Nearly three per cent of Scotland’s total land mass now owned by local communities

Nearly three per cent of Scotland’s total land mass is now owned by communities, according to new figures released by the Scottish Government.

With ministers aiming to bring one million acres of land into community ownership by 2021, the Estimate of Community Owned Land in Scotland 2017, published by the Chief Statistician, shows there were 562,230 acres in community ownership by June 2017.

The statistics show there are 492 land parcels in community ownership – owned by 403 community groups – with six new land assets being brought into community ownership in the first six months of the year.

But while the Scottish Government is now more than half-way towards meeting its target, 93.7 per cent of the total land owned by communities is based in two local authorities.

Na h-Eileanan Siar has 385,340 acres of land in community ownership and Highland contain 141,912 acres.

In total 2.9 per cent of the total land area of Scotland is owned by local communities.