World’s oldest national land register turns 400 today

Today Registers of Scotland (RoS) mark 400 years of the General Register of Sasines, the oldest national land register in the world, as a specially commissioned poem by Scotland’s Makar, Jackie Kay, was read to the public for the first time.

Created by the Registration Act 1617 of the old Scots Parliament, the Sasine Register allowed individuals to have their deeds recorded in official registers, and RoS and the Sasine Register have underpinned the Scottish property market ever since.

The current Keeper of the Registers, Sheenagh Adams (pictured), was joined by three previous keepers at the event which also saw a new artwork, specially commissioned to mark the anniversary.

Ms Adams, said: “We are proud of the work that we do to maintain the oldest national land register in the world for the people of Scotland. We have 400 years of learning and expertise and are consolidating that with modern practices that serve the needs not only of our customers, but of our stakeholders, partners and employees.”

RoS has also published a commemorative booklet detailing the history and work of the registers.

Jackie Kay’s poem, SASINE, is reproduced below.

SASINE

Then my auld freend, as the furst sign

Let’s haund ower a clod o’ earth

And ken that ye and I will keep our wurd

Over time’s lang in-between.

Ye came tae life in a dwam, a dream,

A name here shows whaur you’ve been, lang syne.

To measure time, your deeds, this record -

Seizer! The auldest o’ the wurld.

Auld Caledonia: front runner, streaks ahead;

So far that you kin turn and look back;

The slow, timeless stare o’ the stag,

A heap o’ stones, a sma’ time-lag.

Plot, bothy, shack, croft, lease.

A writ stamped, counterpart, peace.

This land register - across these four centuries:

Fast furward, back; here’s your old stories.