Hosted by the Scottish Land Commission and Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), the event at the Royal Highland Show drew a packed audience as a panel of experts explored the latest data and key trends shaping how rural land is bought, sold, and managed across the country.

The panel – chaired by land commissioner Professor Deb Roberts – included: 

• Professor Steven Thomson, agricultural economist, SRUC
• Debbie MacKay, head of planning, Savills
• Jason Beedell, director of rural research, Strutt & Parker
• Sarah Longlands, chief executive, Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES)

Topics ranged from inheritance tax and rising land values in high-demand areas to the need for more collaborative approaches to land management. Crucially, several panellists called for tax reform to better align land transactions with public interest goals – suggesting capital gains tax may offer a more effective policy tool than current inheritance tax provisions.

Professor Roberts, who is also deputy chief executive and director of science at the James Hutton Institute, said: “There’s a real appetite across the sector to better understand how Scotland’s rural land market is changing and what that means for the future.

“The panel brought some great insights, and it was encouraging to see such thoughtful discussion from both speakers and the audience. We need open, evidence-based conversations like this to help shape land reform in a way that works for everyone.”