…the blog and website of Andy Wightman
UPDATE 28 MARCH 2013 Paul Wheelhouse has confirmed in a written answer to Claire Baker MSP (S4W-13541) that the Estates Charter remains in force and that it is “standard practice for the principles behind the Estates Charter to be taken into
Continue readingThe decision by Scottish Ministers (Minster for Environment and Climate Change, Paul Wheelhouse) to award the lease for hunting rights on Raasay to an absentee tenant rather than to negotiate an extension to the very successful operation run by Raasay
Continue readingImage: The Coigach Flag I am delighted to host a guest blog by Julia Campbell from Coigach. Julia works for the Coigach Community Development Company but the views she expresses here are her personal views. They were submitted as evidence to
Continue readingPictured above – a Danish kindergarten paid for in part by Danish property taxes on Scottish land. The Scottish Government is consulting on the future of the the non-domestic rates (business rates) regime. The consultation closes this Friday 22 February
Continue readingAbove – Richard Lochhead at NFUS AGM. Image: Paul Watt Photography The future shape of the Common Agricultural Policy for 2014-2020 has become clearer following the EU budget summit on 7 – 8 February and the European Parliament’s adoption of
Continue readingRather surprisingly, there is very little scholarship on land relations in Scotland. There are a few academic papers on some topics (such as the legals scholarship of Malcolm Combe) but much less than I certainly think there should be. So
Continue readingPictured above – Daily Mail 24 January 2003 Ten years ago today (23 January 2003), the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 was passed by the Scottish Parliament. The Act provides a right of responsible access to land (Part I), a
Continue readingI have today submitted my evidence (8.2Mb pdf) to the Land Reform Review Group. The Group will not be publishing the responses they receive until April 2014 and I have therefore created a page where submissions can be published. Email me
Continue readingScottish Land & Estates members survey. The Scottish Government’s Land Reform Review Group was established in July 2012 and twelve advisers were appointed in October. It has issued a call for evidence to be submitted to it by 11
Continue readingI have an original copy of Tom Johnston‘s Our Scots Noble Families from 1909. It is a treasure. It was reprinted by Argyll Publishing in 1999. Here, reprinted, is the opening chapter entitled A General Indictment. Read it and remember
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