Following criticism from rural groups, Holyrood has U-turned on its decision to unfairly strip shoots and deer forests of rates relief - but only partially.

Shoots and deer forests with low enough rateable values (£20,000 or less) were eligible for the Small Business Bonus Scheme, providing relief for business rates bills, but last month, the Scottish government made an unexpected announcement that this would no longer be the case, and that they were set to lose eligibility for the scheme as of April 1 2026.

The announcement, made as part of the 2026 Scottish Budget, came unexpectedly, and seemingly without either explanation or any form of consultation with rural groups and affected parties.

The Scottish Countryside Alliance, along with other rural organisations, criticised the move, and pointed out that shooting sports activity, including conservation, contributes £780m to the Scottish economy each year, and warned the changes risk jeopardising this contribution, and could cause serious damage to the rural economy.

The Scottish government have now backpedalled from their initial announcement, stating that deer forests will now be eligible for relief once more, where venison from lawful deer management goes into the human food chain.

However, critics have pointed out that many rural sporting businesses and small shoots will still be affected, in spite of the important conservation work they carry out.

The Scottish Countryside Alliance is calling on Holyrood to recognise the important work of small shoots and rural sporting businesses and their vital contribution to conservation and the rural economy.

Jake Swindells, Director of the Scottish Countryside Alliance, said:

"While this is a welcome development, these changes do not go nearly far enough. Shoots and rural sporting businesses provide vital conservation work and are hugely important to the rural economy. The Scottish government should recognise this contribution by widening the exemptions to include all shoots and deer forests, provided they don't exceed the threshold. If Holyrood cares about rural communities, it needs to legislate for them, not against them."