Category: Land Reform Bill 2024

Stage 3 Briefing on the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill

Posted on October 27, 2025 by Andy Wightman

I am publishing this blog to provide a link to the Stage 3 Briefing I have prepared for MSPs in advance of consideration of Stage 3 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill. The debate on the 392 Stage 3 amendments

Gresham House is now Scotland’s 2nd largest landowner

Posted on August 25, 2025 by Andy Wightman

In October 2024, I published a blog highlighting the sale of a 2539 hectare (ha) portfolio of 16 woodland properties across Scotland owned by a French investment fund, Woodland Invest, based in Paris. The largest single investor owning 25% of

Land Reform – 25 Years of performance politics

Posted on July 3, 2025July 5, 2025 by Andy Wightman

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

Large-scale Rural Land Sales 2023

Posted on May 22, 2025May 22, 2025 by Andy Wightman

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

ECHR and the Discriminatory Impacts of Late Registration

Posted on March 28, 2025March 29, 2025 by Andy Wightman

In the section at the end of my previous blog, I highlighted how the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill (the Bill) does not simply extend existing opportunities for community bodies to make late registration applications under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act

Clan Donald and the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill

Posted on March 27, 2025March 31, 2025 by Andy Wightman

UPDATE 28 March 2025 – the Clan Donald Estate is now being advertised at offers over £6,750,000. A sales brochure can be downloaded here (2.9Mb pdf). The Stage One debate on the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill took place on Wednesday

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill Stage One debate

Posted on March 24, 2025March 24, 2025 by Andy Wightman

I have prepared a brieifng for MSPs ahead of the Stage One debate on the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill on Wednesday 26 March 2025. You can download a copy here.

Who Owns Scotlands 2024

Posted on March 17, 2025March 17, 2025 by Andy Wightman

Today I have published what I plan to be an annual analysis of who owns Scotland. The Who Owns Scotland 2024 report is based on an analysis of data from the Who Owns Scotland website as at 31 January 2025.

Where now for the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill?

Posted on March 3, 2025March 5, 2025 by Andy Wightman

INTRODUCTION The Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee has now completed taking evidence as part of its Stage One scrutiny of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill. This concluded with evidence from the Cabinet Secretary, Mairi Gougeon, on Tuesday 18 February.

Is Gresham House the third largest landowner in Scotland?

Posted on February 5, 2025 by Andy Wightman

Gresham House Ltd. a private limited company (No. 00000871) incorporated in 1857. It is an asset management company wholly owned by SeedBidCo Ltd, a company registered in Guernsey. The ultimate controlling part is Searchlight Capital Partners III SED, a limited

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