Land ownership in Scotland

Half of Scotland is owned by just 500 people, few of whom are actually Scots. As Britain's great land-owning aristocratic families decline, a new breed of foreign laird is exploiting Scotland's arcane land laws to buy up tracts of the Highlands and islands - Europe's last great wilderness.  In 2018/2019 it was reported that the largest landowner owns 221,000 acres (890 km2; 345 sq mi) of land in Scotland. The government believes 57% of rural land is in private hands, about 12.5% owned by public bodies, 3% under community ownership and about 2.5% is owned by charities etc.

Reform Scotland’s Land

There is no country in the western world which has fewer people owning so much of its land as in Scotland and so there have been calls for land reform for hundreds of years. It is a social justice issue – but it is about so much more than that. It is about our environment, our wildlife, our communities, employment and homes for the next generation, the nation’s economy and the life of our towns and cities.

Type of Resource
Video
Primary Author or Creator
Common Weal

Land Reform: Re-Shaping Scotland’s Social Landscape

Scotland has one of the most concentrated patterns of private land ownership in the developed world; just 450 people own over half of the private land in Scotland. This entitlement has survived un-challenged for 500 years, a privilege that has its roots in royal favours and aristocratic archetypes

Type of Resource
News Item
Date Published
Primary Author or Creator
Dylan Howel
Additional Author(s) / Creators
Bella Caledonia