The Scottish Crown Estate
The Scottish Crown Estate is a collection of ancient rights, functions and assets owned by the Monarch in right of the Crown. The Scottish Crown Estate assets include a diverse portfolio of property, rights and interests.
Prior to 2017, the Scottish Crown Estate assets were previously managed by The Crown Estate at UK level. The Smith Commission report recommended that the management of Crown Estate assets in Scotland, and their revenues, should be devolved. The Scotland Act 2016 enabled HM Treasury to develop a Transfer Scheme to devolve powers over the revenue management of Scottish assets and this came into force on 1 April 2017.
The Scottish Crown Estate includes leasing of the seabed out to 12 nautical miles, 37,000 hectares of rural land; rights to most naturally-occurring gold and silver; and approximately half of Scotland’s foreshore including licensed moorings andaquaculture sites; and salmon fishing rights.
Crown Estate Scotland
Crown Estate Scotland was established in 2017 as a public corporation to oversee the management of the Scottish Crown Estate assets whilst the new legislative framework for the Scottish Crown Estate was established. From 1 April 2020 Crown Estate Scotland became the manager of all the Scottish Crown Estate assets.
Crown Estate Scotland manages rural, coastal and marine assets, as well as other commercial property. It works independently from Scottish Ministers operating under its own Board, in line with a Framework Document which has been jointly agreed between Crown Estate Scotland and the Scottish Government.
Scottish Ministers agree Crown Estate Scotland’s corporate plan which is produced in line with Scottish Government strategic objectives. Crown Estate Scotland also produce a business plan which sets it’s annual objectives.
Crown Estate Scotland is required to produce an annual report and accounts, which outline all revenue net profit, which is returned to the Scottish Government. More information on Crown Estate Scotland is on their website.
Marine Directorate
Marine Directorate is the department of the Scottish Government which oversees the sponsorship of Crown Estate Scotland, supporting Crown Estate Scotland to help it meet Scottish Ministers objectives, priorities and policies. Marine Directorate also led the development of the Scottish Crown Estate Act 2019 and the Strategic Management Plan for the Scottish Crown Estate.
The Scottish Crown Estate Act 2019
The Scottish Crown Estate Act 2019 created a new legislative framework for the Scottish Crown Estate.
Strategic Management Plan
Under the Scottish Crown Estate Act 2019, Scottish Ministers are required to prepare a Strategic Management Plan (The Plan) which sets out objectives, priorities and policies in relation to management of the Scottish Crown Estate.
Scottish Ministers published the Strategic Management Plan (March 2020) for the Scottish Crown Estate. The Plan builds on the Scottish Ministers’ programme of work to reform the management of the Scottish Crown Estate. It sets out a strategic direction to optimise the use of the assets while protecting the Crown’s interest and contributes to the successful delivery of wider Scottish Government policies to provide the best outcomes for Scotland. The Plan outlines a vision and a set of objectives, priorities and policies for the future management of the Scottish Crown Estate to deliver wider and long term social, economic and environmental benefits.
Net Revenue
We are committed to distributing to island and coastal local authorities a share of the net revenue generated from the Scottish Crown Estate out to 12 nautical miles.
The distribution method for calculating the allocations is agreed by the Settlement and Distribution Group and the allocations are distributed in arrears following the finalisation of the annual report and accounts for the Scottish Crown Estate. It is for each local authority to determine how best to spend their allocation to best benefit coastal communities.
The first distribution of net revenue to coastal and island local authorities was made in September 2019, from revenue from Scottish Crown Estate marine assets out to 12 nautical miles generated in 2017-2018. Read details of the latest and all historic payments.
Transfer and delegation
More information on the management of Scottish Crown Estate assets through transfer and/or delegation to eligible bodies is on our transfer and delegation application hub.