Scottish Land Commission

Making Land Work for Scotland’s People and Communities At the Scottish Land Commission, we’re working towards a Scotland where everyone benefits from how land and buildings are owned, managed, and used - in both rural and urban areas. Our work focuses on four key areas that are essential to creating a fairer, greener, and more inclusive Scotland: Land for Housing and Development We’re tackling barriers to bringing vacant and derelict land back into use, helping increase the supply of land for housing, and encouraging more active and public-interest-led land development. Land Ownership We explore the impacts of how land is owned – looking at issues like concentrated ownership, land markets, and tax policy – and we assess how effective tools like the Community Right to Buy are in practice. Land Use Decision-Making We promote fairer and more transparent decision-making about land use, offering guidance and recommendations to improve accountability and community involvement. Agricultural Holdings We’re supporting a thriving tenant farming sector by improving landlord-tenant relationships, making it easier for new entrants to access land, and ensuring the long-term sustainability of tenant farming in Scotland. We are a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB), with a Board of six Commissioners appointed by Scottish Ministers. The team includes five Land Commissioners – Michael Russell (Chair), Dr Craig Mackenzie, Professor Deb Roberts, Dr Lucy Beattie, Dr Calum MacLeod – and the Tenant Farming Commissioner, Rob Black. Our staff team is based in Inverness and led by our Chief Executive, Hamish Trench. Follow us to stay up to date with how land reform is helping shape a better future for Scotland.