Four voices, one question: Part 3

As part of our ScotLand Futures initiative, the Scottish Land Commission is asking what would it mean to complete Scotland’s land reform journey.

Alongside our public engagement work, we’ve invited a range of contributors with deep and diverse experience of land, nature, and community to share their vision for the future. These blogs offer bold ideas, critical questions, and grounded reflections on the challenges and opportunities ahead. Together, they form a series of thought pieces intended to inform, inspire, and spark debate.

Contributors

Ailsa Raeburn

Ailsa is Chair of Community Land Scotland and of the Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust and serves on the boards of Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Crown Estate Scotland. A former Chartered Surveyor, she has extensive experience in property development, regeneration and community land ownership, including leading the Scottish Land Fund at HIE. 

Hugh Raven

Hugh Raven is Managing Director of Ardtornish Estate Company. He is founder and Chair of the Open Seas Trust and chair and co-founder of the Highlands and Islands Environment Foundation. He has previously served as environment adviser to the UK Foreign Secretary and as a board member of NatureScot, RSPB, Crown Estate Scotland and other organisations.

Johanna Boyd

Johanna Boyd is Chief Executive of Planning Aid Scotland, where she has led the organisation since 2022 through a period of growth, innovation, and its 30th anniversary celebrations. She has been appointed Chief Executive of Revenue Scotland the body responsible for collecting and managing Scotland’s devolved taxes, from November 2025.

Dr Robin McLaren

Dr Robin McLaren is an independent consultant specialising in land reform and land administration. With over 35 years’ experience, he has advised organisations including the World Bank, UN-Habitat and UN-FAO, supporting land reform projects in countries such as the Philippines, Albania, Hungary and Kenya.

These four contributions offer just a glimpse of the rich, complex questions at the heart of Scotland’s land reform journey. We’ll publish the next group of contributions in October, continuing to explore fresh perspectives on land, power, nature, and community.