Scotland’s rural beauty and countryside has much to offer visitors and residents alike.
At the weekend I was team captain for the RSABI Great Glen Challenge – a 65km cross -country race involving cycling, kayaking, walking and running, culminating in a prize giving ceremony at Neptune’s Staircase in Fort William.
Few places would offer a similar route with all those sporting disciplines in a relatively small area and in such beautiful natural surroundings.
Scotland’s natural assets and land ownership have been much discussed in recent months.
In setting out land reform proposals in November of last year, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon that “Scotland’s land must be an asset that benefits the many, not the few” – a sentiment that is appreciated by many who are able to enjoy Scotland’s outdoors.
The much anticipated Land Reform (Scotland) Bill was published in June this year after many months of consultation and reporting.
Throughout the process there has been more opportunity than ever before to engage with the legislation.
The theme of engagement with communities continues to be a strong driver in the Land Reform Programme.
The Bill contains provisions requiring Scottish Ministers to take into account the level of community engagement by landowners and tenants where decisions may affect communities and also when making decisions on the provision of grants or on the right to buy land.
This section is yet to be consulted on and much of the detail is yet to be ironed out.
The Land Reform proposals also introduce a community right to buy land with the driver being to further sustainable development.
In principal this is a substantial shift in favour of community groups but with a number of provisos to be satisfied before this power can be utilised, for example that the community must be likely to suffer significant harm, or that there would be significant benefit to the community – the definitions of which have not yet been clearly defined – it may not prove as influential as first thought.
Perhaps the most keenly anticipated section in the Bill is on Agricultural Holdings.
Changes are to be made to the tenancy system with the intention of encouraging a more vibrant tenanted sector, the driver being to encourage more new entrants into farming.
The details of the changes are yet to be fleshed out and as ever the devil will be in the detail.
The process of the Bill through parliament is not straightforward. There will be more consultation and there will be opportunity for questions to be raised and for experts to be called to speak on various issues.
Friday 14th August was the most recent deadline for submissions to the Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee on the Bill.
As the consultation process continues, it is important that the voice of rural Scotland is heard, to ensure that land is an asset that benefits many. I certainly enjoyed my time outdoors this weekend.