Orkney Auction Mart was the scene of an angry rally as island farmers voiced their protests to the latest UK Budget.
Hundreds of farmers from all corners of the islands gathered ringside just after 11am to support the demonstration.
They heard from three speakers during the event.
One local farmer said he hoped the protests would “turn the tide” on controversial new inheritance tax rules.
Another called the new rules “impossible”.
And the farmers received words of support from their MPs.
The first speaker was Paul Ross – a farmer from the Orkney’s mainland’s West side and the chairman of the Scottish Beef Association.
The second was a well-known face to anyone involved in the county’s agricultural scene: John Copland.
Farm inheritance tax rules ‘an impossible burden’
Mr Copland was tasked with reading speeches from three politicians who represent the county in Holyrood or Westminster but who could not attend the Orkney rally.
These were Alistair Carmichael MP, Liam McArthur MSP, and Jamie Halcro Johnson MSP.
Finally, they heard from Stevie Hay, the vice chairman of the Orkney branch of NFU Scotland.
Taking to the podium Mr Ross said: “The protest here is small in comparison to what’s happening in London and at Holyrood today.
“We hope these protests do something to turn the tide on the budget release by Labour.”
“It is a budget that certainly seems to be anti-farming.”
Mr Hay said the budget proposals would introduce “an impossible tax burden to family farms”.
Reading the words of Alistair Carmichael MP, Mr Copland said:
“My support for your cause is offered without any hesitation or qualification.”
“The changes announced in the Autumn budget would not have been made by any chancellor who understood how rural economy, and how farming finances in particular, operate.”
Why are farmers protesting?
As the rally was held in Orkney, thousands of farmers marched in London.
They are all protesting Autumn Budget measures which would scale down agricultural and business property reliefs.
In particular, relief from tax inheritance would be removed past the first £1m of agricultural and business property.
However, The Treasury has maintained that this would only affect around a quarter of UK farms.
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