Communities across the Highlands and Islands could gain a stronger voice in how some of Scotland’s largest estates are managed under new proposals designed to make land ownership more transparent and accountable.

The Scottish Government has opened a 14 week public consultation on measures under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2025, focusing on landholdings exceeding 1,000 hectares and how local people should be involved in decisions affecting them.

At the heart of the proposals are new Land Management Plans, which would require owners of large estates to provide clearer information about how their land is managed.

The consultation asks what information those plans should contain and how landowners should involve surrounding communities when preparing them.

For rural Scotland, where decisions about land use can affect housing, crofting, employment and local development, greater transparency could have considerable practical importance.

The proposals also examine new arrangements that could allow community groups to request leases over land or seek opportunities to establish crofts.

Such changes could offer communities additional ways to make productive use of land, although the details of how requests would operate remain subject to consultation.

The government is also seeking views on what enforcement measures should apply when landowners fail to meet their obligations.

An important part of the exercise will be ensuring that both communities and estate owners understand which properties are covered by the new requirements.

Draft guidance has been published to explain how the rules would apply to holdings above the 1,000 hectare threshold.

The proposals form part of Scotland’s continuing land reform programme, which seeks to address longstanding questions about the concentration of ownership and the influence communities have over land surrounding them.

Climate Action and Rural Affairs Secretary Gillian Martin said:

“The Land Reform Act reflects our commitment to a fairer, more transparent and more inclusive system of land ownership and use.

“These proposals can ensure communities have better information about how large landholdings are managed and more opportunities to influence decisions that affect them and mark the next step in Scotland’s land reform journey.

“We saw strong engagement as our land reform legislation passed through Parliament, and I hope communities, landowners and others will bring that same enthusiasm to this public consultation on our plans.”

The consultation does not mean communities will automatically gain control over land belonging to private estates.

Instead, it will help determine how the new legal requirements are implemented, what opportunities communities have to participate and what happens when obligations are not fulfilled.

Those distinctions will matter to landowners and residents alike, particularly where estate management decisions have implications for neighbouring villages and rural businesses.

The government has extended the usual 12 week consultation period to 14 weeks because it will run across Christmas and New Year.

That additional time is intended to give community councils, landowners, crofting interests and individuals a greater opportunity to consider the proposals and submit their views.

For Highland communities with a long history of debates about land ownership and access, the consultation offers another opportunity to influence how Scotland’s largest estates operate in the years ahead.