The flagship £1.6bn Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP) is designed to develop rural communities and businesses in Scotland that are fit for the twenty first century.

The stakeholder meeting offers representatives from farming, crafting, forestry and environmental interest groups to contribute to the Government’s programme and help it resolve some outstanding issues.  It is also intended to ensure as many individuals, businesses and communities as possible get a chance to access the grants.

Environment Minister Michael Russell said: "The Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP) is one of the most forward thinking, innovative rural investment programmes in the world.

"We have now received over 1700 ideas and proposals under the Rural Priorities part of SRDP. This shows that the online application system is accessible to very many people and that it is clearly capturing the imagination of rural Scotland. 

"However we accept there have been some teething problems and we need to sort things out. Richard Lochhead and I have been visiting rural communities and agricultural shows during the summer and are acutely aware of the importance of getting this right.

"Today's meeting is a direct result of that feedback and underlines our commitment to supporting rural communities and the industries that underpin the rural economy."