Mairi Gougeon

Dr Lucy Beattie and Dr Calum MacLeod have been appointed as land commissioners and Robert Black as the tenant farming commissioner of the Scottish Land Commission.

Dr Beattie is a farmer and land manager in North-West Ross, and a rural development consultant. She has a background in rural land management and worked for a former public authority in 1999 as part of her RICS professional exams. This was foundational to the experience which has been developed over the last 25 years working as a consultant in land management and community development.

Dr MacLeod is senior policy and public affairs officer for the Mental Health Foundation in Scotland and a freelance sustainable development consultant. In 2010 he led post-legislative scrutiny of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 on behalf of the Scottish Parliament. Formerly policy director of Community Land Scotland, Dr MacLeod has a PhD in public policy implementation and has taught sustainable development and public policy courses at several Scottish universities.

Mr Black brings nearly 20 years’ experience as a self-employed agricultural adviser with a background in rural science and agricultural business. He has extensive experience in rural consultancy supporting farmers and tenant operators across Scotland combining practical expertise with a deep understanding of the rural sector. He runs North West Rural Consulting having previously been a development manager for the Isle of Luing Community Trust, where he oversaw projects including the reactivation of Cullipool Slate Quarry, community housing, and net-zero carbon objectives to support economic growth and tackle rural depopulation.

The appointments are for five years from 19 December 2024 to 18 December 2029.