Voluntary Land Registration
Protecting your land on Scotland’s land register
Scotland is moving to one system of land and property registration, with work underway to complete the Land Register of Scotland by 2024. Owners can protect their land using voluntary registration.
The land register is a publicly-accessible, digital record of land ownership. A complete land register will provide a full picture of exactly who owns what across the country, and reduce the cost of buying and selling property.
Currently, land ownership in Scotland is recorded on one of two public registers – the 400-year-old, deeds-based General Register of Sasines, and the map-based digital land register which started in 1981.
Moving to the land register has clear benefits for landowners. Titles on the land register:
- are easier, faster and cheaper to transact
- clarify exact boundaries of land, providing greater certainty and security
- include a state-backed warranty, protecting against claims of adverse possession
- make succession planning and land management easier
Registers of Scotland is offering a 25 per cent discount on its fees for voluntary registration until at least mid-2019. It has also set up a dedicated team of advisors to guide landowners through the registration process.
Since the land register is map-based, applicants must submit a plan of their property, showing their full legal boundaries on a digital picture. Highland Geomatics can help!
We can interpret sasine deeds and ensure that maps that accompany applications meet the strict digital mapping requirements. This process can confirm ownership information and highlight any issues ahead of registration.
Please click on the image below to see a sample:
