Andy Wightman
Land campaigner, former MSP, forester, author The Poor Had No Lawyers. http://andywightman.scot & http://whoownsscotland.org.uk
- NEW BLOG - "Community Ownership and Local Landed Power" exploring recent events in Glengarry and the interplay between community action and an influential local businessman. andywightman.scot/2026/01/comm...
- England and Wales’ land reform journey www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
- The Scottish Four Seasons by @islaratcliff.bsky.social tonight at Celtic Connections in the Barony Hall
- A reminder fo those furth of Scotland that we know all about Mr Trump's threats and bullying in trying to seize other people's property. We resisted. We won. (This is at Donald Trump's golf course at Menie, Aberdeenshire)
- Reposted by Andy Wightman[Not loaded yet]
- Reposted by Andy Wightman[Not loaded yet]
- Just watched this. My daughter went to a Russian school for 2 years and I am familiar with the routine patriotic and military performances. But after Feb 2022, this escalated dramatcially as illustrated in this astounding bit of film-making from inside a Russian school. www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...
- Nice write up in Herald of @islaratcliff.bsky.social new album. Pity the sub editors changed "Meltin o the Snaw" to "Melton o the Swan" !! www.heraldscotland.com/news/2576289...
- Reposted by Andy Wightman[Not loaded yet]
- Reposted by Andy Wightman[Not loaded yet]
- I think this is the first time that an asset of a common good fund (typically nowhere mentioned in the news piece) has been subject to restictions on sale beyond the familiar Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 provisions. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
- BLOG - Wildcat Haven Enterpsies CIC has been dissolved following liquidation still owing me £60,000. andywightman.scot/2026/01/wild...
- In a recent blog I highlighted the trend for large-scale land sales to conceal the prices paid. A few readers have offered to donate the £30 needed to examine each title. There are 26 in scope. If you are willing to contribute, leave a comment on blog or email me. andywightman.scot/2025/12/you-...
- DECEMBER 2025 UPDATE Who Owns Scotland now published with total of 4927 landholdings (76.77% rural Scotland). The project is financed solely by subscription income. New subscriptions welcome - they start at £5. whoownsscotland.org.uk
- Reposted by Andy Wightman[Not loaded yet]
- A lovely tune for tonight 😍
- Stage 1 report on Crofting Bill published. It supports a 3 croft limit for fast track assignations. But once more - a question. A crofter with 10 acres of bog and rock can have up to 3 crofts (or more if consented) but landowners owning thousands of ha face no such limits. Why not? ow.ly/JBie50XMw4t
- For nosey parkers, curious minds, and investigative sleuths, gift a one year personal subscription to Who Owns Scotland this Christmas. Full details at foot of the Subscribe page whoownsscotland.org.uk/subscribe/
- Reposted by Andy Wightman[Not loaded yet]
- BLOG - You can have this information but it will cost you £630. Following a previous blog highlighting how land sale prices are being concealed, Registers of Scotland, has refused an FoI request & will charge £630 for the info on the price paid for land. andywightman.scot/2025/12/you-...
- Isla Ratcliff @islaratcliff.bsky.social on the thrill of Vivaldi: ‘This is just great dance music’ list.co.uk/news/isla-ra...
- The real significance of this anniversary is that for 750 of Dingwall's 800 years history, Dingwall had self-government. The past 50 years are the oddity. And "the practice" of Royal Burghs didn't end in 1975. Royal Burghs still exist & charters are live legal documents www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
- Reposted by Andy Wightman[Not loaded yet]
- Reposted by Andy Wightman[Not loaded yet]
- BLOG - Clan Donald Lands Trust estate has been sold and here is who is believed to have bought it. andywightman.scot/2025/12/clan...
- The Scottish Four Seasons by @islaratcliff.bsky.social now available on TIDAL to stream at high fidelity. Do listen 2 this stunning trad interpretation of Vivaldi s famous work. Support independent musicians by buying album together with poems & track notes islaratcliff.bandcamp.com/album/the-sc...
- Reposted by Andy Wightman[Not loaded yet]
- Reposted by Andy Wightman[Not loaded yet]
- Reposted by Andy Wightman[Not loaded yet]
- Reposted by Andy Wightman[Not loaded yet]
- Reposted by Andy Wightman[Not loaded yet]
- NOVEMBER UPDATE Who Owns Scotland now published with total of 4900 landholdings (76.64% rural Scotland). The project is financed solely by subscription income. New subscriptions welcome - they start at £5 whoownsscotland.org.uk
- Reposted by Andy Wightman[Not loaded yet]
- BLOG - You were never meant to know about the £25 million estate sale. How prices being paid for large-scale landholdings are being concealed from public view and what needs to change. andywightman.scot/2025/11/you-...
- Slioch yesterday morning
- Reposted by Andy Wightman[Not loaded yet]
- Reposted by Andy Wightman[Not loaded yet]
- Reposted by Andy Wightman[Not loaded yet]
- Reposted by Andy Wightman[Not loaded yet]
- Reposted by Andy Wightman[Not loaded yet]
- Reposted by Andy Wightman[Not loaded yet]
- The Scottish Four Seasons by @islaratcliff.bsky.social - Teview by @fateamagazine.bsky.social here (and it’s good!) www.fatea-records.co.uk/magazine/rev...
- Reposted by Andy Wightman[Not loaded yet]
- Reposted by Andy Wightman[Not loaded yet]
- Reposted by Andy Wightman[Not loaded yet]
- Reposted by Andy Wightman[Not loaded yet]
- BLOG - Land Reform (Scotland) Bill and the £25 million Estate. An analysis of the impacts of the Bill on a sale of 3500 ha of land that took place in September. In summary, it changes nothing. andywightman.scot/2025/11/land...
- Reposted by Andy Wightman[Not loaded yet]
- Guardian editorial on Land Reform (Scotland) Bill www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
- Reposted by Andy Wightman[Not loaded yet]
- Reposted by Andy Wightman[Not loaded yet]
- Reposted by Andy Wightman[Not loaded yet]
- Reposted by Andy Wightman[Not loaded yet]
- Reposted by Andy Wightman[Not loaded yet]
- Reposted by Andy Wightman[Not loaded yet]
- Land Reform (Scotland) Bill passes with 85 voting yes, 28 voting no and 9 abstentions
- Cabinet Secretary arguing that ownership of land should not be based on wealth or birth. AGREE. BUT wealth is precisely what is driving increased concentration. Just today I ordered a deed transferring even more land to one of richest women in the world with no questions asked /…
- There had been ONE intervention in this debate with only the ScotGov Minister to close the debate. Debate? There has actually been NO debate.
- Folk often ask me what I would do by way of land reform legislation. Have a read of this blog to find out. It seems pointless to do much further detailed work since there is so little appetite for such measures andywightman.scot/2023/12/land...
- This debate is winding up now just 40 minutes after it started. Only 3 open debate speakers. I don’t think Parliament is interested in land reform any more. MSPs say all the right things but nothing changes.
- Richard Leonard making the first meaningful speech in this Land Reform Bill debate
- Curious to hear a Scottish Green politician be so critical of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill when it is a Bill signed of by them in Government as part of the SNP-Green coalition in March 2024
- Still v frustarted that debates around tenant farming stilll resolves around trying to expand tenancies. But they are in decline whilst in other Euroopean countries the % tenanted land is much much higher BECAUSE they had real land reform in aftermath of French revolution
- Scottish Parliament just passed the amendment that defines a large landholding with reference to the most complex of registers meaning a connected person is not just someone you can identify IN the register but someone who is REQUIRED to be in. Best of luck with this.
- I have published a new briefing for MSPs for the Stage 3 debate on the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill tomorrow (wed 5 Nov). You can download a copy here andywightman.scot/2025/11/land...
- I am pleased to publish this thoughtful essay by April Cumming on her recent homecoming to Lochaber from Australia. andywightman.scot/2025/11/duth...
- I am looking forward to speaking at the @revivecoalition.bsky.social conference on Sat 8 Nov. Come along for a fascinating day to dicuss findings of its Big Land Question project. www.perththeatreandconcerthall.com/whats-on/rev...
- OCTOBER UPDATE Who Owns Scotland now published with total of 4850 landholdings (76.55% rural Scotland). The project is financed solely by subscription income which is not rising as fast as expansion expenditure so may have to slow the project down. Subscriptions start at £5 whoownsscotland.org.uk
- Reposted by Andy Wightman[Not loaded yet]
- Here again for Stage 3 amending stage of Land Reform (Scotland) Bill. But voting system has gone down due to an “external issue with Microsoft” suspended until 1900
