Review of the Guidance on Engaging Communities in Decisions Relating to Land

4. Context

This section explains the context for the Guidance, outlining its purpose, intended audience and how it sits within the wider landscape of land use and community engagement practice.

4.1 Purpose, audience and scope of the Guidance

The primary aim of the Guidance is to help ensure that people have the opportunity to be involved in decisions about land that affect them, which supports the effective application of the LRRS. It contains guidelines on when, how and with whom engagement should take place.

The Guidance provides information about the types of decision that will require community engagement to be carried out, and the circumstances in which those with control over land should carry out community engagement.

The Guidance applies to all land in Scotland including urban land. It covers buildings and other structures, land covered with water, and any right or interest in or over land. It does not replace existing statutory requirements for consultation and engagement but sits alongside them, providing overarching expectations for good quality engagement.

Rather than being prescriptive or exhaustive, the Guidance sets out what communities can reasonably expect and recognises that engagement should be tailored to local circumstances. Its aim is to help make regular, constructive collaboration between those with control over land and communities a normal part of decision making on significant issues.

The Guidance sets out expectations that anyone who is making decisions about land should be proactive in engaging with communities affected by those decisions. The Guidance is intentionally non‑sector‑specific, designed to be flexible and applicable across a wide range of land related situations, and capable of adapting to different local circumstances and environmental contexts.

4.2 Wider context

When the Guidance was published in 2018 it was supported by a 2016 report commissioned by the Scottish Government Engaging and empowering communities and stakeholders in rural land use and land management in Scotland. A further piece of research – Attitudes to land reform research 2021 informed the 2021 review of the Guidance. Since the 2021 review there have been a number of policy, practice and legislative changes in the context of land reform, wider land use and community engagement practice.

Relevant changes in the wider land use context since 2018 include:

• the Scottish Government’s commitment to becoming a net zero society by 2045, achieved through a just transition. This may be influencing how land is used, for example for natural capital or renewables.
• implementation of Part 5 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016: Right to Buy Land to Further Sustainable Development
• revisions to the LRRS in 2022
• the new Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2025

The 2026 Hutton research has highlighted a number of changes in the wider context of community engagement practice and land use. These include changing patterns of landownership in rural Scotland, for example more land being acquired for natural capital and nature restoration objectives. The research also noted increased use of community engagement approaches such as co‑production, co‑design and community mapping. These methods are seen as supporting more meaningful participation.

A range of practical tools support the Guidance. In particular, the Commission publish Land Rights and Responsibilities Protocols that set out expectations for good practice and support the implementation of the LRRS. The protocols published by the Commission relate to:

• Community engagement
• Common good land and buildings
• Good stewardship of land
• Opportunities for ownership lease and use of land and buildings
• Transparency of ownership and decision making

The Protocol on Community Engagement, first published in 2019 and updated in January 2026, aims to set out clear, consistent messages about responsible land ownership and management. It emphasises that people should be kept informed about proposals that may affect them and have the chance to share their views. It provides practical expectations for how landowners, managers and communities should engage constructively in decisions involving land and buildings.

The Commission also produces other community engagement resources, including a community engagement route map and checklist. The route map is designed to support anyone responsible for making decisions about land by guiding them through what is considered reasonable and expected when engaging with the local communities affected by those decisions.

These additional resources are designed to support the aims and implementation of the Guidance and Principle 7 of the LRRS, which states that “There should be meaningful collaboration and community engagement in decisions about land”, by setting out practical approaches and advice to address the needs of specific sectors.

A range of bodies, including the Scottish Government, also produce additional guidance on community engagement to support specific policies or targeted at specific audiences. Examples include Scottish Government’s guidance on forestry, Principles for Responsible Investment in Natural Capital and the Natural Capital Market Framework.