Scottish Land Reform & Stalking

Ben82

Well-Known Member
Is my future Stalking lease in jeopardy??

I refer to Devo Max being handed to Scotland, so will this have detrimental effect on leases and permission. Is the future looking bleak for Scottish Stalking and fishing???

I have read recently articles written by Scottish country side alliance, Scottish BASC and various sporting land owners, all expressing their concerns relating to the SNP's Scottish land reform act.
 
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As far as I can see, there are no imminent threats.

Time will tell but there are no signs that deer stalking/game shooting is threatened, Unless you have too many deer or are shooting things that you shouldn't [but that's always been the case].
 
I refer to Devo Max being handed to Scotland

'Handed'....................?

Different topic obviously, but the inference we're being 'gifted' stuff by the hated Westminster machine could upset a few of us, you know ;)

As far as land reform goes though, I think it's long-overdue & can only be a good thing. High time the days of massive tracts of land being owned by private and foreign individuals come to an end. It won't negatively affect any shooting (in my view) as the revenue is too valuable. Of course landowners are going to be up in arm over it, their gravy train is about to become derailed. And don't forget the tax exemptions for estates was a Tory (spit) tactic to protect minority interests in the first place. Bring it on :thumb:
 
The estates (which are mainly owned by offshore trusts, foreign oligarchs and large multinational holding companies) would like you all to believe that it will be a disaster - and would love us to be convinced that the SNP are planning some sort of Mugabe-esque land grab.

Since it is uaually the case that most of our interests are very poorly served when we meekly adopt the atitudes peddled to us by oligarchs, I was instantly suspicious. Having read into it in some detail, my conclusion is that it can only be a good thing. At the very least, it will bring extra scrutiny to bear on the management of the land - which is currently done in the interests of a very, very small minority.
 
One area that the land reform proposals will affect is the continuation of tenancy after sale. This more aimed at residential tenants so that you are not booted out of your house / flat just because your landlord decides to sell. In effect you lease will survive along with all terms and conditions, just the name will change. Similar will be those who have a commercial lease with land or property, so to some extent this well benefit those with stalking leases - ie change can only happen if you break the terms of the lease or at the end of the lease.

The UK is one of the few parts of the world where no residency requirement is needed to own property. Our property market is held up by investors by property as a capital asset and a safe haven for their funds. Long gone are the days when agricultural return can justify the cost of land, or indeed rental return the price of a house in most of our cities.

over Christmas I got the grumbling from my father of why we only have a small flat in Edinburgh and wouldn't it be lovely if we got somewhere bigger. He was a civil engineer and earned a reasonable professional salary - say £70 to £100 k in today's terms and with that he was able to afford a four bedroom house with an acre of land in a rural location and to send three children through minor private schools, and get them into university. When I was at school, most other kids had similar backgrounds - good middle class. To do the same now you would need the thick end of £750,000 a year pre-tax.
 
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If I 'won the lottery' I would not invest in a sporting estate in Scotland. I can think of easier ways to lose the dosh !
The writing is on the wall of a Mugabe esque grab.
Such a shame the independance vote was lost, especially with the current oil price !
 
I cannot believe the views expressed by some here.

The SNP are hostile to field sports.

These 'big estates' condemned above put far more into the local rural economy than the alternatives ever will. So if these 'big estates' are to be split up and distributed...to whom? How? Who will manage them? Who will manage the shooting/sporting? Does any one really think that a landowner is on a 'gravy train'? We have been lucky that rich individuals have invested so much private money into the Scottish countryside..idiot posturing from the Scottish Government and their left wing supporters will do nothing but dissuade continued vital investment.

Explain exactly what attitudes are being peddled to us by what oligarchs please? Give us facts....not sound bytes.
 
Is it just me, or does owning vast tracts of land in Scotland not really result in making money hand over fist. Most of it is only fit for a few sheep or perhaps a bit of forestry, a smidgen of income from deer stalking and if you've got somewhere suitable, maybe a pheasant shoot.

It appears to me that these oligarchs, whether foreign, local or indeed business interests are investing money where it will probably not decrease in value (crack-pot politicians allowing) for the same reasons they invest in football clubs. Because they enjoy it. Because I can't really see how they can make money like they do in the steel business in Russia.
 
If you where a sitting tennent for forty years what would you be saying then?:cuckoo:

Wot if ur a new farmer trying to get his first farm and no estate will let u have a long term lease for that very reason:cuckoo:
Having to move all ur stock off farm 1 day every year, its not like u can just keep them all at ur mates.

Why do they not apply the same logic to property letting and rented flats??


The last lot of land reform was a total balls up and has done far more harm than good, as a sitting tennet u already had rights even before they altered it
 
The UK is one of the few parts of the world where no residency requirement is needed to own property. Our property market is held up by investors by property as a capital asset and a safe haven for their funds. Long gone are the days when agricultural return can justify the cost of land, or indeed rental return the price of a house in most of our cities.

Can you not buy property in the EU with out being a resident? I could have bought my place here and still live in England without problem.
 
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