Agricultural Holdings (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill

# Agricultural Holdings (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill Scottish agricultural tenancy law was criticised as outdated and overly restrictive, discouraging investment and modernisation on rented farmland. The Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Act 1991 provided strong security of tenure for tenant farmers but created barriers to flexibility in farm management, succession planning, and the introduction of new farming methods. Landlords faced constraints on recovering properties or adjusting arrangements, while tenants sometimes struggled with inflexible terms that hindered business development. This bill sought to reform the legal framework governing agricultural holdings to strike a better balance between tenant security and landlord flexibility, encouraging more efficient land use and investment in Scottish agriculture. The bill introduced several key modifications to tenancy law, including measures to simplify succession arrangements, improve flexibility around short-term lets and diversification of farm businesses, and streamline procedures for ending tenancies. It also aimed to modernise provisions on rent reviews and dispute resolution while preserving baseline protections for sitting tenants. The reforms were designed to make agricultural tenancies more accessible to new entrants and more adaptable to contemporary farming practices. The bill progressed through the Scottish Parliament as an executive measure, reflecting the Scottish Government's priority in addressing agricultural competitiveness and sustainability.

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