Mon, 29/06/2026 - 11:40am
Blog post by SRA Director, Chiara Fingland
A song composed by Jo Mango at the 6th European Rural Parliament in Inverurie last October has become a reference point in Scottish Rural Action ’s work, which we continue to reflect on. It captures the spirit of community that defined that event, and it was a poignant reference point when our Chair, Theona Morrison, reflected on it at our follow-up event at Scotland House in Brussels. That song reminds us that if we want to keep "rural" on the agenda, we must keep our people at the centre of our policy and practice.
Creative approaches feel more important than ever. Last weekend, at the Royal Highland Show, Imagine If hosted conversations about hopeful rural futures using "more-than-human" personas. It was a powerful experience to invite people to look at our shared future from perspectives such as a puffin, an oak tree, or a basking shark. Alongside these conversations, we curated a Gallery of the Future, a vibrant display of creative visions and questions about the places we call home. These activities taught me something critical: there is value in this kind of making and imaginative play which could benefit our policy work. Exploring what "good" looks like through different lenses or perspectives, helps us break out of siloed thinking, build empathy and consider timescales of change and care.
Reflecting on the past few days, the contrast between the creative space at the Royal Highland Show and the intense policy discussions at Scotland House in Brussels yesterday has been thought provoking. Both environments share a common thread: a shared ambition to strengthen the rural voice. It was a privilege to join a diverse assembly, from grassroots activists to European Commission representatives, we gathered around the shared ambition to strengthen the rural voice. Representing Scottish Rural Action, I enjoyed participating in a vital conversation about the future of our rural communities.
The Declaration of Inverurie - Moving Forward
Our time in Brussels was a direct follow-up to the European Rural Parliament held in Inverurie. If that event gave us a manifesto, this follow-up was about exploring the mechanics to progress the ambitions and around putting civil society in position.
We are increasingly using the Declaration of Inverurie not just as a static document, but as a living reference for our advocacy. It was fascinating to learn about the National Regional Partnership Plans and the role of the Rural Pact as a cooperation framework to achieve goals together. Even though we are no longer an EU member state, it was inspiring to see the shared challenges and opportunities around topics such as depopulation, climate change, and housing. We heard from the Irish Government about their "whole of government" approach and use of inter-departmental groups to address cross-cutting policy challenges, and explored how we can strengthen rural proofing to ensure that policy decisions effectively support our communities. I was also interested to hear more about the Right to Stay (and to come back home) strategy from a European Commission perspective.
From Dialogue to Strategic Action
The experience in Brussels and the Royal Highland Show has sparked many ideas and thoughts. How do we weave the inclusive, creative practices we explored at the Highland Show into formal decision-making spaces? How do we ensure our advocacy stays rooted in the actual environment we represent?
The transition from articulating problems to delivering solutions requires us to be strategically organised. This is where the next Scotland Rural and Islands Parliament in the Borders in 2027 becomes so significant. We have a unique opportunity to prototype new approaches and test new ways of organising the rural voice to ensure that action is recognised and resourced by government and decision makers.
We Need Your Voice
The road ahead holds its share of uncertainty, but it also offers a unique window to amplify the rural movement in Scotland. We are building on these foundations, and we need energetic, diverse experience and inputs to get us there.
Recruitment for new Directors for the Scottish Rural Action board is now open. You can find more information here. If you are passionate about rural advocacy and want to help shape the next chapter for rural Scotland, we would love to hear from you.
We are young, we are old.
We are one and must be bold.
Learning from the past, building for the future,
we pass it on.
We are one, hear our song.
