COMMUNITY-BASED EMPOWERMENT THROUGH LAND REFORM IN SCOTLAND: The case of forest ownership

The chapter describes how community initiatives and a series of policy developments have created opportunities for new community forests in a land which had none before 1987, within the wider context of extreme deforestation followed by afforestation in the twentieth century, and moves towards community empowerment. Land reform is a policy priority in Scotland. It has its origins in grassroots activism, in turn a reaction to the most inequitable land ownership in Europe. The Scottish case has attracted international analysis because of the unusual focus on transfer to community ownership by community companies, and the chapter shows how legislation and experience contribute to debates around understanding ‘community’ in community forestry. The chapter describes two case studies contrasting in scale and economic ambition. It concludes with reflections on the challenges of community ownership, and on evaluating their contribution to community empowerment.