REVIVE Coalition welcomes the passing of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill and the Government's commitment to continuing the land reform journey in the next Parliament
The REVIVE Coalition has welcomed the passing of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill today, echoing Cabinet Secretary Mairi Gougeon's words that "this bill represents an ambitious step forward on our land reform journey" but particularly her acknowledgement that "we have more work to do."
The Bill's passage comes as Scotland's land reform movement prepares to gather in Perth this Saturday (8 November) for the REVIVE Conference, where more than 400 people will discuss the next steps in Scotland's land reform journey.
The conference will also see the launch of REVIVE’s land reform manifesto, “What Scotland Wants: Real Land Reform for our People, Wildlife and Environment”, which proposes a series of policy recommendations informed by the results of The Big Land Question, Scotland’s largest programme of independent research into public attitudes to land reform.
Max Wiszniewski, Campaign Manager for REVIVE Coalition, said:
"We welcome the passing of the Land Reform Bill and the Cabinet Secretary's recognition that this is a step forward on a journey that must continue. As she said today, 'we have more work to do' - and our research shows that the Scottish people are clearly ready for that work to begin.
"The Scottish Greens' Ariane Burgess was absolutely right when she said in the closing debate that 'the movement for change continues to grow stronger.' That determination will be evident this Sunday when around 400 people gather in Perth for the REVIVE Conference to discuss what comes next.
"It's a stark reminder that roughly the same number of people - just 421 - own more than half of Scotland's private rural land. This extreme concentration of ownership is why land reform remains so crucial and why the land reform journey must continue.
"The Big Land Question research showed us that the Scottish public understands the importance of land reform, with overwhelming support for measures like land taxes, climate targets for large estates, and stronger community rights. The public mandate is clear, and we hope our manifesto will help influence party manifestos ahead of Scotland's May 2026 elections.
"As both the Cabinet Secretary and the Scottish Greens recognised today, this is not the end of the road. The next Parliament must build on this foundation and deliver the transformative land reform that Scotland needs and deserves."
