Scotland’s land reform journey is stalling

20 years on the once pioneering legislation is no longer fit for purpose and is tripping up communities. Those opposed to community purchases have learned how to play the system. From 2018 to 2022 there were 5 successful applications on average annually, however from 2003 to 2017 there were triple this number. Since 2017 none of the necessary ‘late’ applications that allow communities to respond to unexpected sales have been approved. The legislation is failing communities in Scotland’s most resource deprived areas, where dealing with onerous legislation and bureaucratic systems can be even more challenging.