Over £28m has been granted under the Rural Priorities scheme – less than four months since the full application process opened for business.

Of the 424 cases considered in the first two assessment rounds, 350 have been approved in principle, with the majority of final agreements expected to be signed before Christmas.

By the end of the financial year, just 12 months into the scheme, the Government expect to have considered around 1,500 full proposals – three times the level of interest in predecessor programmes.

Rural Priorities is part of the £1.6bn Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP), which delivers sustainable economic development for communities in Scotland's countryside.

Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, said: "The Rural Priorities scheme is really seizing the imagination of rural communities. That 83 per cent of all cases considered to date have been approved is testament to the quality of proposals coming forward.

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"There is a real appetite among communities to become part of the rural revolution, to change the way they look at their assets and take charge of their own destiny.

"Scotland is not immune to the turbulence affecting major economies and I am glad that communities are following the Scottish Government's lead and acting now to ensure stability and growth.We have identified the actions we can take to help small business and ordinary households and to ensure our economy is well positioned for recovery."

In addition to the funding awarded under Rural Priorities more than £119 million is on track to be allocated to rural communities this year through the various facets of SRDP.

Almost £89,000 has been awarded to Melanie Kinkead to expand disabled riding facilities at Camplebridge Riding School near Thornhill, Dumfries. The project will establish an indoor riding arena with disabled facilities, a cross country course, paths, tracks and stabling facilities. The provision of kennels will help encourage visitors to stay longer in the Dumfries and Galloway areas while the indoor arena and cross country course will widen the range of facilities for the local community and visitors to Nithsdale.

(GK)