4. Conclusion
This research provides an in‑depth qualitative assessment of public priorities, concerns, and aspirations regarding land ownership and use in Scotland. The aim of ScotLand Futures was to gain insight into the changes people would like to see in the way in which land is owned, used and managed in Scotland. The open‑ended online survey was conducted between June and September 2025 and gathered 1,236 responses. The ScotLand Futures initiative also involved in‑person public meetings and expert contributions. Respondents represented a broad cross‑section of the public, with the majority being over 50 years old and living in rural areas, with particularly high engagement from the Highlands.
People expressed a wide and often overlapping set of priorities for how land should be used and cared for. Nature and biodiversity protection, food production, access and recreation, community benefit, landscape and heritage, rural housing, and climate resilience all featured strongly, reflecting a clear desire for land to deliver multiple benefits. The diversity of responses highlights the complexity and strength of feeling about land issues. People value different things, experience land in different ways, and hold contrasting views on what should change.
At the heart of the debate is a central divide regarding the scale and concentration of ownership. On one side, some respondents argue that consolidated, large-scale ownership is the only practical way to manage productive land uses and achieve national environmental goals at pace. On the other, many maintain that meaningful land redistribution is not just a social goal, but a prerequisite for sustainable and fair land management.
The findings also highlight the range of public perceptions around land rights, indicating concern that the balance between property rights and responsibility towards the local economy, community, and environment is not satisfactory. This is mirrored in the debate over the “right to roam” versus the rights of landowners to protect privacy and livestock.
Another area of tension emerged through strongly diverging opinions on what constitutes sustainable landscape management and what constitutes damaging land use. There were clear perceptions of strong competition between siloed land uses across nature restoration, agriculture, renewable energy generation, and forestry, while respondents often aspired to see opportunities for integrated land management.
Views within individual land‑use sectors also show diverging perceptions. For example, in the context of agriculture, some respondents see conventional farming practices as supporting the natural stewardship of the land, others view current practices as inherently harmful, industrial and intensive, advocating instead for a shift toward regenerative models.
We see an emerging narrative of resistance around significant land use change, exemplified by clear tensions regarding the drive for national net‑zero targets and the impact such change brings. While the climate crisis is a driver for change at the national level, it was often discussed with apprehension regarding the “industrialisation” of the landscape through large‑scale renewable energy infrastructure and other major developments. These developments are frequently seen as being in direct conflict with local biodiversity, tourism, local livelihoods, and the aesthetic value of the landscape. Participants consistently raised issues of a participation deficit and expressed a need for more genuine involvement in decision‑making, arguing that local people should have the power to influence decisions, especially when change is failing to meet local needs.
Overall, participants emphasised support for a systemic shift towards re‑establishing people’s connection to the land, preserving community resilience, protecting cultural heritage, and delivering long‑term environmental and socio‑economic benefits.
These findings are being published to ensure that the depth of participant feedback is preserved and can be utilised in future research.
The findings of the ScotLand Futures initiative were used to inform the Scottish Land Commission’s “ScotLand Futures – Next Steps for Land Reform” policy paper, which sets out the focus for land reform in Scotland beyond the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2025.6 This includes opening new land opportunities for people, rebalancing the power of land ownership and shaping land use change locally.
However, the findings from this dataset reveal a much broader spectrum of public concerns and highlight the nuance necessary in considering any future policy or legislative change.
6 ScotLand Futures – Next Steps for Land Reform - https://www.landcommission.gov.scot/downloads/SLC-Futures-policy-digital.pdf
