For sale — Scotland's most famous mountain range: Land ‘ownership’ in Scotland

Abstract

The nature of land ownership is infrequently discussed by practitioners of outdoor education, though it is often central to the way they work. The recent controversy over the proposed sale of the Cuillin mountain range on the Isle of Skye in Scotland provoked heated discussion over rights to and benefits of this important place. The main point at issue was the role of the Cuillins as property, whether as that of one man or of society as a whole. This point raised questions about who should benefit, and how, from various kinds of ownership of land. It alerted interested citizens to the flexible and changing nature of relationships to land and hence to land use. This paper explores the origins of some of the confused and confusing ideas about property ownership. It uses this explanation to analyse voices from the media debate about the Cuillins as property, in order to understand the wide-ranging cultural assumptions used by different interest groups in responding publicly to the issue. The discussion that follows highlights for outdoor educators how understanding of long-standing traditions in the use of both public and private land is politically important for their practice. It suggests the importance of their having a pro-active role in public debate about the nature of land ownership and its relationship to land use.