Scottish rural areas facenew Clearances

24 August 1998

Scottish rural areas face
new Clearances

SOME rural areas in Scotland may be heading for a new form of Highland Clearances, according to Barry Dent, the principal of the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester.

Mr Dent believes that at best there will be a substantial realignment of the population as traditional agriculture and other rural jobs disappear and more town dwellers elect to live and work in the countryside. He already sees evidence of this trend in the Scottish borders and in Wales.

The changes are taking place not only in the livestock area but also in the arable sector too.

• The Scotsman 24/08/98 page 14