Scottish Land Commission

The Scottish Land Commission, including five Land Commissioners, the Tenant Farming Commissioner and support staff, will be based in Inverness, Land Reform Secretary Roseanna Cunningham will announce.

Hilary Pearce has also been appointed interim Chief Executive Officer and will take up her position shortly. She will work to establish and support the work of the Commission until summer 2017.

The new Scottish Land Commission is a key part of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016. It will review law and policy, and make recommendations to the Scottish Government on matters relating to Scotland's land. The Tenant Farming Commissioner will also be part of the Scottish Land Commission, and will develop codes of practice and provide support to the tenant farming sector.

Ms Cunningham said

“Land reform is a journey and we are determined to ensure all of the people of Scotland can benefit from our land. The Land Reform Scotland (Act) was a significant milestone and delivered a number of important changes.

“The legislation paved the way for setting up a new Scottish Land Commission which will help to ensure that we continue to progress with land reform and I am delighted to confirm it will be based in Inverness.

“This will provide approximately 20 new jobs in the area while providing a base that is easily accessible for all parts of Scotland. The city location symbolises that land reform is no longer an exclusively rural issue – we want to see people in our towns and cities reap the benefits of land reform too.

“The Commission will have an important role reviewing policy and legislation, help to influence future developments relating the ownership of Scotland’s land and how we ensure communities across Scotland realise their potential.”