Legislation has been approved to help create new small landholdings to increase farming opportunities and “bring agricultural tenancy law into the 21st century”.
The Land Reform (Scotland) Bill, passed by Holyrood, grants greater protections for tenant farmers and small landholders and safeguarding fair compensation should they be removed from their holding.
The bill will give ministers powers to split up landholdings of over 1,000 hectares when being sold, provided that it is in the public interest to do so.
It also modernises how new small landholdings are created and operate, protecting their rights and helping new entrants and the next generation of farmers to get access to land.
A consultation about the powers of the Tenant Farming Commissioner and alternative options for dispute resolution will also be launched in the coming weeks as a result of the bill.
Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said: “Tenant farmers and small landholders are vital to the fabric of our rural communities, and these reforms will help them to make a decent living on their holding and make improvements on the land they work on. It will allow them to work in a way that promotes sustainable and regenerative agricultural production, and – possibly most importantly – be protected from being removed from their holding without fair compensation.
“I am happy we are able to progress in consulting on the role of the Tenant Farming Commissioner so quickly and I would encourage all tenant farmers, small landholders and crofters to make their views known.
“Scotland’s concentrated patterns of ownership developed over centuries, with ownership and control of our nation’s land in the hands of the few for too long. In future, communities will have advance notice of sales of large land holdings and Ministers will have the powers to pause them to allow the option of a Right to Buy application to be explored.
“This is an important step in our land reform journey and I am grateful to all those who have worked with us through the parliamentary process.”