Nationalization of land in Scotland: Private property and the public interest

This chapter seeks to contribute to a broader understanding of the role of property rights in society and to consider how these may be rebalanced in the public interest by examining some historical insights and contemporary actions. It explores the ongoing land reforms in Scotland that seek the sage use of land for the collective well-being of Scotland. The chapter describes the importance of historical experiences in establishing private property as the conventional, accepted, and normal customs and conventions, the nature of the formal rules of the game that establish and sustain the perceived legitimacy of private property. It draws the broad logics of new institutionalism to better understand the challenging nature of the land question. The land reforms being devised and implemented in Scotland seek to promote and enable a more inclusive public interest in the land question. The different measures reflect to a large extent the historical provenance of land reforms and agendas in Scotland.