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Community Land Scotland

Community Ownership

In 1923, the Stornoway Trust became the first place in Scotland to complete the transfer of land into community hands.

Today, more than 500 communities in Scotland have taken ownership of land and buildings and Scotland is seen as a pioneer in the field. These 500 communities account for more than 200,000 hectares of community-owned land.

The roots of this community revolution were not in the corridors of government, but in croft house kitchens and community halls. Communities buy a whole range of land and buildings, including rural estates, crofts, forestry and woodlands, allotments, community centres, churches, pubs, shops, housing and more. It can be:

Any Place

Any Asset

Anyone

Transforming Scotland through Ownership

Three quarters of residents in the Western Islands live on community-owned land. Community ownership of land and buildings is the norm there, and we think community ownership should be mainstream throughout Scotland. When communities purchase the land on which they live and work, they are empowered to reinvigorate their areas on their own terms and to improve the prospects of future generations.

Profits generated by community landowners are recycled back into their community, generating community wealth and building economic and environmental resilience. Community landowners know what is needed in their area and will reinvest in a way that has a long term positive impact.

Benefits of Community Ownership
Local Control

Local people know best how to address local challenges and can develop creative solutions to intractable problems. They can tap into the energy and skills in their communities to create change.

Community landowners have reversed depopulation in many areas by creating jobs and developing affordable housing.

Income and profits from community owned renewables, forestry and other assets stays within the community and helps to fund local projects

Community buyouts have been shown to increase the value and profitability of land and put more investment into local businesses

Community ownership can save key local services such as shops, pubs and urban greenspace; it can help local schools stay open, and in very rural areas, deliver vital services such as electricity and infrastructure

Community ownership increases communities’ confidence in themselves and amongst the agencies and businesses they work with

Our research has shown that voting rates are higher in areas where there are significant levels of community ownership

We know that community ownership of land and buildings can be transformative, as it has been for many of our members.

Community Ownership: The Practicalities

In Scotland, ‘community landownership’ refers to ownership of land, buildings or other assets by a geographic community. In the most basic terms, this means that you need to be able to draw a line around your community on a map and the geographic area should be small enough in size for meaningful community engagement. Some rights and funding such as Community Right to Buy and the Scottish Land Fund are only available to geographic communities.

Community ownership organisations have membership open to anyone in their local community with Boards being elected by the membership.

There are four main routes to community ownership:

The process and funding options for the different routes to community ownership vary. We’re happy to answer questions on community ownership and point you in the right direction. Learn more.

Top 6 facts about Community Ownership

(True as of 2023)

1. There were 840 assets in community ownership as of December 2023.

2. Almost 80% of community owned assets are in rural areas of Scotland and these rural assets make up over 99% of the land area in community ownership.

3. Communities own 208,597 Hectares of land in Scotland, more than twice the size of Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee combined.

4. 156 groups own more than one asset - the most assets owned by a single group is 13.

5. The most common route to ownership is through a negotiated purchase from a private owner

6. There are more community buyouts by communities in the 10% most deprived areas than by the 10% most affluent