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Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003

  • Explanatory Notes Table of contents

Please note:

All reference to 'Parts' and 'sections' are from the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003. For other versions of these Explanatory Notes, see More Resources.

  1. Introduction

  2. The Act – an Overview

    1. Part 1  Access Rights

      1. Section 1: Access rights

      2. Section 2:  Access rights to be exercised responsibly

      3. Section 3:  Reciprocal obligation of owners

      4. Section 4:  Modification of sections 9, 14 and 23

      5. Section 5:  Access rights, reciprocal obligations and other rules and rights

      6. Sections 6 and 7:  Land over which access rights not exercisable

      7. Section 8:  Adjustment of land  excluded from access rights

      8. Section 9:  Conduct excluded from access rights

      9. Section 10:  The Scottish Outdoor Access Code

      10. Section 11:  Power to exempt particular land from access rights

      11. Section 12:  Bylaws in relation to land over which access rights are exercisable

      12. Section 13:  Duty of local authority to uphold access rights

      13. Section 14:  Prohibition signs, obstructions, dangerous impediments etc.

      14. Section 15:  Measures for safety protection, guidance and assistance

      15. Section 16:  Acquisition by local authority of land to enable or facilitate exercise of access rights

      16. Section 17:  Core paths plan

      17. Section 18:  Core paths plan: further procedure

      18. Section 19: Power to maintain core paths etc.

      19. Section 20: Review and amendment of core paths plan

      20. Section 21:  Delineation by agreement of paths in land over which access rights are exercisable

      21. Section 22:  Compulsory powers to delineate paths in land over which access rights are exercisable

      22.  Section 23: Ploughing etc.

      23. Section 24:  Rangers

      24. Section 25:  Local access forums

      25. Section 26:  Power of entry

      26. Section 27:  Guidance

      27. Section 28:  Judicial determination of existence and extent of access rights and rights of way.

      28. Section 29: Powers to protect natural heritage and cultural heritage etc.

      29. Section 30:  Existing bylaws providing for public access to land

      30. Section 31:  Application of section 15 to rights of way

      31.  Section 32:  Interpretation of Part 1

    2. Part 2 the Community Right to Buy

      1. Section 33:  Registrable land

      2. Section 34:  Community bodies

      3.  Section 35:  Provisions Supplementary to Section 34

      4. Section 36:  Register of Community Interests in Land

      5. Section 37:  Registration of interest in land

      6. Section 38:  Criteria for registration

      7. Section 39: Procedure for late applications

      8. Sections 40 and 41: Effect of Registration

      9. Section 42:  Power to modify sections 40(4) and (5) and 41

      10. Section 43:  Anti-avoidance provisions

      11. Section 44:  Duration and renewal of registration

      12. Section 45:  Deletion of community interest in land

      13. Section 46 : Re-registration of community interest

      14. Section 47:  Activation of right to buy

      15. Section 48:  Duties on owner, or creditor, proposing to transfer land

      16. Section 49:  Procedure following receipt of notice under section 48

      17. Section 50: Power to activate Right to Buy land where breach of this Part

      18. Section 51:  Exercise of right to buy: approval of community and consent of Ministers

      19. Section 52: Ballot procedure

      20. Section 53:  Provisions supplementary to section 51: salmon fishings and minerals

      21. Section 54:  Declinature or extinction of right to buy

      22. Section 55:  Right to buy same land exercisable by only one community body

      23. Section 56:  Procedure for buying

      24. Section 57:  Powers of Lands Tribunal in event of failure or delay

      25. Section 58: Procedure where right to buy activated under section 50(3)

      26. Section 59:  Assessment of value of land

      27. Section 60:  Procedure for valuation

      28. Section 61:  Appeals

      29. Section 62:  Appeals to Lands Tribunal: valuation

      30. Section 63:  Compensation

      31. Section 64:  Compensation appeals

      32. Section 65:  Effect of right to buy on other rights

      33. Section 66: Amendment to the Land Registration (Scotland) Act 1979

      34. Section 67:  Construction of references to land in which community interest registered

    3. Part 3 the Crofting Community Right to Buy

      1. Section 68:  Land which may be bought: eligible croft land

      2. Section 69:  Land which may be bought: salmon fishings and mineral rights

      3. Section 70:  Land which may be bought in addition to eligible croft land

      4. Section 71:  Crofting community bodies

      5. Section 72:  Provisions supplementary to section 71

      6. Section 73:  Application by crofting community body for consent to buy croft land

      7. Section 74:  Criteria for consent by Ministers

      8.  Section 75:  Ballot to indicate approval for purposes of section 74(1)(m)

      9. Section 76:  Right to buy same eligible land exercisable by only one crofting community body

      10. Section 77:  Reference to Land Court of purchase of eligible additional land without owners consent

      11. Section 78:  Modification of section 77(3)(a) to (e)

      12. Section 79:  Additional land included at request of owner

      13. Section 80:  Consent conditions

      14. Section 81:  Reference to Land Court of questions on applications

      15. Section 82:  Notification of Ministers’ decision on application

      16. Section 83:  Leaseback to owner of sporting interests

      17. Section 84:  Effect on other rights of Ministers’ decision on right to buy

      18. Section 85:  Confirmation of intention to proceed with purchase and withdrawal

      19. Section 86:  Completion of purchase

      20. Section 87:  Completion of transfer

      21. Section 88:  Assessment of value of croft land etc.

      22. Section 89:  Compensation

      23. Section 90:  Grants towards crofting community bodies’ liabilities to pay compensation

      24. Section 91:  Appeals

      25. Section 92:  Appeals to Land Court: valuation

      26. Section 93:  Agreement as to matters referred or appealed

      27. Section 94:  Register of Crofting Community Rights to Buy

      28. Section 95:  Avoidance of disposal other than to crofting community body

      29. Section 96:  Limitation on affect of this Part

      30. Section 97:  Scottish Land Court: jurisdiction

    4. Part 4 General and Supplementary

      1. Section 98:  General and supplementary provisions

      2. Section 99:  Amendments, repeals and savings

      3. Section 100:  Short title, Crown application and commencement

    5. Schedule 1:  Path Orders

    6. Schedule 2 Amendment and Repeal of Enactments

      1. Trespass (Scotland) Act 1865 (c.56)

      2. Acquisition of Land (Authorisation of Procedure) (Scotland) Act 1947 (c.42)

      3. Countryside (Scotland) Act 1967 (c.86)

      4. Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (c.45)

      5. Public Order Act 1986 (c.64)

      6. Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 (c.33)

      7. The Conservation (Natural Habitats Etc.) Regulations 1994 (S.I. 1994/2716)

      8. Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997(c.8)

  3. Parliamentary History for the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003

  • Explanatory Notes Table of contents

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Explanatory Notes

Text created by the Scottish Government to explain what the Act sets out to achieve and to make the Act accessible to readers who are not legally qualified. Explanatory Notes were introduced in 1999 and accompany all Acts of the Scottish Parliament except those which result from Budget Bills.

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