The Poor Had No Lawyers: Who Owns Scotland and How They Got it [Paperback]

Explores Scotlands history of landownership, revealing how land was appropriated and the ongoing political implications.New and Updated EditionWho owns Scotland? How did they get it? What happened to all the common land in Scotland? Has the Scottish Parliament made any difference? Can we get our common good land back? In this book, Andy Wightman updates the statistics of landownership in Scotland and explores how and why landowners got their hands on the millions of acres of land that were once held in common.He tells the untold story of how Scotland's legal establishment and politicians managed to appropriate land through legal fixes. Have attempts to redistribute this power more equitably made any difference, and what are the full implications of the recent debt-fuelled housing bubble, the Smith Commission and the new Scottish Government's proposals on land reform? For all those with an interest in urban and rural land in Scotland, this updated edition of The Poor Had No Lawyers provides a fascinating analysis of one the most important political questions in Scotland.For all those with an interest in urban and rural land in Scotland, this updated edition of The Poor Had No Lawyers provides a fascinating analysis of one the most important political questions in Scotland.frank, fearless and at times ferocious - a remarkable bookSuperlativeIt is historical and oh-so contemporary and, perhaps, in these exciting times, a call to armsfrank, fearless and at times ferocious - a remarkable bookSuperlative An essential guide to who owns Scotland and why land reform has flowered there in recent years A more important book about Scottish land ownership has yet to be written'One of the defining literary and scholarly works of modern Scotland ... it demands to be read if you want to reach an understanding of why Scotland cannot be considered a fair society while prevailing patterns of land ownership persist in our most beautiful places'A more important book about Scottish landlS(