The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands (), commonly referred to as the Rural Affairs Secretary (), was a position in the Scottish Government cabinet. The role was merged with the Energy brief in 2026 to make the new position of Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Rural Affairs.
The Cabinet Secretary was responsible for rural Scotland and its islands, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, aquaculture, food and drink, and crofting.
History The position was created in 1999 as the Minister for Rural Affairs and renamed as the Minister for Rural Development in 2000 and again in 2001 as the Minister for the Environment and Rural Development. Following the 2007 election, the position of Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment was created, becoming the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment in a November 2014 reshuffle. Following the 2016 election, the position was re-titled Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity, but was again renamed in June 2018 to Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy, with connectivity passing to the new Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity. In the third Sturgeon government, the role was re-styled to Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands. In the first Yousaf government, the role was re-styled to Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands. In the second Swinney government, the role was merged and replaced by the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Rural Affairs.
Overview
Responsibilities The Cabinet Secretary's responsibilities were agriculture and crofting, fisheries and aquaculture, food and drink, rural Scotland, forestry, animal health and welfare, and cross-government co-ordination on islands.
Public bodies The following public bodies reported to the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands: Crofting Commission Food Standards Scotland Highlands and Islands Enterprise James Hutton Institute Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland Moredun Research Institute Quality Meat Scotland Scottish Agricultural Wages Board
List of office holders Minister for Rural Affairs NamePortraitEntered officeLeft officePartyFirst Minister Ross Finnie 19 May 1999 1 November 2000 Liberal Democrats Donald Dewar Minister for Rural Development Ross Finnie 2 November 2000 15 May 2001 Liberal Democrats Henry McLeish Minister for the Environment and Rural Development Ross Finnie 15 May 2001 17 May 2007 Liberal Democrats Henry McLeishJack McConnell Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment Richard Lochhead 17 May 2007 21 November 2014 Scottish National Party Alex Salmond Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment Richard Lochhead 21 November 2014 18 May 2016 Scottish National Party Nicola Sturgeon Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity Fergus Ewing 18 May 2016 26 June 2018 Scottish National Party Nicola Sturgeon Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy Fergus Ewing 26 June 2018 17 February 2020 Scottish National Party Nicola Sturgeon Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Tourism Fergus Ewing 17 February 2020 19 May 2021 Scottish National Party Nicola Sturgeon Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands Mairi Gougeon 19 May 2021 29 March 2023 Scottish National Party Nicola Sturgeon Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands Mairi Gougeon 29 March 2023 20 May 2026 Scottish National Party Humza Yousaf John Swinney
See also
References