Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands

"Rural Affairs Secretary" redirects here. For the UK position, see Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. For the Welsh position, see Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs (Wales).

The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands (Scottish Gaelic: Rùnaire a’ Chaibineit airson Cùisean Dùthchail, Ath-leasachadh an Fhearainn agus nan Eilean), commonly referred to as the Rural Affairs Secretary (Scottish Gaelic: Rùnaire nan Cùisean Dùthchail), 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.

Scotland Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands
Scottish Gaelic: Rùnaire a’ Chaibineit airson Cùisean Dùthchail, Ath-leasachadh an Fhearainn agus nan Eilean
Scottish Government Scottish Cabinet
Style	Cabinet Secretary (within parliament) Rural Affairs Secretary (informal) Scottish Rural Affairs Secretary (outwith Scotland)
Member of	Scottish Parliament Scottish Cabinet
Reports to	Scottish Parliament
Seat	Edinburgh
Appointer	First Minister
Inaugural holder	Ross Finnie Minister for Rural Affairs
Formation	19 May 1999
Deputy	Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity
Salary	£118,511 per annum (2023) (including £67,662 MSP salary)
Website	www.gov.scot

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

Name		Portrait	Entered office	Left office	Party	First Minister
	Ross Finnie		19 May 1999	26 October 2000	Liberal Democrats		Donald Dewar
	Ross Finnie		26 October 2000	22 November 2001	Liberal Democrats		Henry McLeish
	Ross Finnie		22 November 2001	17 May 2007	Liberal Democrats		Jack McConnell
	Richard Lochhead		17 May 2007	21 November 2014	Scottish National Party		Alex Salmond
	Richard Lochhead		21 November 2014	18 May 2016	Scottish National Party		Nicola Sturgeon
	Fergus Ewing		18 May 2016	26 June 2018	Scottish National Party		Nicola Sturgeon
	Fergus Ewing		26 June 2018	17 February 2020	Scottish National Party		Nicola Sturgeon
	Fergus Ewing		17 February 2020	19 May 2021	Scottish National Party		Nicola Sturgeon
	Mairi Gougeon		19 May 2021	29 March 2023	Scottish National Party		Nicola Sturgeon
	Mairi Gougeon		29 March 2023	Incumbent	Scottish National Party		Humza Yousaf John Swinney