…the blog and website of Andy Wightman
In extracts from Nicola Stugeon’s forthcoming memoir, Frankly, published in the Times newspaper, the former First Minister makes a remarkable claim about one of the most shameful episodes in the whole Sturgeon-Salmond drama. On 23 August 2018, the internal Scottish
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The 5,530 hectare Griffin Forestry Estate comprises the Griffin and Moness estates in Perthshire either side of the A826 south of Aberfeldy. I have a personal connection with the forest as I planted much of it in my first job
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Following my previous blogs here, here and here on the topic of the Register of Persons Holding a Controlled Interest in Land (RCIL), I am pleased to report that after much toing and froing I eventually secured an appointment with
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With Stage 2 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill proceedings now concluded, it is time to take stock of where we are, not just with the Bill, but with the wider land reform agenda. In this blog I want to
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Today I am publishing a report analysing large-scale (over 500 ha) sales of rural land in 2023. This follows a previous report covering 2020 – 2022. During 2023, 17 landholdings of over 500 ha changed hands together with 20 landholdings
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Local Government: Administration of a town or other comparatively small district by elected representatives of the people who live there, as distinguished from central government; the governing body responsible for this: Oxford English Dictionary Fifty years ago, at midnight tonight,
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This blog provides an update on the two previous ones in relation to determining the beneficial ownership of two companies – North Glen Estates Ltd, registered in the Turks and Caicos Islands, which owns North Glenbuchat Estate in Aberdeenshire, and,
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In my blog yesterday, I reported a breach of rules introduced to improve transparency in landownership. I have reported the matter to Police and will be reporting back here on progress. Meanwhile, I am pleased to publish this guest blog
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The above image was taken in 2014 in connection with a police raid at that time. On 2 May 2025, Police Scotland issued the following statement. Two men have been arrested and charged in connection with wildlife offences following enquiries
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The Supreme Court decision in For Women Scotland vs Scottish Ministers ruled that the protected characteristic of sex (being male or female) in the Equality Act 2010 means biological sex and not that certified via a Gender Recognition Certificate under
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