Scottish Parliament Passes New Hutting Law, Making Public Land Accessible for Sustainable Living
On Wednesday, November 5th, 2025, the Scottish Parliament voted to pass a new hutting law, which will require the Scottish Government to publish a model lease for hutting on public land. The change to the law is expected to make it easier for people across Scotland to access public land for low-impact, sustainable hutting in the future.
Huts, simple homes that allow people to reconnect with nature and live off-grid, have been gaining popularity in Scotland. The 1000 Huts Campaign, led by Reforesting Scotland, has been advocating for a culture of recreational hut use, citing numerous benefits such as bringing people closer to nature, promoting practical skills in low-carbon living, fostering community, and improving health and wellbeing.
Access to land for huts is crucial for this movement, which is why Reforesting Scotland and the Scottish Rewilding Alliance have been calling on the Scottish Government to publish a draft lease for hutters on public land. The successful campaign for a legal change was inspired by a pilot project at Carnock in southwest Fife, where a pioneering lease enabled a group of hutters to build 12 huts on the national forest estate.
Al Whitworth, Director of Reforesting Scotland, expressed delight at the passing of the new law, saying, “This is another success for our ongoing 1000 Huts Campaign, and we’re delighted that the Scottish Government has again recognized the benefits of making a model lease available for hutting on public land.” He added, “We hope this will help unlock more sites where hutters can enjoy nature protected by a strong legal agreement.”
Steve Micklewright, co-convenor of the Scottish Rewilding Alliance and chief executive of Trees for Life, also praised the new law, saying, “Hutting offers a fantastic way for more people to share in, and care for, Scotland’s landscapes.” He added, “This is a win for people-led rewilding.”
The successful changes to the bill were proposed in Parliament by Ariane Burgess, Scottish Greens MSP for the Highlands and Islands. She highlighted the positive impact that the new law will have, saying, “Opening up more public land for hutting will in turn create all sorts of opportunities for people to get closer to nature and develop practical skills, and will foster community and co-operation.”
The hutting law is a double win for the Scottish Rewilding Alliance, as MSPs had previously voted to create a law obliging the owners of large landholdings over 1,000 hectares to publish plans on how they will increase biodiversity. The Alliance believes that this represents a significant step towards a Rewilding Nation.
However, while celebrating these two new laws, the Alliance also urges the Scottish Government to be more ambitious in its efforts. Currently, just 2.5% of Scotland’s land is being rewilded, and at the current rate, it will take 65 years before major nature restoration is underway across 30% of the country.
The Scottish Rewilding Alliance is calling on the Scottish Government to declare Scotland the world’s first Rewilding Nation and introduce bold legislation to support rewilding. Polling has shown that over 80% of the Scottish public support this vision. The Alliance’s Pathway to a Rewilding Nation lays out a clear roadmap for a wilder, fairer future for Scotland, and they are urging political parties to include rewilding in their manifestos for the 2026 elections.
The passing of the new hutting law is a significant step towards a greener and more sustainable Scotland, but there is still more work to be done. For more information on the 1000 Huts Campaign and the Scottish Rewilding Alliance, visit their websites.
