Funding of £96.6 million has been awarded to more than 1,000 projects across rural Scotland.

The cash investment comes from the Rural Priorities scheme within the Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP). Projects approved from this round alone will create or sustain more than 200 jobs and brings the total investment approved to £257.8 million.

Projects to have funding approved include the conversion of a farm steading near Forres which into a rural enterprise centre which will bring 50-70 jobs to the area, a new restaurant and guesthouse for the Western Isles and a plan to improve wildlife habitats in Angus.

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Rural Secretary Richard Lochhead said that the funding will boost Scotland's economic recovery, tackle climate change and position rural Scotland to deliver for the twenty-first century.

Mr Lochhead said: "Rural Priorities is of considerable importance to Scotland's Economic Recovery Programme, with £34.6 million of this new funding going directly to farming and rural businesses to help improve their competitiveness.

"Over a number of years, more than £60 million will also go towards environmental and forestry projects which will protect and improve Scotland's natural environment and help meet our targets on climate change. A large number of forestry projects in particular have been approved in this round, which will be valuable to the development of the sector.

"This has been another very successful round of assessments with interest in Rural Priorities now at record levels."

This is the sixth round of approvals from the Rural Priorities scheme. £257.8 million has now been approved, funding around 3,600 projects in rural Scotland.

(GK/BMcC)