Scottish Land & Estates has expressed serious concerns over the Scottish Government's Land Reform Bill, particularly the provisions that would allow ministers to force landowners to sell large estates in lots.

Sarah-Jane Laing, the organisation's chief executive, stated that while the land-based sector is open to adapting to evolving legislation, the proposed lotting provisions are "bureaucratic, unworkable, and could negatively impact people, jobs, and the environment."

Laing emphasised the uncertainty created by these provisions, questioning how decisions would be made and what timelines would be applied. She urged the Scottish Government and parliamentarians to reconsider the lotting provisions and address the concerns raised by the industry.

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Laing continued: "What should not happen is that we end up with a system where it will dissuade investment and people bringing property to the market will back off."

Giving evidence to the committee, Scottish Land & Estates, NFUS and the Scottish Countryside Alliance raised objections to the lotting provisions.

Ms Laing also highlighted concerns over prior-notification process where rural property owners over 1,000 hectares would be required to notify Scottish Ministers before any land sale – even a cottage or a garden area to a neighbour.

Ms Laing said that landowners are willing to embrace measures that contribute towards thriving communities. She said that there has been 'great progress' on community engagement and SLE supports the ongoing development of legislation as land use policies evolve.

She said SLE also supports the principle of land management planning for large estates but is concerned over the level of detail that could be required and the potential for sanctions if landowners cannot deliver on their aspirations for whatever reason.

She said: "The question we ask is what is the perceived problem that we are trying to address in this Bill? There seems to be a premise that big is bad and this is a view we fundamentally disagree with.

"We are fully supportive of measures that help people work together more in order to deliver the right outcomes for rural communities."