Journey

Run a farm in Scotland

Register your holding, identify and move livestock, meet welfare, water and nitrate rules, keep your support payments safe, look after wildlife and protected species and deal with farm waste, under Scottish law.

Agriculture & Farming Running Updated 1 November 2026
  1. Register the holding and the business

    Get a County Parish Holding number and the registrations that go with it before the first animal arrives.

  2. Identify and move livestock

    Tag animals on time, keep a holding register and report every movement.

  3. Meet animal welfare rules

    Inspect, house and feed your animals to the standards in the Welfare of Farmed Animals (Scotland) Regulations 2010.

  4. Protect water and meet nitrate rules

    Follow SEPA's water rules for farm activities and, if any of your land is in a nitrate vulnerable zone, the Action Programme.

  5. Keep your support payments safe

    Meet cross compliance on all your land for the whole year, or risk a cut to your payments.

  6. Look after wildlife and protected species

    Get a NatureScot licence before dealing with beavers, and know your liability if you hold shooting rights.

  7. Deal with farm waste

    Separate recyclables, pass waste only to authorised carriers and dispose of fallen stock lawfully.

Related journeys