Papers from a conference series initiated in the Aberdeen College of Education in 1968 and recently held in Golspie, Scotland (July 1974), address policy oriented recommendations relative to rural education. This conference report is intended to serve as a useful source of ideas; as background information on international rural educational thinking; as encouragement to others to associate themselves with this conference; and particularly this year, in the context of Scottish education, as a guide to the future for all concerned with problems in the enlarged perspective of the new Scottish Regions, especially administrative and professional staff in the Educational Offices and those in the Regional Education Committees. Designed to be of maximum relevance to the 1974 Scottish situation, conference themes are, nonetheless, applicable to rural areas in general. Themes include: (1) the educational implications of regionalization; (2) problems facing rural schools (primary, secondary, and administrative); (3) education and rural depopulation; and (4) problems of language and culture (special reference to Gaelic and bilingual education). Questions derived from these themes are presented in conjunction with individual working committee resolutions and/or recommendations (some 60 conference participants representing Norway, Scotland, Ireland, Sweden, and Wales). (JC)