Community engagement obligations for large-scale landowners
The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2025 was passed last year. Secondary legislation is now being developed regarding the community engagement obligations in the Act. This will set out how community engagement obligations should be met.
We have already heard from some stakeholders about this topic, and have used this feedback as a basis for this new activity. We now need to develop our understanding further, and see where priorities are and why.
The views gathered here will inform the drafting of the secondary regulations and supporting guidance. We then intend to consult on the draft regulations themselves.
Project phases
Phase 1:
Informing development of secondary legislation:
Consulting with communities and landowners to further understand their views and priorities
Phase 2:
Developing secondary legislation:
Using the views collected in phase 1 to write the draft secondary legislation and guidance on community engagement obligations
Phase 3:
Consulting on secondary legislation:
Public consultation with all stakeholders to feedback on the draft secondary legislation and guidance on community engagement obligations
Have your say
Community Engagement Obligations and draft large land holdings guidance under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2025
About this consultation This consultation seeks your views to inform the development of secondary legislation and guidance to implement community engagement obligations under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2025 (“the Act”). Read the consultation paper . The consultation paper contains full background information for this consultation. You may find it useful to read or refer to while responding. Topics not included in this consultation This...
Questions to support discussion on Land Reform Act community engagement obligations
The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2025 introduces new duties for owners of large land holdings to engage with local communities to create a land management plan (LMP). An LMP can be an important part of engagement between a landowner and the local community and help the local community understand how the land might be used or if it might be sold in the future. Before this law comes into force, we have to set out more details, some of them which will be legal requirements...
Previous engagement activities related to the Land Reform Act (2025)
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Scotland has a proud history of land reform going back to the early days of devolution. We are committed to bringing forward a new Land Reform Bill in this parliamentary session. Over the summer, we are undertaking a wide-ranging consultation on our proposals for the measures it should contain. The Bill will be ambitious. It will address long-standing concerns about the highly concentrated pattern of land ownership in rural areas of Scotland. At the same time, we want...
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The Scottish Government has welcomed the overall message and direction of the Land Reform Review Group’s report, The Land of Scotland and the Common Good, published in May this year. As part of our on-going commitment to land reform and as part of our response to the report, we have taken forward commitments: To improve the transparency of land ownership in Scotland Scottish Ministers have announced the target to complete the Land Register of Scotland within 10 years, and...