Landowners could be barred from buying country estates or forced to sell off land if they are accused of neglect or abuse of power under proposals being studied by Scottish ministers.
The Scottish Land Commission (SLC), an influential advisory body, has recommended that all large or important land sales in Scotland should be subject to a legally enforceable public interest test to make sure the sale has wider social or environmental benefits.
In a detailed report to the Scottish government, the commission has told ministers any future sales involving estates over 10,000 hectares (24,710 acres), as well as any of economic or ecological significance, such as entire islands, should be included.
For the rest of Sev Carrell’s article, published yesterday in The Guardian, please click here
There are some potential implications here for massive, intensively managed driven grouse moors.
Raptor Persecution UK 
Would the royals be included?
I have long thought that any large sale of land should have say 5-10% sold in smaller lots; many people would like to own land but land sales are exclusive and defined by their huge scale; if the SLC were to also recommend that smaller plots were to be made available; it would be interesting to see if the public responded.
Or the opportunity given to local public interest groups to acquire and manage that 5-10% in the interests of local amenity and conservation.
Hi, thats exactly my point that it would open opportunities such as you suggest.
Sounds Good — but is it? This development appears tailor made to be bogged down by detail. Something less open to arguments of financial interest as opposed to ecological and environmental interests might be required. Scots land laws require a complete overhall and not somehting that plays right into the hands of hegemonic behind-the-scenes manipulations as has been the case for a number of years now.