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Publication - Consultation paper

Scotland's fourth land use strategy: consultation

Published
6 August 2025
From
Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, +4 more … Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy, Director of Energy and Climate Change, Director of Environment and Forestry, Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity
Directorate
Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate, +4 more … Energy and Climate Change Directorate, Environment and Forestry Directorate, Jobs and Wellbeing Economy Directorate, Planning, Architecture and Regeneration Directorate
Topic
Building, planning and design, Communities and third sector, Economy, +5 more … Energy, Environment and climate change, Farming and rural, Housing, Work and skills
ISBN
9781836919698

This consultation paper sets out our proposed approach to the next Land Use Strategy. It seeks your views on the strategic direction and vision for sustainable land use in Scotland, and the objectives, policies and actions that will help deliver it.

Closed
This consultation closed 5 October 2025.

View this consultation on consult.gov.scot, including responses once published.

View supporting documents Supporting documents

How This Document Is Structured

To make this consultation more accessible, we have combined the consultation paper and the draft Land Use Strategy (LUS) into a single document, rather than publishing them separately.

  • Section 1: how we currently use land, the key drivers for land use, and what sort of information on this is helpful
  • Section 2: integration: that we believe that integrated landscapes are the route to delivering multiple benefits and being more resilient, and different ways to communicate the benefits and opportunities for integration
  • Section 3: the role of the LUS, reflecting a new approach to setting its vision and objectives, and to identify areas for ongoing development which can support integration
  • Section 4: identifying indicators to monitor progress
  • Section 5: improving our evidence base on potential impacts from the LUS to inform impact assessments

What to Expect in each Section

Each section of the document includes:

  • a summary of the key elements of the draft LUS
  • a set of questions designed to gather your feedback and shape the final version
  • some questions revisit elements from previous LUS’s to assess whether updates are needed; others introduce new approaches aimed at bringing the Strategy in line with the evolving nature of land use
  • finally, we invite your input on equality and inclusivity, and we welcome contributions from anyone with relevant insights or lived experience

Contact

Email: lus4@gov.scot

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