Future Landscape Conference to explore collaborative solutions for resilient rural landscapes
Researchers, land managers, students and community members from across Scotland’s rural industries will come together this autumn to explore collaborative approaches to future environmental and land management challenges at SRUC’s Future Landscape Conference.
Hosted by SRUC's School of Natural and Social Sciences at the Barony Campus near Dumfries, the conference will feature keynote speakers, presentations, workshops, panel discussions, trade stands and academic poster displays, with a prize awarded for the best research poster.
The School of Natural and Social Sciences Future Landscape Conference: Innovation in Integration: Building Resilient Futures Through Collaboration, will showcase how stronger partnerships across research, industry and communities can help tackle the challenges facing Scotland’s rural landscapes.
Professor Davy McCracken, Deputy Head of the School of Natural and Social Sciences at SRUC, said: "Ongoing climate change means that our land management systems need to adapt to become more resilient to extreme events. Nature-based solutions can not only help with that adaptation but also help address biodiversity declines.
"This is the second conference in a series designed to bring land-based industries together to learn from each other and showcase some of the positive approaches being taken to meet future challenges. By bringing together researchers, practitioners, policymakers and communities, we hope to encourage new collaborations that will help build more resilient rural landscapes for the future."
The conference will feature contributions from a wide range of organisations across the environmental, land management and rural sectors, including Peatland Action, Nature Friendly Farming Network, The Soil Association, LANTRA, Community Land Scotland, Natural Capital Community Partnerships, Buglife, Bright Green Nature, Southern Upland Partnership, SWSEIC, the Scottish Agroecology Partnership, NatureScot, LUNZHUB, JUSTLANZ, Digital Dairy Nexus and Chirrup.
Research presentations will also be delivered by experts from SRUC's School of Natural and Social Sciences, the Rural Policy Centre, SAC Consulting, the Centre for Sustainable Forests and Landscapes at the University of Edinburgh, the Centre for Mountain Studies at the University of the Highlands and Islands and the Scottish Association for Marine Science, as well as researchers from the University of Leeds and University Centre Bishop Burton.
The conference is aimed at anyone who lives in, works on or studies rural landscapes, including professionals from across the land-based sector, landowners, community organisations, policymakers, researchers and students.
The event takes place from 9.30am to 4pm at SRUC’s Barony Campus near Dumfries on Friday 16 October, with registration opening at 9.30am.
The full conference agenda is now available, and tickets, which include lunch and refreshments, can be booked via the SRUC Eventbrite page. Tickets for students are available at a discount.
Anyone interested in finding out more about the conference can email SNSSFutureLandscapeConference@sruc.ac.uk.
Posted by SRUC on 11/08/2026
