…the blog and website of Andy Wightman
In the first of a two-part series in the Scottish Field magazine, James Hunter, a former chairman of Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Emeritus Professor of History at the University of the Highlands and Islands, sets out the case for
Continue readingIn the first session of the Scottish Parliament between 1999 and 2003, a total of 12 Acts were passed in relation to land reform – 20% of the 61 Acts passed in the first four years of devolution. There was
Continue readingThe above photograph was taken earlier today (Saturday 10 August 2013) in Inverleith Park, Edinburgh. It shows members of the public queuing up to pay money to enter a part of the park that has been fenced off for a
Continue readingImage: The British Army on exercises, King’s Park, Stirling. Pastel by William Kennedy 1889 On 15 August a ceremony will be held in Stirling to mark the transfer of ownership of the King’s Park from the Crown to Scottish Ministers.
Continue readingThe Scottish Liberal Democrats hold their Autumn conference on Saturday 14 September as part of the UK federal conference. An interesting motion on land reform has been tabled by Hugh Andrew – Motion SC2 on page 10 of the Conference
Continue readingPhoto: Roxburghe Estate Photo reference Library Scotland’s landed class made the front page of the Scotsman yesterday under a headline “Lairds in warning over new buy-out powers”. The story is based around submissions of evidence to the Scottish Government’s Land Reform
Continue readingIn this Guest Blog, poet & novelist John Burnside reflects on the land, nature, folk and elite power. John’s most recent book is a collection of short stories, called Something Like Happy (Jonathan Cape). This essay was first published in The
Continue readingImage © John Paul Photography Allan Macrae 1939 – 2013 Allan Macrae was the crofter who led the campaign by the Assynt Crofters to reclaim their land in 1992. His family had been in Assynt for generations and his great
Continue readingI am delighted to publish this Guest Blog by Douglas McAdam who is chief executive of Scottish Land & Estates. The article first appeared in the Herald newspaper today. It is published here in the spirit of a mature debate and
Continue readingThe tortuous negotiations over the next Common Agricultural Policy reached a conclusion of sorts today although some of the details remain unclear. This morning BBC Radio Scotland invited me to speak about the implications of “capping the CAP” – an
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