The first ever Scottish Rural Parliament started in Oban yesterday.
Workshops and local visits are running throughout the three day event, which is being attended by 400 delegates.
Richard Lochhead, cabinet secretary for rural affairs, food and the environment, will give a presentation this morning.
Giving the welcome speech at Atlantis Leisure Centre last night, Oban-based Councillor Roddy McCuish said: “I am delighted that the Scottish Rural Parliament is holding its inaugural meeting here in Oban. This is a unique opportunity for rural communities to come together and speak with one, strong and coherent voice on the particular benefits of rural life, as well as some of the specific challenges we face.”
He continued: “It seems that there is a strategic national support structure in place for cities, for urban areas and for islands, but that there is little in the way of a support structure for large, diverse areas such as Argyll and Bute and Highland, with islands large and small, large towns, small towns, tiny villages and the remotest of rural settlements. It may seem that areas like ours are too large, too idiosyncratic, too diverse to easily fit into one positive development plan, which is one of the main reasons I welcome the Scottish Rural Parliament initiative.
“This is a model which has worked well in other countries and it’s very encouraging that the Scottish Government has made this commitment to engage with its rural communities and work towards bridging of this policy gap.”