Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead visits Easter Bush

On Wednesday 25th November, the SNP MSP for Moray & Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and the Environment in the Scottish Government visited the Easter Bush Campus.

He was greeted by the University of Edinburgh's Vice-Principal, Professor Jonathan Seckl, Professor David Argyle, Head of the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, and David Hume, Director of The Roslin Institute.

In the Roslin Institute boardroom Mr Lochhead was updated on the latest Campus developments, including the recently awarded funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that will be put towards a new Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health.

David Hume, David Argyle and Nick Sparks presented an overview of the research and training that is carried out at The Roslin Institute, the R(D)SVS and SRUC. The Cabinet Secretary was particularly interested in learning about the benefits of our work to the farming and food sectors, and how we are translating our research into innovation and commercial success.

Brian McTeir, Easter Bush Campus Facilities and Services manager, conducted a brief tour of the Roslin Institute building and the Veterinary teaching building. The visiting party witnessed students carrying out a dissection from the viewing room and met Professor Elspeth Milne, Head of the Pathology Unit, before heading to Moredun to complete their visit of the Easter Bush Research Consortium.

"I was very pleased see at first hand the world-class research and teaching facilities at Easter Bush. The Scottish Government supports Scottish agriculture through funding animal health research at Moredun, SRUC and Roslin, and I was delighted to have the opportunity to discuss with my hosts how we can meet the challenge of translating excellent research in order to boost the sector, both here in Scotland and internationally".

The Vet School welcomed the opportunity to share the ambitions of the Campus with the Cabinet Secretary and reaffirm our joint vision of translating our excellent science into solutions for the livestock industry.

This was an excellent opportunity to update the Cabinet Secretary on the ways in which the Institute contributes to the Scottish Agricultural Economy.