On 4 July 2022, the Scottish Government launched a consultation on new legislation with yet further proposals for Scottish Land Reform

Described as an ‘ambitious proposal for Land Reform in a Net Zero Nation’, the consultation welcomes views of its proposals for a new Land Reform Bill to be introduced by the end of 2023.

Measures may include:

• A public interest test for transfers of large-scale landholdings
• A requirement on owners of large-scale holdings to give prior notice to community bodies of their intention to sell
• A requirement on those seeking land-based subsidies to have the land registered in the Land Register, to ensure transparency around who benefits from public funding

The Land Reform Minister Mairi McAllan commented that so far as land reform in Scotland is concerned "the journey is not complete". The Scottish Government say they are focused on improving the transparency of ownership of land in Scotland and ensuring the public interest is considered on transfers of particularly large-scale landholdings’.

The Consultation opened 4 July 2022 and closes 25 September 2022.

If you have any questions on the matters covered by this consultation or want to hear more about landownership in Scotland, please get in touch with our Ross Simpson