Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2025

1. Introductory Text

2. Part 1 Land reform

   1. Chapter 1 Large land holdings: Management and transfer of ownership

      1. 1. Community-engagement obligations in relation to large land holding

      2. 2. Community right to buy: registration of interest in large land holding

      3. 3. Modifications in connection with section 2

      4. 4. Lotting of large land holding

      5. 5. Modifications in connection with section 4

      6. 6. Modifications in connection with sections 2 and 4

      7. 7. Establishment of the Land and Communities Commissioner

   2. Chapter 2 Functions of the Land Commissioners

      1. 8. Functions of the Land Commissioners: natural capital markets

      2. 9. Functions of the Land Commissioners: further provisions

   3. Chapter 3 Review of part

      1. 10. Review of Part 1

3. Part 2 Leasing land

   1. Chapter 1 Model leases

      1. 11. Duty to publish model lease for environmental purposes

      2. 12. Duty to publish model lease for hutting

   2. Chapter 2 Small landholdings

      1. 13. Small landholdings

      2. 14. Extension of Tenant Farming Commissioner’s functions

   3. Chapter 3 Agricultural holdings

      1. Tenant’s right to buy

         1. 15. Registration of interest and right to buy

      2. Assignation in relation to 1991 Act tenancies

         1. 16. Assignation of tenancy

      3. Assignation in relation to 2003 Act tenancies

         1. 17. Assignation of limited duration tenancy

         2. 18. Assignation of modern limited duration tenancy

         3. 19. Assignation of repairing tenancy

      4. Resumption

         1. 20. Resumption in relation to 1991 Act tenancies

         2. 21. Resumption in respect of limited duration tenancies and repairing tenancies

         3. 22. Compensation for disturbance on resumption

      5. Compensation on termination and resumption

         1. 23. Power to make provision about compensation on termination

         2. 24. Power to make provision about compensation on resumption

      6. Compensation for improvements

         1. 25. Compensation for improvements

      7. Use of agricultural land: diversification

         1. 26. Notice of and objection to diversification

         2. 27. Tenant extension notice

         3. 28. Determinations by Land Court

         4. 29. Compensation arising as a result of diversification

      8. Tenant Farming Commissioner: codes of practice

         1. 30. Resumption and termination of relevant tenancies and small landholdings

         2. 31. Use of land for non-agricultural purposes

      9. Game damage etc.

         1. 32. Compensation for damage by game etc.

      10. Introduction of standard procedure for claiming compensation

          1. 33. Standard claim procedure

          2. 34. Interest payable on compensation

      11. Rent review

          1. 35. Rent review: 1991 Act tenancies

          2. 36. Rent review: limited duration tenancies

          3. 37. Rent review: repairing tenancies

      12. Rules of good estate management and husbandry

          1. 38. Rules of good estate management

          2. 39. Rules of good husbandry

      13. Succession in relation to 1991 Act tenancies

          1. 40. Notice requirements: lease of 1991 Act holding

          2. 41. Landlord’s objection to legatee or acquirer on intestacy: near relatives and other persons

          3. 42. Legatee or acquirer on intestacy: supplementary provision

      14. Succession in relation to 2003 Act tenancies

          1. 43. Succession to tenancy

4. Part 3 Final provisions

   1. 44. Ancillary provision

   2. 45. Regulation-making powers

   3. 46. Further procedure for regulations under sections 23 and 24

   4. 47. Commencement

   5. 48. Short title

5. 1. Schedule 1

      Meaning of connected person

   2. Schedule 2

      Small landholdings

      1. Part 1 Small landholdings and small landholders

         1. 1. Leases of small landholdings

         2. 2. Persons who may be small landholders

         3. 3. Land which may not be, or be part of, a small landholding

         4. 4. Size of small landholding

         5. 5. Duration of lease of small landholding

      2. Part 2 Rent

         1. 6. Rent

         2. 7. Alteration of rent by agreement

         3. 8. Application to Land Court to fix the rent

         4. 9. Land Court’s power to fix the rent in connection with a ruling on diversification

         5. 10. Land Court’s powers in respect of rent arrears

      3. Part 3 Use of small landholding

         1. 11. Conditions of let

         2. 12. Dwelling-houses

         3. 13. Landlord’s right of access

         4. 14. Landlord’s right to use water rising on holding

         5. 15. Compensation for damage caused by game or game management

      4. Part 4 Diversification

         1. 16. Diversification agreement

         2. 17. Notice of diversification

         3. 18. Request by landlord for information about proposed diversification

         4. 19. Landlord’s agreement or objection to notice of diversification

         5. 20. Negotiation of diversification agreement

         6. 21. Withdrawal of objection

         7. 22. Withdrawal or modification of conditions

         8. 23. Determination of Land Court in relation to objection to diversification

         9. 24. Diversification agreement entered into during proceedings under paragraph 23

         10. 25. Application by landholder to Land Court to remove conditions

         11. 26. Use of land other than for cultivation

         12. 27. Interpretation of Part

      5. Part 5 Disposal of holding by small landholder

         1. Chapter 1 Renunciation

            1. 28. Renunciation of tenancy by small landholder

         2. Chapter 2 Assignation

            1. 29. Ability to assign

            2. 30. Landlord’s objection to assignation

         3. Chapter 3 Succession

            1. 31. Bequest of holding

            2. 32. Intestate succession to holding

            3. 33. Landlord’s objection to successor: near relatives

            4. 34. Landlord’s objection to successor: other persons

            5. 35. Landlord’s objection to successor: right to temporary occupation

      6. Part 6 Removal of small landholder

         1. 36. Security of tenure

         2. 37. Removal for breach of conditions

         3. 38. Resumption by landlord

      7. Part 7 Compensation

         1. Chapter 1 Right to compensation

            1. 39. Small landholder’s right to compensation

            2. 40. Small landholder’s right to compensation: improvements

            3. 41. Small landholder’s right to compensation: increase in value due to diversification

            4. 42. Landlord’s right to compensation

            5. 43. Landlord’s right to compensation: deterioration etc. of holding.

            6. 44. Landlord’s right to compensation: decrease in value due to diversification

            7. 45. Recovery of compensation: further provision

         2. Chapter 2 Compensation: ancillary provision

            1. 46. Outstanding rent

            2. 47. Compensation to outgoing landholder by incoming landholder

            3. 48. Record of condition

         3. Chapter 3 Process for determination of compensation amount

            1. 49. Application to Tenant Farming Commissioner

            2. 50. Appointment of valuer by Tenant Farming Commissioner

            3. 51. Objection to valuer appointed by Tenant Farming Commissioner

            4. 52. Valuer’s expenses

            5. 53. Assessment of compensation

            6. 54. Notice of assessment

            7. 55. Appeal against valuer’s assessment

            8. 56. Referral of certain matters by Lands Tribunal to Land Court

      8. Part 8 Right to buy

         1. 57. Register of Community Interests in Land: small landholders’ interests in buying land

         2. 58. Registration of small landholder’s interest in buying land

         3. 59. Owner’s challenge to registration

         4. 60. Duration of registration

         5. 61. Notice of proposal to transfer land

         6. 62. Transfers not requiring notice

         7. 63. Right to buy

         8. 64. Exercise of right to buy

         9. 65. Effect of extinguishing right to buy

         10. 66. Procedure for buying

         11. 67. Appointment of valuer

         12. 68. Valuation of the land

         13. 69. Valuation etc.: further provision

         14. 70. Appeal to Lands Tribunal against valuation

         15. 71. Referral of certain matters by Lands Tribunal to Land Court

         16. 72. Registration of small landholder’s interest: power to modify provisions

         17. 73. Interpretation of Part

      9. Part 9 Alternative dispute resolution

         1. 74. Agreement to resolve matters other than by application to Land Court

         2. 75. Arbitration: procedure etc.

         3. 76. Conduct of arbitrator and setting aside of arbitrator’s award

      10. Part 10 Consequential modifications

          1. 77. Repeal and disapplication of existing law

          2. 78. Crofters Holdings (Scotland) Act 1887

          3. 79. Small Landholders (Scotland) Act 1911

          4. 80. Small Landholders and Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Act 1931

          5. 81. Succession (Scotland) Act 1964

          6. 82. Crofters (Scotland) Act 1993

          7. 83. Scottish Land Court Act 1993

      11. Part 11 General and interpretation

          1. 84. Restriction on contracting out of small landholders’ statutory rights

          2. 85. Restriction on contracting out of rights to apply to Land Court

          3. 86. Interpretation