On SLA 28th October 2026 the Landscape Community came together for the annual SLA stakeholder event Continuity and Change: Securing our future landscapes through Scotland’s Landscape Charter

The aims of the day were to:-

1. Explore the Action Plan, with an update on its priorities and current progress
2. Examine existing good tools that exist around land and landscape which the Action Plan aims to reinforce with presentations by

• Alison Griffin, Head of Land Use Policy, Scottish Government -an overview of the Land Use Strategy
• Dr Adam Jackson – Historic Environment Scotland and Laura Campbell – NatureScot – their work to support the Charter through the refreshed joint People Place and Landscape Action Plan

3. Showcase and be inspired by presentations of 3 new landscape stories of landscape action in practice

• Glasgow Avenues, Cowcaddens section: Iain Morrison of Ironside Farrar
• A Route Map to Healthy Soils: Dr Sarah Buckingham of SLR Consulting
• Solway Coast and Marine Project (SCAMP) – Landscape Connections: Karen Morley of Dumfries & Galloway Council

5. Gather a new set of landscape stories that demonstrate what can be done through the application of the vision and principles of the Charter
6. Capture feedback and gain support to help progress 3 of the Charter actions through three interactive workshops

• Workshop 1: Drivers and impacts of landscape change -Facilitated by Dr Sarah Govan, Climate Xchange
• Workshop 2 : A landscape thinking approach to land management. Facilitated by Diarmid Hearns, National Trust for Scotland
• Workshop 3: Story telling initiatives through a landscape lens –Facilitated by Dr Anna Hicks, Strata and Story  & British Geological Survey

 Our next steps are:-

• Review workshop outcomes to help progress Charter actions. We will develop short term working groups with your support to continue to feed into these actions.
• Continue to encourage and publish landscape stories that deliver on the Charters vision and principles
• Publish an annual report of year one priority actions action plan that fully supports the vision of the Charter and report back at next years annual event

The SLA will promote:-

• a continued commitment to the ELC and the Charter – at government and cross party level and gain continued support for the action plan
• and to promote that commitment, ensure collaboration and involve Scotland’s communities in its implementation.