LAURA BUTCHER has been appointed as the new head of communications at Scottish Land and Estates.

A chartered PR practitioner, Ms Butcher joins SLE from the Law Society of Scotland, the professional body and regulator of Scottish solicitors, where she was also head of communications. She has over 15 years’ experience of working in communications in not-for-profit organisations, having previously held communications roles at environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

Based at SLE's Musselburgh HQ, Ms Butcher will be responsible for managing the body's events, publications, public affairs and media/digital media strategy, along side a key role in engaging with SLE’s membership to highlight the contribution they make to Scotland’s rural economy.

Ms Butcher said: “I can’t wait to get work underway at SLE. It’s a busy time with so much going on that could impact on our members and I want to make a positive contribution to their activities. I am looking forward to getting out and about to meet members and find out more about the sector.”

SLE executive director, Sarah-Jane Laing, said: “Laura joins us with a wealth of experience and skills which will benefit SLE and its membership moving forward. This is a new post within the organisation and one we felt was important to create as we continued our investment in staff over the past year.

“We were really impressed by Laura’s enthusiasm and her understanding of the issues faced by land-based businesses and we look forward to her positive contribution in the months and years ahead.”