Minister launches enlarged fund to help marine economy projects
Scottish Government grants worth total of £16m made available for 2026-27
Applications can now be made to a £16 million Scottish Government fund for projects aimed at supporting Scotland’s marine economy.
The value of the 2026-27 Marine Fund Scotland has been increased from the £14m distributed in 2025-26, when 60 projects received funding with grants ranging from around £2,000 up to £1.8m.
The biggest grant last year went to part-fund a pioneering semi-closed containment trout farm project at Ardnish, Loch Ailort. The grant of £1,836,611 will help meet the near-£4.6m cost of the system being installed by Dawnfresh Farming, which is now owned by SeaQureFarming Ltd, a company founded by Stewart Graham, managing director and owner of Inverness-based aquaculture supplier Gael Force Group.
Other grants included £567,672 towards the £3.8m cost of salmon farmer Cooke Scotland developing a full recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) at its Cairndow smolt unit, Loch Fyne, and £136,549 towards the £273,000 cost of expanding halibut juvenile production at Otter Ferry Seafish, also on the shores of Loch Fyne.
£69m awarded since 2021
Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon announced that the expanded fund is now open for applications during a visit to Dunbar harbour, which has previously benefited from a grant to improve on-site safety.
She said: “Since 2021, the Marine Fund Scotland has awarded more than £69m in grants to 390 projects, facilitating a total of £121m of investment and supporting jobs and communities throughout the country. I urge anyone with a project designed to help marine industries to evolve and flourish to apply.”
Gougeon said the Scottish Government is continuing to back Scotland’s marine economy, “which is crucial to the economic, social and cultural fabric of our rural, coastal and island communities”.
“We want to invest more in our fishing and coastal communities, unfortunately the unjust decision of the UK Government to allocate a derisory 7.78% of the £360 million Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund to Scotland has directly impacted support budgets,” said the minister.
"When part of the EU, Scotland received 46% of the UK’s allocation of fisheries and marine funding in recognition of our significant marine area and industries. That is why I am continuing to call for urgent action to revisit this decision.”
Information about how to apply for grants can be found here.
