


Scotland’s outdated land laws threaten the future of rural towns
But progress in reforming them is sluggish
Bealach na Bà, Gaelic for “Pass of the Cattle”, is a series of chilling hairpin bends winding through the Applecross peninsula, in the Scottish Highlands. As the road descends to the coast, it passes sites of settlements dating back as far as 9,500 years. At sea level the sleepy community of Applecross spreads along the bay. Locals wander past a grand home with a walled garden. Along the high street—if it may be called that—stand a primary school, a doctor’s surgery and several inns for tired drivers. But Applecross has a problem. Locals are leaving it. Despite the expansive countryside behind it, there is not enough land to build houses on.
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This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Lairds and the land”

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