First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon has encouraged people to support Scotland’s rural economy by buying home grown Christmas trees this year.
Two Norway spruce trees, grown by Highfield Forestry in Beauly, were delivered to the First Minister’s official residence, Bute House.
The First Minister said the forestry industry is 'vital' to Scotland’s rural economy – contributing £1 billion and supporting 25,000 jobs.
"The Scottish Government is committed to supporting the continued growth of the sector so I’m delighted to have home grown trees in Bute House again this Christmas. It would be fantastic if as many people as possible bought a Scottish grown tree this Christmas.”
Stuart Goodall, Chief Executive of Confor, a forestry trade body representing 800 businesses in Scotland, said: "We want to see the forestry and wood processing sector grow to become a £2 billion industry in the 2020s and employ many thousands more people. To achieve that, it is important that the sector continues to work positively with the Scottish Government and publicises how important forests are to Scotland."
Supporting fresh local produce
Farming union NFU Scotland will be talking to shoppers in the coming weeks to encourage them to make their festivities Scottish and help support the nation’s farmers and crofters.
John Armour, NFU Scotland’s Supply Chain Policy commented: “At a time of year when farmers and crofters are working hard to ensure you have food on your plate on Christmas Day, what better way to support them than to buy fresh, Scottish produce.
“Many continue to feed the beasts, milk the cows, and work on the farm during Christmas Day, and we’d ask consumers to show appreciation by making sure their festivities are as Scottish and local as possible.
“The up and coming promotional days are just two of many we’ve held this year to speak to shoppers directly. Many don’t realise the abundance of high-quality, local produce available right on their doorsteps, at affordable prices.
