New funding of over £500,000 has been announced by the Scottish government to help women and young people develop new agricultural skills.
Successful applicants will be provided with £500 each to help pay for practical training courses relevant to farming and crofting.
The Next Generation and Women in Agriculture Practical Training Funds will provide the funds.
Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon announced the new support during a speech at AgriScot, which took place at the Royal Highland Centre on Wednesday.
She said: “Supporting the next generation of farmers is imperative if we want our agriculture sector to continue to innovate and thrive.
“We are committed to helping women and young people stay in rural communities by equipping them with the necessary skills to pursue careers in farming and crofting.
“This funding encourage women and girls to learn additional practical skills to progress their businesses and careers, which in turn can open up new employment opportunities for them.”
The funds will be delivered by Lantra Scotland and can be used on courses providing skills, with £400,000 available from the Next Generation Training Fund and £170,000 is available from the Women in Agriculture Training Fund.
Training up to the value of £500 per course will be fully funded, the Scottish government said, adding that any training over the value of £500 per course will be considered and assessed on a case by case basis.
Lantra Scotland director, Dr Liz Barron-Majerik added: “These funds are intended to benefit women in agriculture and new entrants to the industry.
"I’m delighted that we’re going to be managing them on behalf of the Scottish government.”
