The SLA are pleased to announce the launch of Scotland’s Landscape Charter 2025. 

The Charter is about promoting awareness of the critical contribution of landscapes to all our lives and the action required to maximise the many benefits they bring now and for the future. It is based on an overarching vision that, as a nation, we all cherish our landscapes and recognise them as a vital resource, fundamental to our prosperity and wellbeing and that we all play an active part in decisions that affect them.

 Scotland’s Landscape Charter – Read Here.

The Charter is endorsed by the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, Mairi Gougeon MSP, on behalf of the Scottish Government together with NatureScot, Heritage Environment Scotland, the Scottish Land Commission, and Architecture and Design Scotland.

The Cabinet Secretary said:-

“the Charter helpfully highlights the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change and points to landscape considerations being a key element in decision making if we are to achieve our ambition of a net zero and nature positive Scotland”

Rachel Tennant, Co-Chair of Scotland’s Landscape Alliance, outlines the importance of the Charter  – watch here

“The truth is that if we are to thrive, then we need our landscapes to thrive too. This means a collaborative, cross sectoral and a forward looking, thoughtful approach to how we design, plan and positively manage change in our landscapes. We need to work with communities of place and interest to deliver functional, resilient and dynamic landscapes and to make better choices for people and nature.” 

The charter builds on the European Landscape Convention and arrives 25 years on from its creation. It sets out a vision and framework that will enable demands on landscapes to be balanced for the benefit of people and nature, both now and for future generations. In support of this vision there are three fundamental principles:

• Collaboration between sectors and organisation to achieve a joined-up approach;
• Dynamic management of landscapes, taking account of changing needs, circumstances and challenges;
• Diversity in our landscapes alongside good planning, thoughtful design and active collaboration to positively manage change is key to resilient landscapes for the future.

The Charter is accompanied by six best practice case studies from different settings across the country showing how the framework can be applied and the  positive outcomes that can be achieved: read here

 Watch

• Duncan McLean of LUC describe the Claypits, Glasgow’s Inner City Nature Reserve here
• James Stead of RSPB introduce CLIMATE Forth here
• The Isle of Canna Community Development Trust explain the Canna Infrastructure projects here

They include new visitor and energy infrastructure on the Isle of Canna in the Inner Hebrides; The Claypits in Maryhill, Glasgow which has created a community and nature haven on the site of canal-side industry; Falkirk Greenspace  – realising a common vision of a connected network of inspiring, nature rich and healthy spaces, which envelop and bring multiple benefits to communities; The Inner Forth and Climate FORTH projects, a 215 km² landscape climate resilience project ranging from Stirling to the Forth Bridges.

We urge those who are engaged in decisions and activities that affect our landscapes to support the Charter through their ongoing work and submit their own projects as current best practice examples for publication on the SLA website where positive and quality change / benefit has occurred that meets the vision and principles of the charter and demonstrates how best practice can benefit our landscapes for the people of Scotland –  read here

The SLA would like to thank the many people and organisations for their time and support in helping make Scotland’s Landscape Charter possible.

Next Steps – Save the date: Developing a Stakeholder Led Charter Action Plan – 30^th October 2025 at the Edinburgh Centre for Climate Change

 To further embed the charter into everyday landscape action, Scotland’s Landscape Alliance wish to engage with a wide range of stakeholders to develop an annually updated short-term action plan to support the implementation of the vision and principles and which will reinforce the good policy and tools that exist around land and landscape. The development of the action plan will be the focus of our main SLA conference which will be on the 30th October 2025 at the Edinburgh Centre for Climate Change