

Innovation delivers environmental gains for Highlands and Islands on the way to an effective elimination of greenhouse gas emissions by 2045

Electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure firm Forev has unveiled plans to create a network of rapid EV chargers throughout Scotland after inking a supply deal with an Austrian traffic tech specialist.