Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2025 Commencement Regulations

UK New Legislation

Published March 16th, 2026

Detected March 5th, 2026

Summary

The Scottish Ministers have published regulations to bring specific sections of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2025 into force on March 16, 2026. These regulations concern the functions of the Land Commissioners related to natural capital markets and hutting leases.

View original document View source feed page

What changed

These regulations officially commence sections 8, 9, and 12 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2025, with an effective date of March 16, 2026. Section 8 and 9 expand the definition of matters relating to land in Scotland for the Land Commissioners, specifically concerning natural capital markets. Section 12 imposes a duty on Scottish Ministers to publish a model lease for hutting purposes.

Regulated entities, particularly those involved with land in Scotland, should be aware of these new provisions. While no immediate compliance deadline is specified beyond the effective date, understanding the expanded functions of the Land Commissioners and the forthcoming model lease for hutting is crucial for future planning and operations.

What to do next

Review sections 8, 9, and 12 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2025 for operational impact.
Monitor for the publication of the model lease for hutting by Scottish Ministers.

Source document (simplified)

Status:

This is the original version (as it was originally made). This item of legislation is currently only available in its original format.

Scottish Statutory Instruments

2026 No. 119 (C. 11)

LAND REFORM

The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2025 (Commencement No. 1) Regulations 2026

Made

3rd March 2026

Laid before the Scottish Parliament

5th March 2026

Coming into force

16th March 2026

The Scottish Ministers make the following Regulations in exercise of the power conferred by section 47(2) of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2025(1).

Citation and commencement

These Regulations may be cited as the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2025 (Commencement No. 1) Regulations 2026 and come into force on 16 March 2026.

Appointed day

—(1) 16 March 2026 is the day appointed for the coming into force of the provisions of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2025 referred to in paragraph (2).

(2) The provisions are—

(a) section 8 (functions of the Land Commissioners: natural capital markets),

(b) section 9 (functions of the Land Commissioners: further provisions),

MAIRI GOUGEON

A member of the Scottish Government

St Andrew's House,

Edinburgh

3rd March 2026

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations bring into force sections 8, 9 and 12 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2025 (“ the Act ”). The Bill for the Act received Royal Assent on 16 December 2025. Sections 11 and 44 to 48 came into force the following day.

Sections 8 and 9 of the Act make amendments to section 22 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016 (“ the 2016 Act ”) regarding the functions of the Land Commissioners. Section 22(1) of the 2016 Act sets out the functions of the Land Commissioners, which generally concern “any matter relating to land in Scotland”. Section 22(5) of the 2016 Act sets out what is to be considered a “ matter relating to land in Scotland ” for the purposes of subsection (1). Sections 8 and 9 of the Act expand the definition of a “matter relating to land in Scotland” by inserting new paragraphs (e) to (h) into section 22(5) of the 2016 Act.

Section 12 of the Act imposes a duty on the Scottish Ministers to publish, within 3 years of the Bill for the Act receiving Royal Assent, a model lease designed for letting public land so that it can be used for the purpose of building or occupying huts.

(1) 2025 asp 15.