Land ownership

The first steps are being taken to create a public register of people who ultimately make decisions about how land is used and managed.

The Scottish Government is publishing proposals that will, if agreed, reveal for the first time the controlling interests of land owned by trusts and overseas companies.

The register will be held by Registers of Scotland and will be free to the public.

Land Reform Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said:

“The proposals in these draft regulations can greatly improve the transparency about who is making decisions about Scotland’s land. This creates the potential for people and communities to be able to directly engage with those parties, which we believe will lead to better decisions about how Scotland’s land is used, ensuring that everyone can benefit from it.

“The Scottish Government is clear that it’s no longer acceptable for the identity of people making decisions about land in Scotland to be obscured. Our proposals go further than any existing UK legislation. We’re putting Scotland at the forefront of this policy in Europe.

“I am determined to ensure the register should be as easy to access as possible, so I am very pleased to announce that these proposals ensure that it will be free to use.”