​RHS shows us the vitality of rural Scotland - Alex Cole-Hamilton

Alex Cole-Hamilton during a visit to Craigie's Farm in South Queensferry to launch the party's general election manifestoAlex Cole-Hamilton during a visit to Craigie's Farm in South Queensferry to launch the party's general election manifesto
Alex Cole-Hamilton during a visit to Craigie's Farm in South Queensferry to launch the party's general election manifesto
I must admit, I never tire of a visit to the Royal Highland Show. From humongous combine harvesters glinting in the sunshine to row upon row of pedigree farm animals, food stalls and live music, there’s something for everyone.

And did I get photographed holding a sheep’s horns and post it with a caption that read, “taking this election by the horns?” I most certainly did.

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In all seriousness, events like the Royal Highland Show are a fantastic opportunity to meet people and businesses from all corners of the country, especially those with rural and agricultural roots.

Life has not been at all easy for those communities. For many, it feels like governments in Edinburgh and London just don’t care about what they need or what matters to them.

Scotland's rural and remote communities have so much to offer. For a start, they are the best in the business when it comes to farming, fishing and whisky, and their warm welcome and stunning landscapes are at the heart of what brings tourists to Scotland. It is in the interests of all of Scotland that they thrive.

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But too often their very viability is being challenged by the lack of public transport, the ferries fiasco and poor broadband connectivity.

In the far north, mothers in labour are forced to travel up to 100 miles down the treacherous A9, and it's the same for women in the south west who have ended up giving birth in lay-bys.

Farmers, feel that so much of our politics is stacked against them. Who can blame them? The Conservatives’ botched deal with the EU combined with an SNP Government uninterested in rural communities has resulted in serious damage to the UK’s food system.

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And just like here in the capital, sewage is being pumped into our rivers, it's harder than ever to see a GP or NHS dentist, and there is a housing emergency.

All of this makes it harder to retain and attract the skilled people these areas need to thrive.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

In seats up and down the country, Scottish Liberal Democrats are campaigning tirelessly to be a strong voice for rural Scotland.

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Just look at our candidate in Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, Jamie Stone, who has long called for ministers to get their act together and urgently upgrade Scotland’s dangerous roads in the Highlands. Jamie has seen first-hand the tragedies caused by 17 years of the SNP’s empty promises on this issue. That's why he's campaigning for a decentralised maternity model that would prevent new mothers from making the treacherous journey down the A9 and allow them to give birth in Caithness.

Or our candidate in Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire, Angus MacDonald. Angus is someone who gets things done. That’s why he campaigns day-in, day-out to end long journeys for treatment, invest in infrastructure and rejuvenate local high streets.

We won’t stop there. One of the key pledges in our 2024 manifesto is to deliver an additional £170 million every year for Scotland’s farmers, as part of the Liberal Democrat £1 billion UK-wide investment in agriculture. We’d use that money to support active farming, profit and employment, sustainability and biodiversity, and the future of our rural and remote communities.

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It's not just a photo call - Scottish Liberal Democrats really are grabbing this election by the horns. Our local champions are wholeheartedly determined to ensure all our communities get a fair deal and ensure no one is left behind. And we’ll keep ploughing away at it.

Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats

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