‘Backroom’ lobbying on Coul Links golf plan under fire
Scottish ministers have been privately urged to back plans for a golf course on a coastal wildlife site. This has been condemned as “backdoor lobbying that tries to bypass the rules”.
Andy Wightman
36 articles
Scotland’s forests dominated by estates, investors and absentee owners, says report
Ownership of Scotland’s forests is becoming increasingly dominated by wealthy estates, investors and absentee owners who live outwith Scotland,
Hundreds of foreign property owners stay secret despite new rules
A “loophole” in new legislation means more than half of the offshore entities which own hundreds of Scottish properties including
Taxable derelict land increase in most council areas sparks calls for tax reform
The number of vacant and derelict land plots subject to business rates grew in most Scottish council areas in recent
Revealed: The developers behind Scotland’s carbon credit ‘green rush’
Scotland’s richest man, an oil giant, an earl, and private equity and property firms are among those developing carbon
Highland estate in public access legal battle owned in tax haven
A wealthy Highland landowner trying to block access to a path described as “historic and important” owns the land via
More than 1000 Glasgow private lets owned in tax havens
There are more than 4000 homes being let by overseas landlords in Glasgow, with more than one thousand owned through
Revealed: MoD cover-up on Gruinard anthrax contamination
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) covered up evidence that toxic contamination could have spread from Gruinard island to the mainland
NatureScot withdrew objection after ‘serious heat’ from its chair
The Scottish Government’s wildlife agency, NatureScot, withdrew an objection to a tourist development in a native woodland after senior
Revealed: ‘radical’ vision for Scotland as ‘woodland nation’
The Scottish Government should buy up, break up and sell off large forestry estates to diversify woodland ownership, experts are
Over £400,000 raised by political crowdfunders as campaigners warn of need for scrutiny
Scottish political parties and candidates have raised over £400,000 through online crowdfunders ahead of the Scottish elections, according to
Scotland losing ‘substantial revenue’ over derelict land
Scotland is losing out on “substantial revenue” by under-taxing owners of vacant and derelict land, according to new research by
Billionaire-owned shooting properties offered tax relief
Nine out of ten of Scotland’s shooting properties, including some owned by billionaires, are exempt from paying £10.5