Scotland's Fourth Land Use Strategy: 2026-2031

Annex A: Key strategies, plans and vision documents

Graphic text below:

Scotland’s Fourth Land Use Strategy (LUS4) and our shared National Performance Framework Outcomes:

Environment: We value, enjoy, protect, and enhance our environment.

Communities: We live in communities that are inclusive, empowered, resilient and safe.

Economy and Education: We have a globally competitive, entrepreneurial, inclusive, and sustainable economy. We are well educated, skilled and able to contribute to society.

Scottish Government National Outcomes

Examples of Scottish Government National Strategies, Plans and Policies

Examples of Sectoral Strategies, Plans and Policies

Yellow centre: National Performance Framework outcomes

• Environment
• Communities
• Economy

Orange ring: Overarching National Strategies for Economy and Environment:

• National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET).
• Environment Strategy for Scotland

Pink ring: National Sectoral based Strategies

• National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4)
• Land Use Strategy (4)
• The Climate Change Plan
• The Scottish National Adaptation Plan 2024-2029
• Scotland’s Energy Strategy
• The Historic Environment Strategy
• Marine and Coastal Restoration Plan

Blue ring: Direct Sectoral Strategies and Plans

• Scotland Outlook 2030
• Culture Strategy for Scotland
• National Transport Strategy
• National Island’s Plan
• Scotland's Biodiversity Strategy
• Scotland’s National Peatland Plan
• Vision for Agriculture
• Scotland's Forestry Strategy
• Housing Emergency Action Plan
• Crofting National Development Plan
• Scottish Soil Framework
• Good Food Nation Plan

Please note: this is not an exhaustive list of all strategies, plans and policies. It is limited to the key elements relevant to LUS4 and to illustrate the complex environment. Further information on the examples here and other relevant strategies, plans and policies is given below.

Scotland’s National Strategy for Economic Transformation: recognises the opportunities and the challenges facing Scotland. It sets out how, over the next ten years, we aim to deliver economic growth that significantly outperforms the last decade, so that the Scottish economy is more prosperous, more productive, and more internationally competitive.

Draft Environment Strategy: sets out a holistic framework for delivering Scotland’s role in tackling the global crises of nature loss, climate change, and pollution. It brings together the Scottish Government’s existing policy response to tackling these crises and builds on these by outlining new priorities and proposals.

Scottish National Adaptation Plan 2024-2029: sets out actions to build Scotland’s resilience to climate change. It does this through support for our communities, businesses, public services and nature to adapt to the changing climate in a way that is fair and inclusive.

Scotland’s Climate Change Plan – 2026-2040: sets out the policies and proposals the Scottish Government will take forward to meet our carbon budgets between 2026-2040.

Scotland’s Forestry Strategy 2019-2029: provides an overview of contemporary Scottish forestry, presents our 50-year vision for Scotland’s forests and woodlands, and sets out a 10-year framework for action. It places forestry policy at the heart of government, helping to deliver the aims of the National Performance Framework, supporting the vision, objectives, and principles of the Land Use Strategy, and building on the achievements of the previous strategy.

National Planning Framework 4: a spatial strategy for Scotland which sets out spatial principles, regional priorities, national developments, and national planning policy. The spatial principles are: Just transition, Conserving and recycling assets, Local living, Compact urban growth, Rebalanced development, Rural revitalisation.

Sustaining Scotland: Supplying the World: A strategy for Scotland’s food and drink industry: Scotland’s food and drink industry is a major economic contributor, and this strategy builds on that success for a more sustainable, resilient and valuable sector; unlocking new commercial opportunities.

Scottish Biodiversity Strategy to 2045: sets out how we will protect and regenerate biodiversity to ensure the sustainable flow of ecosystem services on which we all depend. The Strategy also speaks to the economic and social opportunities regenerating our biodiversity will bring – new investment, new job opportunities for communities and for our overall health and wellbeing. It sit alongside Scotland’s Climate Change Plan.

Peatland ACTION 5 Year Partnership Plan: the first in a series of rolling five-year plans designed to deliver Scotland’s long-term vision for peatland restoration. It aims to help the partnership focus on the right priorities, at the right time as we progress toward our proposed 2040 restoration target.

Marine and Coastal Restoration Plan: sets out actions to accelerate active restoration of habitats and species across Scotland and support communities interested in undertaking restoration.

Vision for Agriculture: outlines our long-term vision to transform how we support farming and food production in Scotland to become a global leader in sustainable and regenerative agriculture. It will ensure our agricultural industry continues to provide food with an international reputation for quality and high environmental production standards.

River basin management planning for Scotland: produced by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) on behalf of the Scottish Government, they set out a range of actions to address issues such as water quality, physical condition, water resources, and the migration of wild fish. They cover actions for public bodies, industry, and land managers in Scotland.

Our Place in Time – The Historic Environment: Scotland’s strategy for the historic environment, which sets out a vision of how our historic environment can be understood, valued, cared for, and enjoyed. The strategy was developed collaboratively by organisations and specialists in the historic environment sector and beyond.

Second National Islands Plan: builds on the human rights-based approach at the heart of the first plan to strengthen the realisation of rights across island and rural areas – particularly through direct engagement with islanders and a more flexible, localised approach to delivery.

National Transport Strategy: sets out our vision for Scotland’s transport system for the next 20 years. The vision is underpinned by four interconnected priorities: Reduces Inequalities, Takes Climate Action, Helps Deliver Inclusive Economic Growth and Improves our Health and Wellbeing.

Housing Emergency Action Plan: focuses on three key areas – ending children living in unsuitable accommodation, supporting the housing needs of vulnerable groups, and supporting growth and investment in the housing sector.

Regional Land Use Partnerships: working at a regional or locally appropriate level to enable natural capital-led consideration of the contribution that our land can make to address the climate and environmental crises. This approach seeks to facilitate local engagement in the process and to build a platform that considers Scotland’s varying landscapes, and the opportunities to develop regionally appropriate nature-based solutions.

Crofting: National Development Plan: highlights the core elements necessary to ensure that crofting remains at the heart of our rural and remote rural communities, as well as delivering policy priorities for climate change mitigation and biodiversity. The Plan draws on the work undertaken by the Crofting Stakeholder Forum and its six priority papers on: Crofting Development; New Entrants; Common Grazings; Housing; Financial Incentives; Simplify Crofting Legislation.

Scotland Outlook 2030: Scotland’s industry-led national tourism strategy to grow the value and positively enhance the benefits of tourism across Scotland by delivering the very best for our visitors, our businesses, our people, our communities, and our environment.

National Good Food Nation Plan: sets out six over-arching outcomes for a Good Food Nation; the range of targets and indicators that will be used to gauge progress towards achieving them; and details of a wide range of food-related policies and initiatives from across the Scottish Government.

Onshore wind: policy statement 2022: sets out the Scottish Government’s ambition to deploy 20GW of onshore wind by 2030.

The Scottish Soil Framework: aims to promote the sustainable management and protection of soils consistent with the economic, social, and environmental needs of Scotland. Its vision is that soils are recognised as a vital part of our economy, environment, and heritage, to be safeguarded for existing and future generations.

A Culture Strategy for Scotland: sets out the priorities for action which will shape how culture is supported in Scotland over the coming years.