1. Foreword
Last year the Scottish Land Commission set out to engage widely on the question of what it would look like to complete Scotland’s land reform journey. We did so in light of both the recent land reform act passed by the parliament and our statutory obligation to gather evidence, carry out research, prepare reports and to provide information and guidance on land matters.
We have heard much as a result of our public survey, invited contributions, public meetings, alongside our normal extensive interaction with landowners, tenants, communities and individuals. Two strong themes have emerged.
One is a continuing and widely held appetite for further change to the ways land is owned and used, in short most people do not feel that the journey is yet complete.
The other is a desire for more clarity about the outcomes and timescale of land reform as envisaged by Government and society. There is a desire for more certainty about both the purpose of any further reforms and the process by which they could be secured. It is important that land reform is not simply about a new piece of legislation every ten years. This view is held not just by landowners, but also by many communities and individuals.
This document sets out the Scottish Land Commission’s thinking on the focus for land reform after the 2025 Act. It is not a blueprint, rather it offers a basis on which to build the clarity of direction and co-ordinated programme of reforms that many people seek.
Of course, it draws on the strong insights we gained from the ScotLand Futures public survey and public meetings. 1200 people responded to an open question telling us what changes they would like to see and why this matters to them. Whilst the strength of feeling and common themes are striking, this report also draws on other inputs including the extensive body of research and analysis published by the Scottish Land Commission over eight years, research which also considers international experience.
We will use this publication directly to inform the development of our next three-year strategic plan. A major part of that work will of course be to help implement the 2025 Act, but we will also use the plan to guide where the focus of the Commission over the coming three years will be most effective to build on, challenge and develop the ideas set out here. We invite others to use it in this spirit too.
We want Scotland’s land reform programme to move forward with confidence, providing clarity to all stakeholders and delivering tangible changes so that the benefits of land accrue to all the people of Scotland.
Michael Russell, Chair
