Call to limit how much of Scotland the 'super-rich' can own

A proposed new law would limit how much land “the super-rich” can own in Scotland.

There is not yet a complete and definitive register of who owns every part of the country.

The Government believes that around 57% of rural land in Scotland is owned by private estates, 12.6% by public bodies, 3.1% by communities and 2.5% by charities and other third sector organisations, with the remainder thought to be owned by smaller estates and farms.

A Scottish Government project is aiming to map ownership across the country by next year – an update in 2020 revealed it had registered 68.7% of potential titles covering 42.8% of land mass so far.

Anders Holch Povlsen, owner of the Bestseller retailer and one of Scotland's largest private landowners, is the country's richest person. — Anders Holch Povlsen, owner of the Bestseller retailer and one of Scotland’s largest private landowners, is the country’s richest person. Getty Images

Labour MSP Mercedes Villalba wants there to be a 500-hectare limit on land a person can own, sell or transfer, above which a public interest test would be triggered.

“This land justice Bill is an opportunity for Scotland to end the hugely iniquitous and archaic land ownership arrangements that date back to medieval times,” she said.

The North East Scotland MSP will set out her plans at the Community Land Scotland conference on Friday, ahead of a formal launch of her consultation on a proposed Land Ownership and Public Interest (Scotland) Bill.

“Humza Yousaf’s SNP and the Scottish Greens must work with Labour to deliver meaningful land justice, rather than join with the Tories to protect the privilege of the wealthy.”

Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, owns the 63,000-acre Inverinate Estate in Kyle of Lochalsh. Getty Images

Some 432 landowners owned half of Scotland’s privately-owned rural land, according to the latest figures set out in 2013.

Danish billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen, the richest person in Scotland, is one of Scotland’s largest private landowners.

While the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, owns the 63,000-acre Inverinate Estate in Kyle of Lochalsh.

Villalba said: “The super-rich are hoarding land that should be run by community representatives and co-operatives for the benefit of everyone.

“Grouse shooting, landed privilege, and producing carbon credits for vast profits are being put ahead of environmental restoration, affordable housing and community wealth.

“It’s outrageous that one of the greatest symbols of inequality in Scotland has been unaddressed for so long.”

The Scottish Government has launched a consultation on land reform, which would put in place a public interest test on sales of land over 3,000 hectares.

Sarah-Jane Laing, chief executive of Scottish Land & Estates, said Villalba’s proposed limit would “affect many family-owned farms”.

She added: “Ms Villalba does not seem to grasp this, nor does she appear to be aware of the scale of land reform change which has already happened. Her ideas are somewhat leftfield – even within her own party.

“Landowners have embraced great changes in the last 20 years and have engaged constructively over proposals on land reform.

“It is very difficult to do so with these proposals which are riddled with so many inaccuracies and which would damage our ability to produce food and fuel, deliver for climate and biodiversity, as well as creating jobs, homes and business opportunities.”