Developing a practical and flexible approach to leasing land for environmental activities.
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The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2025 requires Scottish Ministers to publish a Model Lease for Environmental Purposes, providing a template agreement for letting land to be used wholly or partly for environmental activities.
The Scottish Government has asked the Scottish Land Commission to lead the development of the Model Lease, drawing on our experience and relationships across the land sector.
Our aim is to develop a practical and flexible agreement that can be used by a wide range of landowners, tenants, communities and businesses, helping to open up new opportunities to use land for environmental purposes.
What is the Model Lease for Environmental Purposes?
A model lease is a template agreement that landowners and tenants can use as a starting point when agreeing the terms for leasing land.
The Model Lease for Environmental Purposes is intended to make it easier for people to lease land for activities that support environmental outcomes, while providing greater clarity and confidence for both parties.
Potential uses could include:
Sustainable and regenerative agriculture
Habitat restoration and biodiversity projects
Woodland creation and carbon sequestration
Renewable energy generation
Community growing and other local environmental projects
The Model Lease is being developed to accommodate a wide range of activities. Understanding how it could be used, and identifying any legal or practical barriers, is an important part of the development process.
Our work on the Model Lease
The Scottish Land Commission is working with legal specialists Burges Salmon and property consultants Strutt & Parker to develop the Model Lease for Environmental Purposes.
The work involves considering the legal and practical issues associated with leasing land for environmental purposes, alongside engagement with those who may use the agreement.
We want to understand what landowners, tenants, communities, businesses and environmental organisations need from a model agreement, and how it can support different types of land use.
The work will result in a draft Model Lease, including proposed terms, clauses and guidance, alongside a report setting out the Commission's advice to the Scottish Government.
Developing the Model Lease
Stakeholder engagement
Engagement with stakeholders is an important part of developing a Model Lease that is practical and meets the needs of those who may use it.
We are holding a series of roundtable discussions with landowners, tenants, land agents, environmental organisations and other stakeholders to explore how the Model Lease could work in practice.
These discussions are helping us understand the opportunities the Model Lease could create, the types of activities it may support and any legal or practical barriers that need to be considered.
Feedback from these discussions, alongside further engagement with stakeholders and advice from our Expert Advisory Group, will inform the development of the draft Model Lease.
Expert Advisory Group
An Expert Advisory Group is supporting the development of the Model Lease, providing specialist knowledge and scrutiny throughout the project.
The group brings together expertise in agriculture, forestry, renewable energy, nature restoration, law and the interests of potential users.
Expert Advisory Group members
Name
Role and organisation
Mark Fogden
Director, Savills
Jennifer Campbell
Head of Rural Estate Agency, DM Hall RICS Scotland Board Member
Emma Robertson
Partner, Shepherd & Wedderburn
Margi Campbell
Partner, Saffery
Jill Robbie
Professor, University of Glasgow
Nikki Yoxall
Tenant farmer, Rottal Land and Livestock
Morven Lyon
Head of Democratic Finance, DTAS
What happens next?
Under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2025, Scottish Ministers are required to publish the Model Lease by December 2027.
