2. Background
The impact of community ownership across Scotland is significant. Communities who own land and buildings are delivering housing, renewable energy, nature restoration and many vital community services in their local areas, providing jobs, homes, healthy environments, and opportunities for leisure and connection. Community ownership is important for delivering national priorities. A survey carried out by DTAS in 2025 identified 164,613 acres of community owned land held by their members which in turn helped to create 1015 jobs.1 Communities also tend to have long-term environmental sustainability as part of their aims and play an important role in managing deer and peatland.2
The Scottish Land Commission’s ScotLand Futures initiative indicates that there is a desire to see bolder public action to create strong support for community ownership and help for individuals to access land for housing or business.3
This advice, intended to highlight opportunities to support greater community ownership of land, has been developed in the context of several recent significant policy developments in Scotland in the land reform and community empowerment landscape.
1 Development Trust Association Scotland (2025) Development Trusts: Community Ownership Economic Impact.
2 Daniels, M. et al. (2025) Biodiversity and community owned land in Scotland – an analysis.
3 Scottish Land Commission (2026) ScotLand Futures: What we heard.
