Ownership and Governance

Landownership affects land management, and participation in the benefits of the land. It is far less normal for people in Scotland to own a woodland, than it is in almost any other European country. Scotland has the most unequal forest ownership in Europe and land is highly concentrated in the hands of remarkably few owners. When land is sold it is often in enormous areas worth £100s of thousands, or £millions. So few people have access to land, and to the financial incentives and opportunities that come with land. 

There are ecological reasons, and social justice reasons, for change in landownership. Fairer ownership allows the benefits to reach more people; more widely distributed ownership involves more people and their values in managing the land. The signs are clear that people want to see more trees and woods. Scotland is on a journey of land reform unique in western Europe, but progress is slow and often painful, and the central focus on community ownership may be missing other ways for people to get closer to the land.