Scotland's fourth land use strategy: consultation

Section 2: Integrated Land Use

In this section we ask your feedback on Integration: we believe that integrated landscapes are the route to delivering multiple benefits and being more resilient. We are also seeking views on different ways to communicate the benefits and opportunities for integration.

What is new for LUS 4

Since the publication of the first strategy in 2011, and through subsequent iterations, a clear vision, set of objectives and guiding principles have been developed to support sustainable land use in Scotland. Most recently, the third strategy marked a significant shift by adopting a landscape-based approach - moving away from a sectoral focus - to better reflect the integrated nature of land use and the multifunctional role of landscapes across the country.

This landscape approach helped to tell a more coherent story about how land use is interconnected across Scotland. It also made it easier for individuals and communities to identify which elements of the strategy were most relevant to their interests or local areas, with a recent SPICe briefing to the Scottish Parliament highlighting that there is growing awareness of the importance of integration across land use functions.

Whilst this was an important step forward, through the five-year lifetime of LUS4 we must go further. We need to further our understanding of integrated landscapes at a national scale - how they can support our multiple ambitions, and how they can be delivered in practice. Achieving this will require a more holistic, data-driven perspective to identify opportunities and inform decision-making.

What is integration and why is it relevant?

In the context of land use, integration simply means taking a holistic view of the land - combining two or more activities on the same area in a way that enhances the overall benefits. As highlighted in the 2020 ‘Review of key trends and issues in UK rural land use’, “policy and practice for rural land use needs to be integrated across multiple policy scales, from local to national, and across multiple policies - such as net zero, farming, and biodiversity.” The review also emphasised that “an integrated framework for land use is required to meet current environmental, climate, and public health challenges.”

Scotland has a number of key ambitions relating directly or indirectly to land use whether they concern climate change, biodiversity, or the wider economy. With its iconic landscapes providing an abundant resource for food production, leisure and tourism, peatland and forestry, Scotland has a vital role to play in leading the development of integrated land use to meet the challenges we collectively face. In order to do so we need to recognise the importance and value of land as a natural asset, and, as highlighted by the independent Dasgupta Review , commissioned by the UK government in 2019, to take this into account when developing economic modelling and to acknowledge the social worth of natural assets. Across Scotland, many landscapes already demonstrate integrated land use in action, operating at different scales:

• Regional landscape scale: Regional Land Use Partnerships (RLUPs) bring together local and national government, communities, landowners, land managers, and other stakeholders. These partnerships aim to foster inclusive collaboration, improve communication, and share knowledge to support better land use decisions.
• Local landscape scale: The Tweed Forum exemplifies integrated land management at a river catchment level. Its work includes tree planting, peatland restoration, floodplain recovery, and the conservation of historic buildings and sites - all within a single landscape.
• Holding scale: On an individual farm, an upland farmer might raise livestock and grow crops, while also managing land that supports biodiversity. The soil not only sustains agriculture but also contributes to carbon storage, water quality, and other ecosystem services. The same land might contribute to the local economy in numerous additional ways, by hosting a wind turbine or supporting tourism and recreation for example.

Q8. Do you think the description provided captures what is meant by 'integrated landscapes'?

Yes

No

Q9. Do you agree that integrated landscapes are the most effective approach to addressing Scotland’s land use ambitions ?

Yes

No

Please give reasons for your answer

Improving our understanding of the wider land use system

To achieve integrated, resilient, and sustainable land use, we must first develop a deeper understanding of the wider land use system, including the many interacting factors that influence landscape integration, both positively and negatively. This systems-level perspective is essential for identifying how aligned actions across sectors can support the goals of the LUS.

To support this, we have applied systems thinking to map out the key factors that enable or hinder progress toward integrated landscapes. This exercise revealed clusters of drivers and barriers that can help us better understand how land use might evolve toward 2050.

The diagram above shows how various groups of drivers can increase integrated landscapes, and that more integrated landscapes can help us meet the strategic objectives of Scotland’s land use strategy.

Finance, Cultural, Nature and Climate, Land Management, Skills and Education, and Food Production drivers all serve to increase the amount of Integrated Landscapes in Scotland.

This in turn supports the Land Use Strategy’s key strategic objectives of: Nature and Climate; Jobs, Skills and the Economy, and Communities; Place, People and Equity.

The Interconnected Nature of the Land

One of the most important findings from this work is how it re-emphasised the high degree of interconnectedness within the land system, and highlighted fresh insights about the nature of these connections, for example:

• factors which impact land businesses capacity to grow (debt, access to markets, efficient use of technologies, willingness to adopt new practices) also affect their capacity to introduce integrated and resilient land management practices - in turn, the introduction of these practices can have a positive impact on food production and climate outcomes
• while regulatory and financial levers are important, they must be part of a broader package that also addresses skills development, cultural values and community engagement.

This analysis highlights the need for a coordinated approach that recognises the relationships between different factors and identifies the most effective points of influence within the system.

Three key themes were identified, all of which have interconnecting elements that work collectively to drive behaviour. These are set out in a table on the following page.

Nature and Climate

High Impact Factors that Influence Integrated Landscapes

• Willingness to change historic practices.
• Financial and social pressures on land managers.
• Perception of integrated land use as a risky choice.
• Food production.
• Land used exclusively for food production.
• Uptake of technology.

Example of Connection Identified

• Having more landscape scale collaborations (land management) leads to more visible peer success at integrated land use.
• More biodiverse landscapes (nature and climate) over time lead to more productive agricultural land.

Jobs, Skills and the Economy

High Impact Factors that Influence Integrated Landscapes

• Willingness to engage with education.
• Land managers engaged in education
• Knowledge of land’s potential.
• Land manager’s land-based income.
• Debt.
• Uptake of funds that encourage integrated land use.

Example of Connection Identified

• Higher land manager land-based income (finance) leads to greater willingness to engage with education by reducing financial barriers.
• Land managers with higher debts are more likely to perceive integrated land use as a risky choice (culture).

Communities, Place, People and Equity

High Impact Factors that Influence Integrated Landscapes

• Concern about climate change (arising from climate impacts or increased media coverage).
• Land manager incentive to move to more integrated land use.
• Land manager administrative burden.
• Community awareness of integrated land use opportunities.

Example of Connection Identified

• More innovations in the agriculture sector (skills and education) reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve resilience.
• The uptake of new technology in agriculture (food production) is enhanced when more new farmers enter the sector.

It is clear that land managers’ incentives to move toward integrated landscapes is a key factor which sits at the heart of this system, and this, in turn, is influenced by a range of factors. Whilst we do not seek to direct land managers, we can help achieve integrated, resilient, and sustainable land use by promoting enabling aspects of the system in which they operate.

Understanding which factors are the most significant will help us to identify opportunities to align actions across the broad range of contributing policy areas. This will support the ongoing strategic evolution of Scotland’s LUS.

Q10. Have we identified the right factors influencing land use integration?

Yes

No

Q11. Which of these factors do you feel are the most influential?

Q12. Are there any important factors we have misse d?

How can we communicate the benefits and opportunities?

We have identified two different ways that the LUS can help to communicate the benefits and opportunities for integrated land management.

Using Case Studies

Integrated Land Management on Auchlyne and Suie Estate

Often the peatlands on an estate are seen as ‘dead ground’, only being ‘productive’ for stalking or to grow livestock or wood-stock. These activities can lead to the erosion of peatlands, and if left unchecked are contributing to the depletion of this habitat, causing an increase in greenhouse gas emissions, and are not commercially sustainable. By looking at the estate businesses as a whole through integrated land management plans the value of healthy peatlands can be seen as a benefit not only to the estate but to the wider public.

An example of this approach can be seen at Auchlyne and Suie Estate, nestled in Glen Dochart on the northern edge of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, which underwent peatland restoration work in 2017. The landowner, Emma Paterson worked with the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority’s Land Management Team to take a more holistic view of the estate. Together they identified project opportunities that could improve both the financial and environmental sustainability of the business.

The use of Integrated Land Management Planning helps highlight the inter connectivity of different aspects of the estate. Benefits to the estate include:

• with more water retained within the peat there is reduced peak flow and longer flow in times of low rainfall
• the ground with a healthier vegetated surface rather than bare peat, helps certain plant growth to happen earlier in the spring, allowing the estate to put out stock earlier, or reduce supplementary feeding
• the infilling of the grips will reduce the number of lambs and other animals lost down the drains where they are unable to escape and often not found
• re-profiled hags make travel across the peatlands easier and prevent tracking in the only navigable areas
• thus deer management is made easier as carcasses can be more easily extracted from the site
• the improved landscape may have a benefit for tourism to the estate

Benefits obtained through peatland restoration with an impact beyond the estate boundary and for the wider public good include:

• carbon storage
• flood prevention
• wildlife and landscape enhancement

The positive action of an estate to bring these habitats back into a healthy sustainable state can demonstrate how the estate fits in with the wider landscape, and its role in supporting the environment for all.

Using Illustrative Examples

In LUS3, we introduced illustrative landscapes as a visual tool to help people better understand what integrated, resilient, and sustainable land use could look like in practice at a more localised scale. These visualisations served as reference points, making abstract policy concepts more tangible and relatable.

With LUS4, we aim to take this approach a step further by incorporating examples of the ecosystem services provided by each landscape. We will also explore how these benefits can be enhanced through the integration of different land uses - demonstrating the real-world value of integrated landscapes at a more localised scale.

To support the consultation and minimise repetition, we are highlighting one example from the seven illustrative landscapes originally developed in LUS3. These examples will be used to illustrate policy ambition and show how integrated land use can deliver multiple benefits.

Please note: These landscapes are illustrative only. They are not map-based or geographically specific, and they are not mutually exclusive - real landscapes rarely fit neatly into single categories. Instead, they have been selected to represent a broad spectrum of land types and uses across Scotland.

This landscape is primarily composed of arable fields producing the high-quality crops for which Scotland is renowned - such as cereals, fruits, and vegetables. It also includes improved grassland, livestock farming, and a variety of environmentally beneficial habitats.

Ecosystem Service Benefits

Enclosed farmland already delivers a wide range of ecosystem services that benefit both people and the environment. These include:

• food and drink production through crops and livestock
• carbon storage via trees, hedgerows, and permanent grassland
• renewable energy generation from solar panels and wind turbines
• photosynthesis and nutrient cycling, supported by crop rotations and agri-environment schemes
• cultural and wellbeing benefits, including a sense of place, access to green space, and opportunities for recreation and mental health support

Opportunities for Further Integration and Enhanced Benefits

The image above illustrates a mixed agricultural landscape where food production continues alongside the integration of additional land uses that enhance ecosystem services:

• silvoarable systems with fruit trees: these systems increase carbon storage, support flood management, erosion control and water purification. They also contribute to healthy soils, photosynthesis, and nutrient cycling
• expanded hedgerows as field boundaries and nature corridors:

hedgerows enhance biodiversity, act as carbon sinks, and support flood resilience and soil health - they also provide habitat connectivity and contribute to air and water quality

• pollinator-friendly planting: these habitats support wildlife, improve pollination, and enhance natural pest control. They also contribute to soil health, photosynthesis and nutrient cycling, while offering mental and physical wellbeing benefits and improving air quality.

Note: this is an illustrative example intended to support broader understanding of how land uses can interact and the benefits they can provide or enhance. The Scottish Government recognises that the inclusion of such practices depends on a complex set of environmental, economic and social factors, which must be carefully considered by landowners and managers. This example is not prescriptive and does not override individual landowners’ rights or decision-making processes.

Examples of Scottish Government actions aimed at helping support sustainable land use in this landscape

Action

Through the Agricultural Reform Programme, we will support and work with farmers, crofters, and land managers to meet more of our own food needs sustainably and to farm and croft with nature. By doing so, Scotland will have a support framework that delivers high quality food production, climate mitigation and adaptation, and nature restoration, whilst keeping people living and working on the land.

Action

Through the Forestry Grant Scheme, the Scottish Government continues to provide support for the creation of agroforestry systems on agricultural pasture or arable land. This allows for an integrated approach to land management where there is a mix of trees on grazing or arable land.

Action

Through the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme the Scottish Government promotes land management practices which protect and enhance Scotland’s magnificent natural heritage, improve water quality, manage flood risk, preserve historic sites, and mitigate and adapt to climate change.

Action

The Integrating Trees Network is a farmer-led initiative which aims to encourage more farmers and crofters to plant trees. The network helps raise awareness of the multiple benefits that planting trees can bring to agricultural businesses, be it:

• providing shelter for livestock
• improving productivity
• diversifying income streams
• creating habitat for wildlife
• reducing their carbon footprint

Q13. Would the inclusion of case studies help to illustrate the practical delivery of integrated land use?

Yes

No

Q14. Would the inclusion of information on ecosystem services and opportunities for increased benefits help to illustrate the wider value of integrated landscapes?

Yes

No