ScotLand Futures
What kind of land future does Scotland want?
A national conversation about how land should be owned, used and shared in the decades ahead.
The opportunity to take part in ScotLand Futures has now closed. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this national conversation.
Understanding Scotland’s choices on land
Scotland’s land: what’s at stake
Land underpins almost everything that matters to Scotland, from climate and housing to jobs and community identity. ScotLand Futures invited people across the country to share their views on how land should be owned, used and shared in the decades ahead.
Launched by the Scottish Land Commission, this initiative builds on over 25 years of land reform and asked: What would completing Scotland’s land reform journey look like? And what benefits would it bring?
What we heard
Over the course of the initiative, people across Scotland shared their views. Here’s what we heard.
WHAT WE HEARD
People took part from communities across Scotland
Told us that Scotland needs change in how land is owned and used
Say that too much land and power is held by too few
What matters most
A clear message from across Scotland
From the Borders to the islands, people spoke clearly about what needs to change and what a fairer land system could look like.
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Across cities, towns, villages and islands, one of the strongest messages was about openness. People told us that finding out who owns land is far too difficult, and that the lack of transparency undermines trust. Around one in 20 (5.4%) respondents explicitly called for greater transparency about who owns land in Scotland.
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Around a quarter of respondents (24.4%) believe that ownership — and the power that comes with it — is concentrated in too few hands. They described the consequences in very human terms: the young family unable to find land for a house; the small business that can’t expand; the community that sees its future shaped by decisions taken elsewhere.
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Linked to questions of ownership is a sense of belonging. Around one in five people (21%) told us that those who own significant parts of Scotland should also be part of the communities whose lives their decisions affect.
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When it comes to how land is used, developed and managed, more than one in 10 people (13%) people repeatedly said they feel locked out of decisions that affect their lives.
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From small towns to city neighbourhoods, the sight of derelict or abandoned sites provoked strong feelings. Around one in 40 people (2.5%) described the frustration of living beside empty land or buildings left to decay year after year.
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Almost one in ten people (9.4%) said that changes to the tax system could help make a big difference to how land is owned and used in Scotland.
Diverse Perspectives on Scotland’s Land Future
Voices from Scotland
Alongside the national survey, we invited a range of contributors with deep and diverse experience of land, nature, and community to share their vision for the future. Voices from Scotland brings together community leaders, land managers, campaigners, researchers, young people, and practitioners each sharing their perspective on what a land reformed Scotland would look like.
These perspectives don’t claim a single answer; they invite collaboration, reflect a range of views, and focus on outcomes for people and nature. Together, they reflect the hopes, frustrations, and ambitions of a nation ready to rethink how land is owned and used.
Voices from Scotland
Voices from Scotland brings together community leaders, land managers, campaigners, researchers, young people, and practitioners.
A Programme for Land Reform in Scotland
Next steps for land reform
Next steps for land reform sets out a bold, practical roadmap for the next phase of land reform in Scotland. Shaped by the voices and ideas shared through ScotLand Futures, it outlines how land can be owned and used in ways that:
- Opening up land and making ownership and use possible for more people
- Rebalancing power ensuring land ownership works for the public good
- Shaping change locally by putting people at the heart of land use decisions.
This programme reflects what people across Scotland told us and responds with the policy changes and interventions needed to turn ambition into action.
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