Scottish Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) Overview
The Scottish Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) is Scotland's main agri-environment scheme, supporting farmers and land managers to adopt environmentally beneficial farming practices that deliver climate and biodiversity benefits.
About AECS
AECS provides funding for:
Management options - ongoing annual payments for environmental land management activities
Capital items - one-off payments for infrastructure, equipment and habitat creation
The scheme runs competitive funding rounds with applications assessed against environmental scoring criteria.
2026 Application deadlines
Agri-Environment applications: 23 February to 22 June 2026
Organics applications: 23 February to 31 July 2026
Stand-alone Irrigation Lagoons: 23 February to 22 June 2026
Combined applications: 23 February to 22 June 2026
Key features
Contract length: Typically 5 years for management options
Targeting: Many options are geographically targeted using the AECS Targeting Tool
Competitive assessment: Applications scored against environmental priorities and outcomes
Payment timing: Management options claimed annually via Single Application Form (SAF); capital items paid on completion
Who runs the scheme
Rural Payments and Inspections Division (RPID) - scheme administration and payments
NatureScot - environmental advice, endorsements and technical guidance
Scottish Government - policy and strategic direction
Management option categories
49 management options are available across nine main categories:
Arable options
Beetlebanks
Wild bird seed for farmland birds
Forage brassica crops for farmland birds
Grass strips in arable fields
Water margins in arable fields
Unharvested conservation headlands for wildlife
Retention of winter stubbles for wildlife and water quality
Converting arable land to grassland
Stubbles followed by green manure in arable rotation
Grassland options
Species-rich grassland management
Wader and wildlife mown grassland
Wader grazed grassland
Corn buntings mown grassland
Water margins in grassland fields
Upland, peatland, moorland and heath options
Moorland management
Heath management
Lowland bog management
Summer hill grazing of cattle
Away wintering sheep
Wetland and bog options
Wetland management
Management of buffer areas for fens and lowland bogs
Management of floodplains
Farmland habitat and feature options
Habitat mosaic management
Management or restoration of hedgerows
Creation of hedgerows
Ancient wood pasture
Managing scrub of conservation value
Tall herb vegetation management
Small unit options
Conservation management of small units
Cattle management on small units
Control of invasive non-native species
Control of invasive non-native plant species (primary treatment)
Control of invasive non-native plant species (follow-up monitoring and treatment)
Manual eradication of rhododendron (light, medium or difficult)
Mechanised eradication of rhododendron (light, medium or difficult)
Stem injection eradication of rhododendron (medium or difficult)
Foliar spray treatment for rhododendron control
Rhododendron control - follow-up treatment
Managing water quality and flood risk
Managing steading drainage and rural sustainable drainage systems
Alternative watering
Rural sustainable drainage systems (retention ponds, sediment traps, swales, wetlands)
Water use efficiency - irrigation lagoon
Restoring river banks
Organic options
Organic farming - conversion
Organic farming - maintenance
Species-specific options
Chough grazing management
Chough mown grassland
Corncrake grazing management
Corncrake mown grassland
Management of cover for corncrake
Cropped machair
Hen harrier grassland management
Predator control
Wildcat friendly predator control
Stock control
Geographic targeting
Many options are targeted to specific areas where they deliver greatest environmental benefit:
Farmland bird options - arable and mixed farming areas
Wader options - wet grassland and flood plain areas
Species-specific options - locations with confirmed species presence
Peatland options - upland bog and peatland areas
Water quality options - catchments with water quality issues
Use the AECS Targeting Tool with your holding code to check which options are available on your land.
Endorsements
Some options require NatureScot endorsement before application:
Habitat Mosaic or Species-rich Grassland on rough grazings
Applications outside target areas (exceptional circumstances only)
Request endorsements at least one month before the application deadline.
Application process
1. Register with Rural Payments and Services (RP&S) if not already registered
2. Check targeting using the AECS Targeting Tool with your holding code(s)
3. Prepare documents - many options require supporting documents (management plans, maps, etc.)
4. Plan capital items - include essential capital items that support management options
5. Submit application through the RP&S online portal before the deadline
6. Await assessment - applications scored against competitive criteria
7. Receive contract - if successful, accept and begin implementation
Important restrictions
No double funding - cannot apply for activities required under other schemes or legislation
Prior approval - some activities require prior written approval from RPID
Improving Public Access (IPA) - no longer available for new applications
Slurry Stores - no longer available for new applications
Payment rates
Payment rates vary by option, from around £100-500+ per hectare annually for management options. Capital item payments are fixed rates or actual costs depending on the item.
Example rates:
Wild Bird Seed for Farmland Birds: £322.63/ha/year
Beetlebanks: £495.64/ha/year
Species-rich Grassland Management: rates vary by management intensity
See individual option pages for specific payment rates.
Who can help
Rural Payments and Inspections Division (RPID) - application guidance, scheme administration, payments
NatureScot - environmental advice, endorsements, technical guidance
Farmwalk - digital farm mapping, compliance support, environmental data management
Support tools
AECS Targeting Tool - check option availability by holding code
AECS Compatibility Checker - avoid double funding issues
Supporting guidance - available for each option with recommendations and best practice
Learn more
Visit ruralpayments.org AECS pages for:
Full scheme guidance
Individual option details
Application forms and deadlines
Supporting documents checklist
Scoring criteria
Contact your local RPID office for specific guidance on options and applications.
Key acronyms
AECS - Agri-Environment Climate Scheme
RP&S - Rural Payments and Services
RPID - Rural Payments and Inspections Division
NatureScot - Scotland's nature agency (formerly Scottish Natural Heritage)
SAF - Single Application Form (for annual management option claims)
Last updated: March 2026
This information is provided by Farmwalk based on published government guidance. Always check the latest guidance on GOV.UK.