Scottish land rights and responsibilities statement

Part 2 - Scottish Land Rights and Responsibilities Statement – Principles

Vision

A Scotland with a strong and dynamic relationship between its land and people, where all land contributes to a modern and successful country, and where rights and responsibilities in relation to land are fully recognised and fulfilled.

• The population of Scotland was 5.4m in 2016 and is projected to increase to 5.7m by 2039.
• Scotland's land area is approximately 7.8 million hectares.

Principles

1. The overall framework of land rights, responsibilities and public policies should promote, fulfil and respect relevant human rights in relation to land, contribute to public interest and wellbeing, and balance public and private interests. The framework should support sustainable economic development, protect and enhance the environment, help achieve social justice and build a fairer society.

2. There should be a more diverse pattern of land ownership and tenure, with more opportunities for citizens to own, lease and have access to land.

3. More local communities should have the opportunity to own, lease or use buildings and land which can contribute to their community's wellbeing and future development.

4. The holders of land rights should exercise these rights in ways that take account of their responsibilities to meet high standards of land ownership, management and use. Acting as the stewards of Scotland's land resource for future generations they contribute to sustainable growth and a modern, successful country.

5. There should be improved transparency of information about the ownership, use and management of land, and this should be publicly available, clear and contain relevant detail.

6. There should be greater collaboration and community engagement in decisions about land.