Scottish Land Commission

We’re thrilled by the strong interest in our Aberdeen public meeting. Thanks to @hutton.ac.uk we’ve secured a bigger space and reopened booking.

Spaces also available for our public meeting next week in Stornoway.

📍Stornoway: buff.ly/QCpzcqi
📍Aberdeen: buff.ly/VhcbhzZ

In Part 3 of our ScotLand Futures blog series, four new contributors share their insights on the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for Scotland’s land reform journey, from national policy gaps to community empowerment, private land stewardship, & the power of partnership.

buff.ly/XHmvvVW

ICYMI: Can tax help Scotland meet its climate and land reform goals?

We’ve recently published interim findings exploring whether tools like a carbon land tax could help reduce emissions, diversify ownership and support more productive use of land.

👉 Read more here: buff.ly/HTIgT58

The Highlands Reimagined podcast asks what it takes for young people to stay & thrive in Mackay Country.

In the final episode, Commissioner Lucy Beattie reflects on land reform, community power, and how a more transparent, diverse system of land ownership can open up opportunities: buff.ly/RlGQCPV

🏘️ Argyll & Bute’s Strategic Housing Forum is bringing delivery partners together to tackle a housing emergency through collaboration.

The Forum provides a trusted space to share knowledge, raise issues, and get homes built.

Find out more about this work in our Governance Guide: buff.ly/eObeK6v

📍 We’ve been to Wick and Dumfries, and now we’re heading to Stornoway.

Join our Chair, Chief Exec and Commissioners for a public meeting to talk about the land issues that matter most to your community.

📅 7pm, Wednesday 8 October
📍 The Bayhead Bridge Centre, HS1 2EB
🎟️ buff.ly/61xO2dx

“Behaviour matters just as much as legislation.”

In his latest blog, Tenant Farming Commissioner Rob Black reflects on lessons from tenant farming - not just from policies, but from people’s lived experiences.

👉 Read the full blog here: buff.ly/GXre34f

Can tax support climate and land reform goals?

We’ve published interim advice on how tax could:

✔️ cut land-based carbon emissions
✔️ support wider land reform
✔️ raise revenue for national priorities

Read our advice here: buff.ly/dDuS27A

Land: Why collaborate? An online CPD event for land professionals looking at the benefits and challenges of collaboration on land management and decision-making.

📢 Our popular land agents CPD series is back!

Land: Why collaborate?
Monday 22 Sept from 12pm – 1pm.

This session will explore the benefits and challenges of partnership working in land management.

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/land-why-c...

Gaelic is woven into Scotland’s landscapes - words like ben (mountain) and glen (valley) show the deep ties between land, culture & community.

As we think about what it would look like to complete Scotland’s land reform journey, we want to keep these connections in mind. buff.ly/RiO3i9z

📊Who has the greatest untapped potential to drive urban land reform?
▶️ Local authorities and agencies - 29%
▶️ Scottish Government - 26%
▶️ Community organisations - 23%
▶️ Public landowners - 13%
▶️ Private developers - 3%
▶️ UK Government - 3%
▶️ None of the above - 3%

📊Which of the following is the biggest barrier to urban land reform?
▶️ Political will - 42%
▶️ Complexity of land ownership - 23%
▶️ Lack of public sector powers or capacity - 16%
▶️ Fiscal disincentives (e.g. tax, subsidies) - 13%
▶️ Land banking/speculation - 3%
▶️ None of the above - 3%

We also asked the audience to share their views on the biggest opportunities and barriers for urban land reform – see the poll results below.

Huge thanks to our brilliant speakers and Chair - Hanna Wheatley @futureeconscot.bsky.social, Euan Leitch SURF, Carey Doyle @srucruralpolicy.bsky.social and Kathie Pollard - and to everyone who joined us for such a lively, wide-ranging debate. We could easily have doubled the time!

YouTube video by Scottish Land Commission What can land reform do for urban Scotland? Online panel

We had a fantastic response to our recent panel on what land reform can do for urban Scotland 👏

Land reform is often seen as a rural issue but the level of interest shows an appetite to focus on the land challenges facing our towns and cities.

🎥 Watch back: www.youtube.com/watch?v=rylb...

Here’s my 5 min video as invited by the Scottish Government’s land commission… about Scotland’s Future. I describe the differences land reform makes to communities — housing, enterprise, energy & empowerment — then recite The Forge, a poem on belonging to place (published by @luathpress.bsky.social)

Michael Russell, Chair of the Scottish Land Commission, shares why we’re inviting you to take part in public meetings across Scotland – starting in Wick on 4 Sept.

🕖 7pm | 📍 Norseman Hotel
🎟 Free & open to all
🔗 buff.ly/BqUrAtQ

⚠️ Please note, our Aberdeen event is now fully booked.

What would it look like to Scotland’s land reform journey?

In Part 2 of our ScotLand Futures blog series, four contributors offer fresh perspectives on ownership, legislation and the future of land reform.

Read and watch our latest contributions: www.landcommission.gov.scot/news-events/...

New crofts, new opportunities

Balnagown Estate and the Kyle of Sutherland Development Trust are working together to create up to 4 new tenanted crofts in Garbhad Wood.

You can find out more about this project and other exciting examples of collaboration in our Governance Guide: buff.ly/D5WwOWB

Booking now live!

You can now book your place at our upcoming ScotLand Futures public meetings in Stornoway and Aberdeen!

We’ll be talking about land, community, and what matters most to your local area and we’d love to see you there.

🗓️ Stornoway – 8 Oct
🗓️ Aberdeen – 29 Oct

🎟️ buff.ly/629UMo8

As anyone working the land knows, change rarely comes all at once - it’s the result of steady, practical steps taken over time.

In our latest blog, Peter MacDougall reflects on a challenging year and what’s needed to move forward

buff.ly/iGWEzPc

We’re hitting the road!

This autumn, the Scottish Land Commission is hosting public meetings across Scotland.

We will be in:

📍 Wick, Dumfries, Stornoway and Aberdeen

🎟️ Booking open for Wick and Dumfries | Booking coming soon for Stornoway and Aberdeen

buff.ly/X435eDE

What can land reform do for urban Scotland?

Join our expert panel to explore housing, climate, and community power in towns and cities.

📅 28 August | 🕓 4pm - 4:50pm | 💻 Zoom
🔗 buff.ly/P0cbP15

#ScotLandFutures

💬 “I wish I had done things differently.”

It’s something we hear often from landowners after conflict has emerged. The key? Early engagement, transparency, and active listening.

Our latest blog explores why these simple principles are so powerful: buff.ly/Hf2UAMg

'To meet the challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss, how we use our land is fundamental. Right now, it is not fair for humans, or nature.'

Read more from LINK's @naturepower.bsky.social and the other contributors to this thought-provoking series on Scotland's land reform journey. 👇

What would it mean to complete Scotland’s land reform journey?

In Part 1 of our ScotLand Futures blog series, 4 contributors share bold ideas & reflections on land, power & the public interest:

Deborah Long, Dee Ward, John Watt & Morag Paterson

Read: www.landcommission.gov.scot/news-events/...

🚨 We’re hiring: Head of Practice and Advice

Lead our Good Practice team and help shape how land is owned and used across Scotland.

💼 Permanent | £56,382–£69,018
📍 Inverness (hybrid) | 35hrs, flexible/part-time options
📅 Apply by 5pm, Fri 1 Aug
🗓 Interviews: 13–14 Aug, Inverness

🔗 buff.ly/hiKmIey

For 25 years, Paris’ water was run by private companies. Prices rose, investment dropped, and trust fell. In 2008, the city took water back into public ownership, setting up: Eau de Paris (public water operator) Paris Water Observatory (advisory body) The goal was to ensure fair pricing, strengthen public accountability, and make water serve people rather than profit.

Giving citizens a seat at the table 💬 The Paris Water Observatory brings together housing groups, tenants, trade unions, environmental organisations, academics and councillors. Its role is to advise the city on water policy and act as a bridge between Parisians and those making decisions about their water. 📢 It ensures that everyday voices are heard in shaping water services. 🤝It helps the city develop policies that reflect community needs and priorities. Crucially, the Observatory also has a voting seat on the board of Eau de Paris, ensuring that decisions reflect public interests and values, not just profit.

Keeping it transparent 👁️ Transparency is built into how water is managed in Paris. All reports and decisions about water services go through the Paris Water Observatory before reaching the City Council, ensuring public oversight at every stage. ℹ️ Regular meetings and annual reporting keep citizens informed about how their water services are performing. ⚖️ Ongoing evaluation helps ensure that the water system continues to meet the city’s goals. The result is a publicly owned water service that is openly managed, with decisions made in the public interest.

Public ownership, public benefits ✅ Since bringing water into public ownership: 💧 Water bills have fallen by 8% 💶 €35 million a year is reinvested in the water system, not paid to shareholders 🏠 Policies support low-income households, homeless people, migrants, and refugees. Paris is using water services to deliver wider social and environmental benefits, proving that public ownership can work for people and place.

💧 Public water, public benefit

Paris took water back into public ownership to deliver fair pricing, accountability and social value. The Paris Water Observatory ensures citizens have a real voice in decisions, with transparency built in at every step.

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Land is part of everyday life in Scotland. It shapes where we live, how we work, and the stories we pass on.

Through ScotLand Futures, we’re looking at how land is owned and used, and how it connects to our culture, communities and future and we want to hear from you.

🔗 buff.ly/uA0WoVL

🌾 Tenant farming is vital to Scotland’s rural future. At the Royal Highland Show, the Tenant Farming Commissioner spent 4 very warm days (tweed jacket and all) listening to hopes & concerns for the sector.

Read Rob's blog: buff.ly/JQu2oPC